tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29872274038866528192024-03-05T17:22:15.800-08:00Something New-ishNatalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.comBlogger119125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-52211241331841270572014-11-16T09:26:00.001-08:002014-11-16T09:26:32.348-08:00Oooooo, Owls!
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During the month of October we covered
the letter "O" in our preschool curriculum, so our theme
for that week was "Owls." This was a fun theme in general,
but it was also perfect for the week before Halloween, as owls are
enchanting and they play well in spookier themes.
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Any time we have such a specific theme,
though, Art becomes a little more challenging because I have to
generate a lot of variety around one animal. The upside, however, is
that we get to go more in-depth with each project and explore Owls in
more detail! Here are the projects we did:</div>
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Our first project was "'O' is for
Owl." We started by tracing and cutting a large white letter O
and then we used dot-markers to cover the O in polka dots (sort of a
play on a Spotted Owl.) Then the kids glued the forehead feathers,
the yellow eyes, and the feet onto their O. Last, they used the
markers to put the pupils into the large eyes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglCnUNqWdxfz3Y_kxgpnPJWOhQGuMOD-lECdaILhcxC4Yj4wrhQF1pnbcsuvzs-SC_8X-0IT4-m_eSnr1sflzWvE-XMQQ5ilAdWfqVCfGVOAp5SuUV09H3oehvrg9wUzdZVHXuQCvJTFk/s1600/Owl+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglCnUNqWdxfz3Y_kxgpnPJWOhQGuMOD-lECdaILhcxC4Yj4wrhQF1pnbcsuvzs-SC_8X-0IT4-m_eSnr1sflzWvE-XMQQ5ilAdWfqVCfGVOAp5SuUV09H3oehvrg9wUzdZVHXuQCvJTFk/s1600/Owl+1.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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Our next project was a "Texture
Owl," and obviously the point of this project was to explore
texture. While feathers are an obvious choice for any type of bird,
torn up scraps of paper allowed the kids to have some fine-motor
practice tearing, and they were just a nice change-up to the project.
I cut out all the body background pieces from black paper, and the
kids ripped up and glued scraps of brown craft paper to the
background to cover it. They glued the eyes, the beak, the feet, and
then they glued the entire owl onto a small crooked paper tree
branch. Again, we used dot-markers for the pupils. </div>
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Our last project was easel painting! We
painted a large owl, but with a twist: "Hands Owl-Over."
That's right, we used our hands to create a feathery texture on the
owl after we painted. First, I helped each child paint the outline of
the body and wings, then they filled in the body with brown paint.
Next, I went around and painted their hands brown, and they used
their hands to press and stamp their owl's body and create texture in
the paint that looked like feathers. Last, they painted the eyes, the
beak, and the feet on their owls. As you can see, some of the kids
kept their hands entirely inside the outline, and some touched around
the edges to make their owls look "fluffy."</div>
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Each week we do a cooking project
centered on our theme. This week's snack was "Owl Snack."
We spread marshmallow fluff over a whole graham cracker (to be the
head). Then they took two banana slices and placed those on the fluff
as the eyes, they placed raisins over the bananas as the pupils, and
they placed one last raisin at the bottom of the cracker to be the
beak. I always make a snack along with them to show them how to make
it, and to model trying new foods-- this snack was pretty good!</div>
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For our afternoon language lessons, we
focused on what owls eat, where they live, and we also learned that
owls are nocturnal. The kids were excited to know that owls sleep
while we're at school, and they wake up and fly around at night. The
best part, as a teacher, was having the kids run up to me later in
the week during recess and remind me that "right now the owls
are sleeping because it's daytime!" Lesson to self: never assume
kids are too young to understand! Seeing them wrap their brains
around the concept of nocturnal animals was awesome, and we had fun
making a list of all the other nocturnal animals we could think of!</div>
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These projects made for a perfect "Owls" week, but you can, of course, fit any of them into your "Forest animals" or "Birds" units. Happy teaching! </div>
Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-69416961670784879842014-11-02T16:25:00.000-08:002014-11-02T16:25:10.032-08:00Sometimes I Even Sleep!
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My, oh, my! It was been a long time
since I've posted; this Fall has been a whirlwind, and lately I've
been focusing a lot of my time and energy on my Etsy shop, Made In
Flight. I started making things for the shop back in April and it's
been growing slowly, but surely, ever since. (Let's not forget that
our household must survive on a teacher's and a pilot's salary--
extra income is always good!) And since this is my blog and it's a
post about the letter "E" theme at school, I will now
shamelessly plug my <b>E</b><span style="font-weight: normal;">tsy</span>
shop (see what I did there?) here on my blog:</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/MadeInFlight?ref=hdr#" target="_blank">Made In Flight</a><br />
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Alright, now back to my actual post!</div>
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A few weeks ago at school our theme was
"Easy E." This theme was particularly challenging as the
art teacher because I wanted to give the kids variety and avoid the
usual "elephant" crafts that we did last year in the 3-year
old program. However, I overcame the challenge and actually had a
blast coming up with our art for the week! Hopefully all you fellow
teachers out there will find something new and different to add to
your "E" curriculum. Check out the projects below!</div>
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Our first project was an Eskimo. The
kids assembled all the pieces with glue, and got a little fine motor
practice by stretching cotton balls for the coat edging before gluing
those on as well.
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Next we made an egg! The kids traced
the egg shape on their paper, cut it on the line, and then used
plastic Easter eggs to paint their paper eggs. They rolled and
stamped however they wanted with whatever colors they wanted to
decorate their eggs. </div>
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Our third project was "Eerie
Eyes". The kids traced their eyes and cut them out, colored
them, and glued them in place on their papers. Very simple, but a lot
of fine motor practice.
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Our last project was an "Evening
Sunset" (this was a fun way to teach the kids about time as
well). For this project, I outlined the setting sun with a yellow
marker beforehand. The kids then used 5 colors of paint to blend
their sunset color gradient. It was really fun to watch them discover
how layering colors can create a whole, cohesive picture.
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"E" was definitely a fun week
for us; I hope you'll find something here to make your "E"
week more fun, too! </div>
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And now, time to return to the hurricane of laundry, cooking, working, making stuff for my shop, working on Christmas gifts, staying sane (maybe)....</div>
Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-12085114384344385672014-09-15T18:16:00.001-07:002014-09-15T18:16:11.309-07:00Fall Leaves and FiretrucksIf you teach, you understand that August and September are a very dizzying blur filled with excitement, to-do lists, and a little bit of nausea. The first few weeks of school are a swirl of lesson planning and acclimating to new classes and new goals! While I haven't had much time to capture pictures of all of our projects so far, I did (somehow) remember to snap a few of the most recent themes we've taught in our 4-year old classes. We have done 5 themes so far, including "Leaves and Trees" and "Fire Safety"; below are some art projects I did in my class that worked out very well. I had fun planning them, and the kids had even more fun putting them into action!<br />
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My favorite project from "Leaves and Trees" was when we made a tree using a "leaf painting" technique. For this project the kids had to trace their tree using a stencil (unfortunately most of them thought it was a mushroom, but come on-- they're four! I wanted to make the tracing and cutting simple.) After they cut out their tree they used brushes that had been fitted with faux leaves to paint their trees yellow, orange, and red.<br />
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Here are the brushes (I just attached the leaves with masking tape, and then threw them out after class):<br />
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My two favorite projects from "Fire Safety" were the firetruck we made, as well as the fire hose.<br />
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For the firetruck, the kids had to trace their truck and cut it out. We used bottle caps (from soda and water bottles) for the wheels, I cut and drew ladders beforehand, and they used large flat sequins for the lights. After all that they drew a window on the front of the truck.<br />
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For the fire hose (and this was a VERY fun project), we used toilet paper rolls, crepe streamers, scrap fabric, and duct tape! To start, the kids stuck small pieces of duct tape all over their TP rolls to make the nozzle. Then I had squares of red fabric for each hose; I helped them wrap long pieces of duct tape over the fabric to attach it to the nozzle. Last, they glued scraps of blue crepe streamers inside the other end of the nozzle to look like water spraying out. They loved, LOVED "spraying" their fire hoses all over the room to put out imaginary fires. <br />
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<br />Hopefully these ideas are helpful additions to your Fall curriculum-- happy teaching!Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-42151925851973367572014-09-01T11:39:00.000-07:002014-09-01T11:39:10.921-07:00(Early) Fall FoodToday is the first day of September, which means, to me, it's the first day of Fall! Now, I realize that Fall doesn't officially begin for another 20 days, and I also realize that Oklahoma weather does not care about my idea of Fall-- it will be in the mid-90's for the rest of the week. However, September is my birthday month, and Fall is my favorite season, so I have officially declared today the first day of my personal Fall.<br />
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In that spirit, I want to share a couple of recipes I have recently tried out that are full of flavor and Fall-ishness. These are both incredibly easy recipes, and the best part is how impressive and delicious they are.<br />
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The first incredible dish I want to share is my Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie recipe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvX5h-tzFuC6sRrpMfs3_Sf8pugCPP4p9rsnAkcoY39KZcNPNxYv0sx0VBNSIdrE5-K-I_Kz1PZ61W8fZ5_kJMyl2KDRxSg2k0T_PsbszWLWpGExAK7QxQRfj1Rtqz1TXuOhK6V8ywoMw/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvX5h-tzFuC6sRrpMfs3_Sf8pugCPP4p9rsnAkcoY39KZcNPNxYv0sx0VBNSIdrE5-K-I_Kz1PZ61W8fZ5_kJMyl2KDRxSg2k0T_PsbszWLWpGExAK7QxQRfj1Rtqz1TXuOhK6V8ywoMw/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
The first step in this recipe is to let go of the need to be fancy, and buy a pre-made pie crust. That's right, I said it. No need to put that much work into this pie-- it's delicious with even the simplest of crusts.<br />
<br />
You'll also need:<br />
3 cups of chopped fresh rhubarb<br />
3 cups sliced strawberries<br />
1 tbsp lemon juice<br />
zest of 1 lemon<br />
1/2 cup white sugar<br />
1/4 cup brown sugar<br />
1/4 cup flour<br />
pinch of salt<br />
2 tbsp butter cut into small pieces<br />
<br />
First, preheat your oven to 400. Place the first pre-made pie crust into your pie pan and prick with a fork all over. <i>This is essential to having a crispy crust on the bottom.</i><br />
<br />
Combine the fruit, sugar, lemon, zest, flour, and salt in a bowl. Fold well to combine. Pour the filling into the crust and top with the small pieces of butter. These will melt and create a savory mess of deliciousness once you eat the pie.<br />
<br />
For your top crust, you can keep it simple and place the entire thing on top (just be sure to create some vents), or you can get a little fancy and use a pizza cutter to cut your crust into strips, and then layer them to make a lattice topping.<br />
<br />
Once your pie is assembled, pop it in the oven for 20 minutes, then reduce your heat to 350 and bake for another 25 minutes. (If your crust starts to get too brown, top with foil.) Before serving, allow the pie to cool for at least 2 hours so the filling will thicken. <br />
<br />
<br />
Now, for the second recipe: Pumpkin Breakfast Cake<br />
<br />
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<br />
This is a delicious and <i>guilt-free</i> treat for your crisp Fall mornings. The secret is that this is actually an Angel Food Cake that's just been taken higher into Heaven by adding a little pumpkin!<br />
<br />
The recipe for this cake could not be any easier. All you need is:<br />
<br />
1 box Angel Food Cake mix<br />
1 can pureed pumpkin<br />
2 tbsp ground cinnamon<br />
<br />
To bake, you can either use a bundt cake pan, or a rectangular cake pan. I tend to use the rectangular pan because it's easier to cover and clean.<br />
<br />
Simply follow the directions on the box of Angel Food Cake mix, and before you pour the batter into the pan, fold in the can of pumpkin and cinnamon. One step I definitely recommend is to whisk the batter for another minute or so after you have folded in your last two ingredients; this way your cake will stay fluffy, and it'll break up any stubborn clumps of cinnamon. Pour the batter into the pan and bake as the box says.<br />
<br />
Allow the cake to cool for at least 2 hours before you cut and serve. Eric and I especially like to eat our pieces warmed up and topped with a small drizzle of honey.<br />
<br />
<br />
Hopefully these recipes will get you just as excited for Fall as I am! Enjoy!Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-29487300849180211942014-08-11T18:01:00.000-07:002014-08-11T18:01:11.269-07:00Dream Wedding (on a not-so-dreamy budget)Eric and I were so lucky that our wedding ran pretty much perfectly. We had the setting we wanted, we had the decor and outfits we wanted, our families and friends were all in good spirits, the food was wonderful, and even the weather (finally) cleared up for the big event! But planning the wedding was certainly a bit of a challenge, considering he is a pilot on first-year pay and I'm a preschool teacher.<br />
<br />
However, considering the average American wedding costs around $25,000 (someone get me a resuscitator!), I'm betting that <i>many, MANY</i> couples can relate to our plight. In that spirit, I am super excited to share a few ideas that we used to save a lot of money, and still create the wedding we had both imagined!<br /><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCtHi35_i8gL_q0z7ny8w5s8AkSxfM8XzpcD_K3OvMYoIf5bPXaMzMyHz6kjjm2LaVJNAaJ4wmnOeLPMYl4Bj1s9Id1KzTeoorlSNP_lbu422R4219L06hvgWJu3gGFpw7nrYx4P2Jhc/s1600/IMG_3037.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxCtHi35_i8gL_q0z7ny8w5s8AkSxfM8XzpcD_K3OvMYoIf5bPXaMzMyHz6kjjm2LaVJNAaJ4wmnOeLPMYl4Bj1s9Id1KzTeoorlSNP_lbu422R4219L06hvgWJu3gGFpw7nrYx4P2Jhc/s1600/IMG_3037.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Before we started buying or committing to anything, Eric and I sat down and wrote up a list of our must-haves. I think this is absolutely a critical starting point for any couple planning a wedding, because the reality is you're just simply not going to be able to get or find <i>everything</i> you had in mind. For one thing, your wedding involves another person with their own specific ideas about what they want-- chances are, you two are not going to agree on absolutely everything! Eric went into our wedding planning with some very formal expectations; I went into it with visions of an outdoor party. Making a list of our must-haves helped us to find a happy middle ground. It also helped us prioritize the things we really wanted and were willing to pay top dollar for, and figure out the other areas where we could cut back or cut out completely. <br />
<br />
Here is our list of money-saving ideas!<br />
<i>(Disclaimer: We
were very lucky and very blessed to get a lot of help from our parents
when it came to dinner, music, and flowers.)</i><br />
<ul>
<li>We bought simple DIY invitations at Target<i>. </i>To dress them
up, I downloaded a few free fonts (there are literally millions online)
and combined them to make a customized layout. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>I
bought a pre-owned wedding dress for less than $250; my parents bought
my veil new as a gift for the wedding. Instead of shelling out for
Spanx, I bought off-brand shapewear at a discount store for about $10!
My shoes were on sale at DSW-- I got a pair of heels and a pair of flats
for about $60 total (and no one could tell the difference!)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqPK6GwTpPCqkneERAW518I40rBRwC-MUsOaXHF1XihxCau_f9GaI-bHE6dmwpvtZ_vA-NLIFF9ereRCtW_J8benH3GU2jhFpA44zZ1IY-VYskhoIa3VSGK4koJ6N2jdmEKxHmhyphenhyphenVkUI/s1600/Gaffney_0182.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRqPK6GwTpPCqkneERAW518I40rBRwC-MUsOaXHF1XihxCau_f9GaI-bHE6dmwpvtZ_vA-NLIFF9ereRCtW_J8benH3GU2jhFpA44zZ1IY-VYskhoIa3VSGK4koJ6N2jdmEKxHmhyphenhyphenVkUI/s1600/Gaffney_0182.JPG" height="247" width="320" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>The
bridesmaids wore adorable Lauren Conrad dresses from Kohl's (about $30)
and chose their own shoes and jewelry; the groomsmen wore ivory shirts
from Kohl's (on sale for about $10) and we gave them ties to match the
dresses that were also from a department store, on sale. Since our
wedding was outdoors in May in Oklahoma, they only had to rent pants!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjfkH0buTPDnV8IKiIw9PCQzfodKt8iKr02XPP3hu0XPv3B1vwlasZ_GxxZlReatP6dZfWrWLyuC2i-IgU0iBJTegM3y4SCdBDQib58UtuafLvzW5UdU42VPhyphenhyphen94cL5ZkKklKqx6HACM/s1600/Gaffney_0322.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjfkH0buTPDnV8IKiIw9PCQzfodKt8iKr02XPP3hu0XPv3B1vwlasZ_GxxZlReatP6dZfWrWLyuC2i-IgU0iBJTegM3y4SCdBDQib58UtuafLvzW5UdU42VPhyphenhyphen94cL5ZkKklKqx6HACM/s1600/Gaffney_0322.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>I stamped and filled small envelopes from the craft store and filled them with wildflower seeds as our wedding favor. <br /> </li>
<li>Our cake fed 100 people and it was <i>gorgeous</i>. By choosing a simple design and a classic filling, we spent less than $400 on the cake, including tax and delivery!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytNWzQaOXPVMapIFtYcqlO-z1CJkTK6IibaMtwU85HHlKSi963-fcsDtsGqH_I4SeRewsIZqxIx0lkhA-Fz9yzakw8PXhymIdiiUn6171F1iqTzxfJljPLukR50nkxwUwyJVKAVfGt2w/s1600/Gaffney_0212.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytNWzQaOXPVMapIFtYcqlO-z1CJkTK6IibaMtwU85HHlKSi963-fcsDtsGqH_I4SeRewsIZqxIx0lkhA-Fz9yzakw8PXhymIdiiUn6171F1iqTzxfJljPLukR50nkxwUwyJVKAVfGt2w/s1600/Gaffney_0212.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
<br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintefY7G_2RDn8sVU75G-0M2Kg7nAGSGaVHEYL-Q7METRnlTmZw-6siAtSU2_yluOSPBVVvPPqqdT5UGbDxUTwA9UAxTdy2W_DbzRTF_yLSHkrUOm3CK3XFUMCa7tVPUydXcDRxPUPeAc/s1600/Gaffney_0214.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEintefY7G_2RDn8sVU75G-0M2Kg7nAGSGaVHEYL-Q7METRnlTmZw-6siAtSU2_yluOSPBVVvPPqqdT5UGbDxUTwA9UAxTdy2W_DbzRTF_yLSHkrUOm3CK3XFUMCa7tVPUydXcDRxPUPeAc/s1600/Gaffney_0214.JPG" height="247" width="320" /></a><br /></div>
</li>
<li>We
got our flowers from the local grocery store; I chose wildflowers that
were in season, and for all the bouquets, boutonnieres, flowers for the
table, and flowers for the cake, we paid less than $600! We arranged the
table flowers ourselves, using mismatched vases that I picked up from
my mom's house (we cleaned out her cabinets), my school, and bought from
the dollar store. I also saved pasta and jam jars and mixed those in
for even more variety. <br /></li>
<li>Instead of renting table cloths
and worrying about cleaning fees, I bought large lengths of fabric at
the craft store (ONLY when on sale or with a coupon) and cut it myself
with pinking shears. We safety-pinned it to the plain white tablecloths
the venue supplied and created plenty of color and pizazz; as an added
bonus, we donated the fabric to the venue so we didn't have to worry
about cleaning up! We topped the tables with the vases and some small
votives from the craft store (again, bought with a coupon.)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojNwjxVkX-OlDs9xxuPscO4pSzrRW8lrQlE_SJzSrcxsm9oWAnkUa8NPcVmTI1bxazWeVXZdZGewHh0tQFaXGoXk6PJrdGriFj-S9BiRVPvxC7NTJNIIuDd0Z3mvRIBtbidjjjxyWUa4/s1600/Gaffney_0206.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjojNwjxVkX-OlDs9xxuPscO4pSzrRW8lrQlE_SJzSrcxsm9oWAnkUa8NPcVmTI1bxazWeVXZdZGewHh0tQFaXGoXk6PJrdGriFj-S9BiRVPvxC7NTJNIIuDd0Z3mvRIBtbidjjjxyWUa4/s1600/Gaffney_0206.JPG" height="247" width="320" /></a><br /></div>
</li>
<li>One of the greatest money-saving blessings was that we had was on our photography.
We had 2 (TWO!) photographers at our wedding-- both were family members
who did impeccable work for free. We got the photos we wanted and we
were able to include those family members in some moments they might have missed out on otherwise. <br /></li>
<li>Another fun thing we did for the wedding was to create an activity book for
the kids. In hindsight this was actually unnecessary because the kids
had a blast dancing and running around the grounds, but we wanted to
make sure that everyone who came would have a good time, or at least
have something fun to stay occupied. I found several websites that
offered free puzzle-makers, and I made a maze, a crossword, and a word
search-- all customized for our wedding and family. I also found some
coloring pages to add to the book. I just printed the books at home and
stapled them together! We also made sure to ask every restaurant we went
to if they wouldn't mind donating some crayons to our wedding-- every
single place gave us handfuls! The books were totally free! I set them
up in baskets from the dollar store, right next to the guest book.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaq-_5nuktA1bVwmN0p6MgKqo709nxyjaSC1kQpOsGlNNn-Oa9LkKSqOPhdjJMDeTmQKrqmux1hyphenhyphen0MIzPYiL7b4_N3qjwloDlhoFSM13xOGL4-PIXm17cz2BbF2pRnlJTpXC8UVxGZjMA/s1600/coloring+book+1.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaq-_5nuktA1bVwmN0p6MgKqo709nxyjaSC1kQpOsGlNNn-Oa9LkKSqOPhdjJMDeTmQKrqmux1hyphenhyphen0MIzPYiL7b4_N3qjwloDlhoFSM13xOGL4-PIXm17cz2BbF2pRnlJTpXC8UVxGZjMA/s1600/coloring+book+1.JPG" height="320" width="272" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0aoJTPUOaHc1S5Egjcf3sIjSBdEayYsj5PFaNzkpMA_Tf-MxaJG_NLLSQCu3oA4lvDZW2dIyEatfF8rwuQ0px6dn5V1QWuCL4dCssBkDuSg74sTMIvZFKkNcQ7VaXFPFgXUPVdq_H-I/s1600/coloring+book+2.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz0aoJTPUOaHc1S5Egjcf3sIjSBdEayYsj5PFaNzkpMA_Tf-MxaJG_NLLSQCu3oA4lvDZW2dIyEatfF8rwuQ0px6dn5V1QWuCL4dCssBkDuSg74sTMIvZFKkNcQ7VaXFPFgXUPVdq_H-I/s1600/coloring+book+2.JPG" height="252" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90na-GplK5IyQEbUaypzfr5sdwBGWzqJeWUz5EJFgCU-Buo_GZM6ldjVtv-crZDbEgbAtGaqOS1OM5np5sQKQy-oFFLHNZk1tGU2kDo_zDuxO8qyGgQpXbpqlqd0szoUCEVlpL4lDhXo/s1600/coloring+book+3.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj90na-GplK5IyQEbUaypzfr5sdwBGWzqJeWUz5EJFgCU-Buo_GZM6ldjVtv-crZDbEgbAtGaqOS1OM5np5sQKQy-oFFLHNZk1tGU2kDo_zDuxO8qyGgQpXbpqlqd0szoUCEVlpL4lDhXo/s1600/coloring+book+3.JPG" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgOVMvoNgrFQAmiF8DKefjnGwczWGwG-yDcoe7xNmF-z81TS_yPYJ7bfUyXCUlWkL57daQx8bD0zXV7rA8vSvpgS1suUV5VZiEPlEKn-ZFf1xg8AzvDmgKF0NlaDeQJZMmL-GVt_i5UI/s1600/coloring+book+4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAgOVMvoNgrFQAmiF8DKefjnGwczWGwG-yDcoe7xNmF-z81TS_yPYJ7bfUyXCUlWkL57daQx8bD0zXV7rA8vSvpgS1suUV5VZiEPlEKn-ZFf1xg8AzvDmgKF0NlaDeQJZMmL-GVt_i5UI/s1600/coloring+book+4.JPG" height="260" width="320" /></a></div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>The last thing I did before the wedding was make some
fun t-shirts for our honeymoon flight the next day! Eric and I left the
morning after the wedding for our honeymoon out to Hawaii, and I wanted
to travel in style and embrace the cheesiness-- so we wore "Mr" and
"Mrs" t-shirts with our wedding date. I designed and created the shirts
myself! We got a lot of "congratulations!" at the airport, a few perks
on the airplane (including free champagne), and even an upgrade on our
rental car! It made our honeymoon experience even more fun and special,
and of course, the best part was traveling with my "Mr." (<i>And now, in a shameless plug, you can order a set of your own wedding/honeymoon shirts from me at my Esty shop, MadeInFlight. There is a link at the top of your screen!)</i></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUdeIQMo3JHaGC6CqBmPXGB5JimWttQWMr9yEe-tl6t2ny_Dffjc_dLDiE8Y7yySRahWgIgUHfXzdlUZU2QomNTrP3I77JD_e0g-qlBCzyYdbSTFN1u5Qx4j4DFtZxEP0wrYni2AyGAQ/s1600/photo+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdUdeIQMo3JHaGC6CqBmPXGB5JimWttQWMr9yEe-tl6t2ny_Dffjc_dLDiE8Y7yySRahWgIgUHfXzdlUZU2QomNTrP3I77JD_e0g-qlBCzyYdbSTFN1u5Qx4j4DFtZxEP0wrYni2AyGAQ/s1600/photo+6.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Hopefully these ideas have been helpful for those of you who are planning a wedding. We had a blast planning ours, and everyone had a great time that evening! Regardless of whether you're planning a laid-back celebration or an extravagant affair, keep in mind these two things:<br />
1. Something WILL go wrong-- and you'll have an amazing night anyway.<br />
2. This day is about your love with this one person, in this one life, forever. At the end of the night, <i>that's</i> all that matters!<br />
Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-64400156736184305792014-07-20T18:34:00.000-07:002014-07-20T18:34:09.281-07:00A Husband-Cooked Meal
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
One of my favorite things about Eric is
that the man can cook. He knows how to make everything, and it's
always good, always impressive, and I'm always asking him to cook me
something else! A couple of weeks ago he made one of my favorites
from the Eric Recipe Files-- Roasted Chicken.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNr_Dcivk36Smg-2JV3XUoqJ8y531T8T1X0NnCkY9OY7YJU6TckATqOLugueNChgj_jQl9Tmh-lExBm0Vlrd0O58R__hyphenhypheno8s_A8xpbWCwjZHkCepLgzNqF_YYj-uLLrllfFj-J-nbqzVA/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNr_Dcivk36Smg-2JV3XUoqJ8y531T8T1X0NnCkY9OY7YJU6TckATqOLugueNChgj_jQl9Tmh-lExBm0Vlrd0O58R__hyphenhypheno8s_A8xpbWCwjZHkCepLgzNqF_YYj-uLLrllfFj-J-nbqzVA/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This recipe is one of my favorites
because it's easy, it's delicious, inexpensive, and it makes for
terrific leftovers. We used the leftover chicken in our Chicken
Spaghetti and it took it to a whole new level.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To make a roast chicken I recommend a
few essentials: a large roasting pan lined with foil, more foil to
cover the chicken to keep it from getting too crisp, and a beer can
stand to set up the chicken-- EVEN if you don't use beer! It's just a
very handy way to keep your chicken stable and keep the moisture in
while it cooks.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To start, you'll need a whole chicken,
cleaned out and patted dry (inside and out). Preheat your oven to
450.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Season the chicken to your liking; we
use a mix of salt and pepper, BBQ dry rub, rosemary, and garlic
powder.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Salt and pepper the inside of the
chicken, and stuff with a few cloves of smashed garlic, an onion cut
into small sections, a lemon, and a few sprigs of parsley and sage if
you have them.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Tuck the wings under the breast so they
don't burn, and get the legs as close together as you can; if you can
tie them together, that's even better.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Roast the chicken at 450 for about 30
minutes. Then turn the temperature down to 425 and continue to roast
for another 30-40 minutes until you get an internal temperature of
165 (this is a good time to add any white wine or lemon juice to the
pan that you may want for extra flavor and juiciness.) Be sure to
check the chicken toward the end of the roasting period and cover
with foil if needed to prevent the skin from getting too brown.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
After you pull the chicken, allow it to
rest for at least 10-15 minutes before you serve.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And that's it! </div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Serve with your favorite sides (we made
sweet potatoes with extra butter and brown sugar) and a fresh salad,
and you'll have a very easy meal that will impress just about anyone.
Including your very high maintenance wife (thanks, honey!) Enjoy!</div>
Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-80163913923400902882014-07-05T12:17:00.002-07:002014-07-05T12:17:22.406-07:00First Married FourthIt's been 2 1/2 months since my last post-- eek! In my defense, the last 2 1/2 months have been quite possibly the busiest in my life! Let's see if we can figure out what was eating up so much of my time...<br />
<br />
I finished up my first year of teaching.<br />
I got married.<br />
I went on my honeymoon.<br />
I came back to start up my second year of teaching.<br />
I got the apartment cleaned up and updated with all of our new gifts.<br />
I started up a side business on Etsy.<br />
I can't get enough of my husband!<br />
<br />
Yup, it's been busy! I am planning to post many pictures and ideas from our wonderful wedding as soon as I can; until then, I am going to share a <i>totally</i> unrelated, absolutely delicious recipe I just tried! <br />
<br />
In honor of the holiday, I made a special breakfast for Eric and me. Of course, it had to be red, white, and blue. I made a delicious, sweet, and syrupy fruit crisp. Try the recipe below!<br />
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<br />
You'll need:<br />
2 cups strawberries, hulled and cut into chunks<br />
1 cup blueberries<br />
1 cup blackberries<br />
1 lemon, zested and juiced<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
1 cup flour<br />
1/2 cup rolled oats or oat flour<br />
1/3 cup packed brown sugar<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1 stick butter, melted<br />
<br />
First, preheat your oven to 350, and have a 2-quart baking dish ready.<br />
<br />
To make the filling, combine all your fruit, the lemon zest and juice, and 1/4 cup sugar together in a bowl. Pour the filling into the baking dish and set it aside.<br />
<br />
For the topping, combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl, making sure you stir well to mix the butter in evenly. Spoon the crumb mixture over the top of the crisp.<br />
<br />
Bake the crisp for 35 minutes. You can serve it hot or cold, for breakfast, or with ice cream for dessert!<br />
<br />
Go ahead and enjoy; I'll be posting more soon!Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-75183030211632113502014-04-13T08:11:00.001-07:002014-04-13T08:11:32.156-07:00Eating on the FlyEric and I are always looking for new ideas for his lunchbox. Buying food at the airport is always expensive, and many times the options are limited, especially if he's flying late at night. Living on pilot and teacher salaries, we are constantly working to save money. Figuring out how to pack healthy, inexpensive, and filling foods for his trips has been challenging, but there are some tried and true standbys we have come to love over the last couple of years. <br />
<br />
The two greatest challenges to overcome with Eric's lunchbox are space and heat (either the challenge is to pack foods that may not require a microwave, as not all hotels have one in the room, or to pack foods that don't necessarily need to be kept cold, as his days can be upwards of 14 hours long). I scoured the internet a few weeks ago looking for suggestions and
ideas for healthy meals for pilots, but there was a remarkable silence
on the subject. SO, I decided to offer up my tiny reservoir of ideas, especially to other women and men out there who are trying to feed hungry pilots!<br />
<br />
There are some foods that are pretty obvious choices: crackers, nuts, snack/meal bars, fruit cups, chips, oatmeal and ramen (both can be cooked on the plane using hot water from the coffeemaker), muffins, breads (we love banana and zucchini-pumpkin), and cookies.<br />
<br />
But let's face it, those foods get tiresome quickly, and they don't necessarily make up a filling meal. So we have come up with a list of other foods and ideas that work well:<br />
<ul>
<li>leftover pastas and casseroles, which I freeze rock solid before a trip so they will keep cold during flight</li>
<li>cheese sticks, mini cheese wedges, individual guacamole cups and tortillas</li>
<li>sometimes Eric will carry a jar of peanut or almond butter and sandwich bread for a cheap lunch</li>
<li>individual microwave meals that don't need to be kept cold, such as Velveeta skillets mini-meals</li>
<li>chicken salad (frozen for travel) and tortillas, to make wraps</li>
<li>burritos (the possibilities here are endless!)</li>
</ul>
I want to share my recipes and ideas for burritos with you, as these come in handy for anyone who eats on the go, even if it means heating up your lunch at the office!<br />
<br />
I have made two varieties of burritos so far, breakfast and chicken, but I plan to make some beef and even some pork burritos in the next batch. These work so well because you can pack many different flavors and food groups into a small package that travels and heats well, and they are so inexpensive to make!<br />
<br />
For Eric's breakfast burritos, I diced and fried some potatoes, sauteed some onions, bell peppers, and jalapenos (he likes a lot of heat!), I cooked up some chorizo sausage, and scrambled some eggs. I put a spoonful of everything onto a tortilla and topped it with shredded cheddar cheese.<br />
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<br />
I was able to make a dozen burritos using only 6 eggs, 4 potatoes, 1 jalapeno, half each of an onion and bell pepper, and 1 cup of cheese. Like I said, these are inexpensive! Eric usually fills up on two of these burritos, and I just use the medium-sized tortillas.<br />
<br />
To finish assembling the burritos, I wrapped each one in plastic wrap (to keep them from getting freezer burn, and to make them more transportable) and then stored them in the freezer in a gallon Ziplock. When he's packing his lunch, he just grabs a few and tosses them in the lunchbox.<br />
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<br />
I made a batch of chicken burritos, too, and the timing was perfect, as I had some leftover refried beans and some leftover fresh corn and salsa. To make the chicken burritos, I put some shredded chicken, beans, corn, salsa, cilantro, onions, jalapenos, and cheddar cheese in a tortilla and wrapped it up! Again, I was able to get about a dozen burritos out of 2 chicken breasts. That's 6 meals!<br />
<br />
Knowing that Eric is eating real, healthy, whole food while he's away AND is not having to spend any money to do it is comforting to me. I may not be a traditional home-cooked housewife, but I do want to know that my almost-husband is being taken care of, even while he's working.<br />
<br />
Hopefully this post has been helpful in providing some ideas for on-the-go lunches and snacks, especially for pilots! Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-80492747927350482822014-03-23T12:08:00.000-07:002014-03-23T12:08:09.348-07:00Spacing Out
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We just finished a unit on Outer
Space-- this is probably one of my favorites so far this year. It's
pretty easy to keep the attention of 3-year olds when you're talking
about spaceships and aliens!</div>
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<br />
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This post will be short and sweet. It's
all about the resources, people!</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We kicked off the week with our
alphabet craft; this week it was the letter X, so we made a
xylophone. The kids cut out a construction paper strip, then covered
it with foil to add some interesting texture. Then they were
responsible for ordering the colored bars from largest to smallest
and gluing them in place. Last, they attached the xylophone stick,
made from a popsicle stick and a pom-pom. </div>
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We made a spaceship as well. The kids
cut out the body of the ship, then they glued on the triangle base
pieces and the top. They colored the flames and glued those on as
well. They finished the ship by sticking some shiny star stickers on
it.
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Next we made planet Earth. The kids cut
out the circle and glued it to their “space” paper. Before we
started, I cut out some continent-like shapes and laminated them so
we could reuse them for each child. The last step was for the kids to
sponge-paint around the shapes to create the ocean and the continents
on the paper.
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Last, we made the moon. The kids
painted on the easel and glued “craters” to the surface.
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Another fun activity I found online was
a printable mini-book. The kids used their imaginations and created
their own planet, complete with their own drawings. They named it and
included details about the planet's happenings. This was a terrific
way to work in some emergent literacy. You can find the book <a href="http://deceptivelyeducational.blogspot.com/2011/08/making-undiscovered-planet.html">here</a>.</div>
Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-69191922921569944122014-03-15T10:49:00.002-07:002014-03-15T10:49:49.706-07:00Monkey Business
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To wrap up the Winter season and get
ready for Spring we did a unit on Monkeys and Gorillas. It could also
be considered a Zoo unit, but for Art I tried to focus on just
monkeys and gorillas. It was a pretty fun week. We made a gorilla
(the kids cut out the face, painted the head, then glued the face on
top of the head, and used Q-tips to paint the nose and the furrowed
brow); a puppet set to go along with the song “5 Little Monkeys”
(the kids made an alligator puppet from a paper sack, then glued
pre-printed monkey cutouts to popsicle sticks); and we also made a
monkey and a jungle, both of which are pictured below.
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</div>
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To go along with the unit, my classroom
centers included a zoo puzzle, a banana file folder game to practice
counting, and my sensory table had a base of beans & noodles with
some small plastic zoo animals and nets thrown in.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
One of the best parts of the week was
an afternoon language activity we did where the kids got to act out a
story we read. They loved it so much we actually ended up doing it
again later in the week with a different story. The first story we
did was <i>5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.
This was a very easy activity, since the story is extremely simple
and repetitive. First I read the story to the group, then I chose 5
kids to be monkeys, and the others got to be the doctors. The kids
acted out the story as I read it aloud again. They had a blast
getting to jump up and down and shake their fingers at each other (in
a friendly way). The second story we did was a bit more challenging
for the kids, as it was longer and had a lot more detail. We read and
acted out </span><i>Caps for Sale</i><span style="font-style: normal;">.
While we definitely had fun, I would recommend doing this only with a
small group of 3-year olds, or saving it for an older age. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Monkeys and
Gorillas is a pretty open theme; there are endless opportunities for
pretend play, and the art projects were all unique; but hands down,
my favorite thing was watching the kids get so into the stories we
read. Letting them play around and act like monkeys was fun, but
seeing them comprehend and recall the story plot was very satisfying
as a teacher. At 3, it's not always easy for kids to recall the
details or sequence of a story, especially if it's something that
doesn't interest them, so acting it out and letting them be loud and
playful was a cool way to encourage their learning.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
...Plus, I got to
jump around and act like a monkey, too!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-87231523520880549722014-03-03T12:18:00.003-08:002014-03-03T12:32:11.142-08:00Where You Go, I Will Go<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We live a somewhat uprooted life. At
the moment, we are lucky enough to live at home in Tulsa, close to
friends and family. But I have no illusions about Eric's job. Most
likely, we will move at least once over the course of our lives
together in order to accommodate his lifestyle. Moving across the
country is not anything new to me; I just moved back “home” from
Chicago, after all. But that was for school, and I always grew up
knowing that I would live away from home in order to get a degree.
Moving away from home as an adult for a job is a relatively new idea
for me. I never imagined that I would live away from my parents and
siblings; it was never something I desired.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But as we settle into Eric's job at
ExpressJet, it's a reality that I'm not only accepting, but I'm
growing more and more comfortable with. You see, living across the
country from my family used to seem isolating and scary. But living
across the country with Eric seems exciting and full of possibility.
And as we have promised each other to spend as much of this life
together as possible, moving has become an opportunity for our
(upcoming) marriage to flourish.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To remind myself of these things, and
to remind myself of what unconditional devotion means, I created and
hung this piece of art on our wall, right next to where Eric's
suitcase sits when he's home. I designed the text, then downloaded a
free banner and printed the whole thing on cardstock. The backing is
scrapbook paper, and I got the frame at a garage sale for $2.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-IB3xCitER98u6hLJxZQBMpy1CceNa8eZTD5QMDcUJn5d3v3te9sldG3qqsM2Jy14kMOOj-2IjFnFNUuaGzUiq7s7m_2wUXOv3onqjAa069k_jQHUOcUAPjIlzRaqLDKelYpL9E7g14/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0-IB3xCitER98u6hLJxZQBMpy1CceNa8eZTD5QMDcUJn5d3v3te9sldG3qqsM2Jy14kMOOj-2IjFnFNUuaGzUiq7s7m_2wUXOv3onqjAa069k_jQHUOcUAPjIlzRaqLDKelYpL9E7g14/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="284" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Feel free to download the print as
a pdf <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0Bz57GBbZHWpWbVhjQVR6NTg4bWM/edit">here</a> and print it out from your computer!<br />
<br /></div>
Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-74551088734283356452014-02-20T17:09:00.001-08:002014-02-20T17:09:53.042-08:00Gallery Wall
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Making our apartment homey is an
ongoing project, that has mostly consisted of planning and
planning... and planning. Being on a budget makes it extremely tricky
to actually purchase what I want, and it makes me more hesitant—I
want to be sure that whatever I spend my money on is actually
worthwhile. After months of thinking and planning and looking around,
the most recent addition to our place is our mini-gallery.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjs0neU58r5FkSDL-zIluuNJs-2BH5W51OvT27Gdyi3Q7DGC5_EuOGsfShy4_pcmcH2Ao0-gCH-w6mMQYU8YtO3QRKt-fpZh3eTPnJUGBgiOD1ePXnzskw-LR5_pnf6xS-eqQTZYgsVWU/s1600/gallery+wall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjs0neU58r5FkSDL-zIluuNJs-2BH5W51OvT27Gdyi3Q7DGC5_EuOGsfShy4_pcmcH2Ao0-gCH-w6mMQYU8YtO3QRKt-fpZh3eTPnJUGBgiOD1ePXnzskw-LR5_pnf6xS-eqQTZYgsVWU/s1600/gallery+wall.JPG" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Before we added the frames and the
“G”s, this wall was pretty bare, and I wasn't sure what to do to
make it seem warmer. I had seen a lot of different gallery walls
online, and after a lot of back-and-forth I settled on the idea of
our (soon-to-be) last name initial. I also wanted to avoid making the
gallery seem too stiff, and I wanted to keep the possibility of
vintage prints and keepsakes, so I decided to add a couple of
silhouettes I had cross-stitched.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I found the Scrabble “G” and the
metal “G” at Hobby Lobby on sale. The tan “G” was just a
chipboard letter I found for less than a dollar and painted. I also
painted the top right “G” on a canvas frame I found on sale.
Hopefully in the near future I will find a few small prints to add to
the open spaces (I would especially love some vintage airplane
prints), but for the most part the wall is complete!</div>
Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-33112717800735351652014-02-02T11:38:00.005-08:002014-02-02T11:38:47.922-08:00Raising the Next Generation of Pilots
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We just finished up a unit called
“Flying Transportation” this past week. This was a theme I
obviously enjoyed very much. The kids already love anything having to
do with airplanes, and it was fun to see them learn about several
other ways to fly through the sky. I especially enjoyed finding ways
to explain how planes fly, how the different parts of the airport
function, and what the pilots do-- all on a 3-year old level. Of
course, the art was fun, too. We made an airplane, a parachute, a
helicopter, and a hot-air balloon.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We made the airplane with a clothespin,
2 popsicle sticks, and a few pieces of paper. Each child cut out
their cloud and glued it to their paper. Then they colored the
popsicle stick wings. They glued one wing to the paper, then glued
the clothespin on top, then attached the other wing. The last step
was to glue the tail to the back of the clothespin. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29Q5jyMc1QT2dirzAZ7E2h1YXnoWGR0hOOZ86Dzf4KKcPUosY4QnKYkQarXtjfkjqW-Kh8HTFP-gq-TldBlqThcWcUy9FZtN0fDIq3Y-estagu-CGy97tmiLlIrjGN5d947aRQzm4DhU/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29Q5jyMc1QT2dirzAZ7E2h1YXnoWGR0hOOZ86Dzf4KKcPUosY4QnKYkQarXtjfkjqW-Kh8HTFP-gq-TldBlqThcWcUy9FZtN0fDIq3Y-estagu-CGy97tmiLlIrjGN5d947aRQzm4DhU/s1600/photo.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We used marble-painting to make the
hot-air balloon. I cut out the balloons ahead of time, and then each
child had a turn to put their balloon into a shallow tub. I
splattered the paint on the paper, then they tilted the tub back and
forth, side to side, to make the marbles roll through the paint
several times. After they were done painting, they glued on the paper
“ropes” and basket. Of all the projects we did this week, it
seemed they enjoyed this one the most. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQMleE-Wdh6ZH2BPYt9zEAT_IninpADqqmqAcSgGoz3KlBDjARLYpoYTG3CBo8GSBAVd9ar0JiCWUyy1GH8hoV7Y298Lnkdk_2aamvYhlQXvyqG1MtnAoIt8CWqNXLlgRTDmd2IT0yTo/s1600/photo%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAQMleE-Wdh6ZH2BPYt9zEAT_IninpADqqmqAcSgGoz3KlBDjARLYpoYTG3CBo8GSBAVd9ar0JiCWUyy1GH8hoV7Y298Lnkdk_2aamvYhlQXvyqG1MtnAoIt8CWqNXLlgRTDmd2IT0yTo/s1600/photo%25281%2529.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-57038981176945076482014-01-14T16:57:00.003-08:002014-01-14T16:57:25.307-08:00Snow Days
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
For our first week back at school our
theme was Snow, which was fitting considering we came close to having
a snow day our first day! This theme was particularly fun for me
because it presented so many opportunities to make Art a sensory
experience for the kids. We used puffy paint, sponge-paint with
stencils, we explored vertical drips with glue, and we used several
textures to create our snowmen. I wanted to share two of my favorite
(and more importantly, two of the <i>kids'</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
favorite) art projects from this week. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">The
first one was “Snow Tracks”, inspired by the book </span><i>The
Snowy Day. </i>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidC1aryUO6rQ9eD_ObTMJxsQ4jiaaiDqDb55lxjZWK99uVwnWS5uQCXQTPezG3Mkut7qVPWjpvfr6Ha8JZYazPwL6sjZBxXfGzw-wayVfbJrVLHaxroSx5acqU5jtkUtecYDyRtgTP7A/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidC1aryUO6rQ9eD_ObTMJxsQ4jiaaiDqDb55lxjZWK99uVwnWS5uQCXQTPezG3Mkut7qVPWjpvfr6Ha8JZYazPwL6sjZBxXfGzw-wayVfbJrVLHaxroSx5acqU5jtkUtecYDyRtgTP7A/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
For this project, I
mixed up puffy paint (1 part glue, 1 part shaving cream, and just a
tad of white tempera). The kids painted their entire paper with the
paint first. Then I had a bowl full of objects for them to drag
through their “snow” to create different shapes and textures,
like combs, golf tees, and straws. They had free reign over how they
wanted to use each object. What was fun was seeing how differently
they all used the objects.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
The second project
we did that I loved was “Snowflake”.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWK9EY_TdQBRanSqbK7G5IVAwF3lvZK21J7m6eII8OXlsOOZYvAd2Ko4MjJZzQQpHT07IYeb5jm7q6IJ-d-DMc9B8xdubxa7dr_wY7kfsICh4ao_rgYoQxKgURiAl-RF6s1xxNFdPb3so/s1600/photo(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWK9EY_TdQBRanSqbK7G5IVAwF3lvZK21J7m6eII8OXlsOOZYvAd2Ko4MjJZzQQpHT07IYeb5jm7q6IJ-d-DMc9B8xdubxa7dr_wY7kfsICh4ao_rgYoQxKgURiAl-RF6s1xxNFdPb3so/s320/photo(1).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
This was a practice
in understanding stenciling, a concept which is tough for 3-year olds
to get. Many of them painted on the stencil, expecting that to be
their final product. It took quite a bit of prodding to get them to
paint around the edges of the stencil, but it was a great exercise.
For this project I created simple 6-armed stencils with construction
paper which I “laminated” in masking tape so they wouldn't get
too soggy after being used by 35 kids! Then I let each child choose
where they wanted me to place 6 small pieces of masking tape to
secure the stencil-- this made each snowflake (proverbially) unique.
Then the kids used sponge brushes to paint in blue, white, and
purple. They loved getting to mix up the colors, and getting to paint
with something other than a brush.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
I hope these are
useful ideas for your winter plans, either at school or at home with
the tiny humans!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-36467584917551807002014-01-09T16:43:00.003-08:002014-01-09T16:43:43.608-08:00(Belated) Christmas How-To
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This Christmas I gave homemade hot
chocolate for the second year. Last year it seemed to be a hit, so I
decided to do it again, but I also wanted to step it up a notch. So I
added very cute (and yummy) peppermint marshmallows!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This was probably one of the easiest
homemade gifts I've ever given, but that doesn't mean it wasn't also
delicious (I may have taste-tested one or four times...) If you want
to give it a try, here's what you'll need:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
An empty glass jar (I just saved my
pasta jars, washed them, and used Goo-Gone to get rid of the sticky
label stuff on the outside)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 cup baking cocoa</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 cup sugar</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 cup powdered milk</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
½ tsp salt</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Jumbo marshmallows (I put 4-6 in each
bag)</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
chocolate chips for melting</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
crushed peppermint candies</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To make the cocoa I just layered the
powder ingredients in the glass jar. I glued cute paper to the lid to
make it festive and attached the recipe:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“Add 1 cup hot water to 1/3 cup mix”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you're like me you can add ½ cup
mix.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To make the marshmallows, I melted the
chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl in 20-second increments to
make sure it didn't burn. Then I rolled a marshmallow in the
chocolate, and then rolled it in the crushed peppermints. I set the
marshmallows on a chilled plate to set, then packed them in these
handy-dandy treat bags I found on sale!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The end result was very cute:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-29012904488506768412013-12-15T10:47:00.000-08:002013-12-15T10:47:29.223-08:00Sip-tastic!
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here is another simple project I did to
perk up the apartment: a coffee/drink station!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I had seen a few ideas on Pinterest of
how to set up a station like this, so I used what I had. The shelf
unit is from Target; I got it in Chicago to add a little counter
space to my 30 sq. ft kitchen. Now it sits just outside the kitchen
here in Tulsa, next to the small dining nook. There are hooks on the
left of the shelf unit that I use to hang mugs, and there is also a
small box of mugs on the middle shelf. The bottom shelf is where I
store pitchers and our tiny stock of rum and scotch. The top shelf
houses the coffee maker, as well as a small basket with a kitchen
towel (for spills) and our coffee. It's a great way to free up space
in the kitchen.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To hang over the shelf unit, I found a
small knick-knack shelf at a thrift store and painted it with acrylic
paint. I replaced the original wooden knobs with cute vintage-y ones
from Hobby Lobby. To redo the whole shelf cost $8. I found the “G”
at Michael's and just painted it a bright color with acrylic paint,
and I cross-stitched the caption in the frame, which I also painted.
The saying says “C is for Coffee”-- simple, cute, and cozy. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What I aimed for with this station was
a balance between storage and appearance. We have a much larger
kitchen here than we did in Chicago, but counter and cabinet space is
still precious, so this was a great way to open up the storage a bit
more. Every little bit helps me feel closer to living in a finished,
comfortable home!</div>
Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-86451742162386943182013-12-06T07:52:00.001-08:002013-12-06T07:56:27.703-08:00It Has Great Bones<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Moving to Tulsa from Chicago presented
a slue of logistical and practical challenges, the largest one being
a lack of furniture. Over the last few months, Eric and I have slowly
been accumulating pieces in order to fill the apartment and allow us
to stop living out of boxes (we're down to 2!) My goal was to find
cute furniture for as little cost as possible; in other words, I knew
I was going to be hunting through consignment stores and painting
things myself. Here is one piece that I'm particularly proud of:</div>
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I found this little accent table at a
consignment shop in town for $20. What I liked about it most was the
simple finish it had when I bought it (easy to paint) and the great
design of the legs. I like having different shapes and textures
throughout the apartment, and the curved legs and rounded surfaces
helped to balance out the straight edges of other pieces in the
living room.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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To redo this piece, I started by
lightly sanding each shelf. Then I applied two coats of Zinnser
Primer. This stuff sticks to everything, but I found that it sticks
best after a piece has been sanded. I didn't have to sand anything
very thoroughly, just enough to put a little scrape on the surface. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
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Then I used Valspar paint for the
color, and I sealed it all with 3 coats of Poly-crylic. Here is the
finished product:
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The wreath is a nice touch. My future
sister-in-law made it for me for my birthday, and the pillow is from
my other future sister-in-law. They know the way to my heart-- Sooner
pride! You can check out their business page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Craft-E-Sisters/513658578727799?ref=profile">here</a>.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed seeing the
step-by-step on this piece. It was VERY easy to do and pretty
inexpensive. Now go forth and conquer furniture challenges of your
own!
</div>
Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-48088100819594713712013-11-11T17:08:00.001-08:002013-11-11T17:08:07.161-08:00Pumpkins for Teachers!
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Because I love my job, I want to start
sharing what I do. I teach Art in the 3-year old “Pod” at my
school. I probably should have figured out that this was my calling
much sooner than I did, considering that I taught preschool art
several times in several settings since the age of 12. It only took
me 11 more years to realize there was a reason I kept coming back to
it! One thing that has helped me get a solid footing has been having
access to online resources. I have found so many ideas for art
projects (which usually have to be tailored to our specific age
and/or theme), centers, discussions, and general ways to explain or
explore concepts by simply looking online. It's fun to finally be
able to contribute to that pool of information. Here goes:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We recently did a unit on Pumpkins at
school in the 3-year old group. As an art teacher, it was a bit
challenging to find several different projects focused on the same
thing. It would have been one thing to have Halloween as the theme,
but with such as specific theme, I had to really reach for some
variety.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
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I wanted to share one project that went
over really well with the kids. It's very simple but gave them
cutting, gluing, and puzzle practice, as well as some sensory
exploration.</div>
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The kids cut out their pumpkin shape
first, on the fold with guidelines. Then they cut the pumpkin into
three strips using guidelines I drew on the pumpkin. The next step
was to glue their pieces onto a background page in the right order.
Then they got to do the fun part-- they glued pumpkin seeds onto
their pumpkin!
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The kids really enjoyed using real
seeds (that I had dyed with Liquid Watercolor) for their pumpkins. It
added texture and reality to an otherwise simple project.
</div>
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<br />
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Ta-da!</div>
Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-7215194334230083602013-11-08T16:24:00.005-08:002013-11-08T16:24:49.557-08:00Keeping it Simple
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Eric and I finally got a Sam's
membership. It sounds good doesn't it?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Nope. Not good. AMAZING. Let me tell
you why.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I bought the most ginormous pork chops
at Sam's. 9 chops, about 2 inches thick, for $15! I couldn't believe
it. We fixed our first batch the other night and they were just as
good as I imagined, although most of that was due to the talented
chef cooking them (thanks, Eric!). We had a wonderful dinner, healthy
and flavorful, and it was so easy!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
First Eric seasoned the chops with a
pork rub we got in Albuquerque from a local vender. It was spicy and
sweet, almost apple-y. In other words, I couldn't stop drooling. Then
he tossed them on the grill pan for a few minutes until both sides
and the edges were golden brown. They baked the rest of the time.
Absolutely delicious. To go with our pork, we heated up some
broccoli, garlic mashed potatoes (just boiled, added butter and
garlic powder), and-- here's the real treat-- sauteed mushrooms and
onions in red wine.
</div>
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<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sauteed mushrooms are one of those side
dishes that instantly make a meal seem fancy. They are so quick and
easy and there are several different ways to go. I usually opt for
either red wine with onions, or white wine with garlic and lemon. To
make the red wine and onion version, we just tossed about 2 cups of
sliced mushrooms in a pan with olive oil, over medium heat. I added a
clove of chopped garlic, and about 2 slices of onions that had then
been quartered. I let those simmer for about 5 minutes, until the
mushrooms had released their liquid. At this point I added about ¼
to ½ a cup of red wine and let the mushrooms simmer until all the
liquid had cooked down. </div>
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</div>
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We served the mushrooms over the chops
and proceeded to enter food nirvana.
</div>
Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-44902822173495970992013-10-30T16:35:00.002-07:002013-10-30T16:35:23.452-07:00A Little Texas Charm
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It has been a long time since I've
posted, and a visit with good friends over the weekend finally pushed
me to make the time to sit down and write. Over the last couple of
months I have tried out new recipes, created art and furniture for
the new apartment from scraps, and started assembling a decent
portfolio of preschool art projects. I have also been crossing more
and more off the list of wedding plans, such as making and collecting
my own decorations for the reception! I plan to share all of this
here with you. Hopefully something will be useful, or at least
amusing. For now, I'll start with my first art creation for the
apartment.
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Being from Texas, it's only natural
that I feel the urge to display an over-sized reminder of my heritage
in my home! Creating this piece was very simple. First I painted an
old frame with acrylic paint. Instead of trashing the picture inside,
I used it as the “bones” for the interior. I wrapped the picture
in fabric scraps that I had leftover from another project, all solid
gray. Next, I went online and printed out a simple outline of the
state, cut it out, and used it as a stencil. I sponged a heart shape
with acrylic paint over the stencil. The whole thing took about 10
minutes (not counting drying time) and all of $2, for the paint. It was a very easy way to add dimension
and color to a bland bookshelf, and it drives Eric nuts that he has a
giant Texas in his home! (To make up for it, everything else is OU.)</div>
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<br />
</div>
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The second easy project was this gem. </div>
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I found a glittery frame on sale for $10 and just printed the caption on shimmery scrapbook paper on my printer. Every time I see it I feel a little more at home.<br />
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
These projects pretty much capture the
spirit of our home. We want color, we want personal, we want
low-cost. More to come!</div>
Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-4147091817026392952013-08-14T15:36:00.000-07:002013-08-14T15:36:14.826-07:00A Move, a Job, and an Engagement!If you can read a calendar you will notice that I haven't posted on here in a <strike>ridiculously</strike> very long time. It has been a crazy whirlwind of logistics, moving, getting settled into my job, AND getting engaged! So far I am loving my new location. Eric and I found a great apartment in a nice part of town, and unlike my apartment in Chicago, this one is larger than a closet! It has a fireplace, a balcony (which is already decked out with plants), and a washer and dryer. Also, it has a dishwasher. People, I didn't realize a person could be so excited about cleaning up after dinner until I finally got to clean up by putting things in a dishwasher, rather than washing them by hand! Plus, the fact that I can look outside and see grass, trees, birds, and watch storms roll in just makes my soul a little happy.<br />
<br />
The new job is incredible, too. Every day I am completely exhausted by the time 5:30 rolls around, but the weird thing is... for some reason, I actually look forward to going back to work the next day! I teach 3-year old art in my class. We do things like paint, glue, learn how to use scissors... it's pretty cool. You might think that coloring and painting and doing "basic" art projects with 3-year olds could get boring because they can only do so much. On the contrary, a 3-year old will keep you guessing, and their art projects NEVER look the same. They have such cool perspectives on the themes we work on, and they are certainly not afraid to share silly and crazy ideas. It keeps me on my toes every day-- I love it!<br />
<br />
And, yes, the best part of all of this-- being engaged to Eric! We've been engaged for almost 2 months and we've got our venue, the dress, the invitations, and the general theme all chosen and set up. But that's not the best part. The best part is that on my wedding day, my best friend will be standing at the front waiting for me, and we'll get to promise our love and friendship to one another for the rest of our lives.<br />
<br />
So here is how it happened:<br />
On June 20 I was dropping Eric off at FedEx to fly back to Memphis for work. As I was standing by the car waiting to hug him goodbye, he said he had to find something he had misplaced in his bag. I didn't notice at first, but he was on one knee as he was rummaging. All of a sudden he pulled something out of the bag, looked up at me and started talking. It took me a second to realize he was saying sweet things-- for the first few seconds I was thinking to myself, "What the heck is he talking to me for? I don't know where his thing is!" Once I realized that this man was proposing, I just started laughing. I was so happy. There we were, standing in the FedEx parking lot, the love of my life saying the sweetest things I've ever heard (including, "I'm sorry I'm doing this at FedEx, but I just couldn't wait"), and me just laughing because I was so overjoyed. As soon as he asked, I said yes!<br />
<br />
Now, up until this point I hadn't really bothered to look at the ring. I was too focused on trying to permanently inscribe every word he was saying in my mind. But once I said yes and hugged him, I looked at the ring. You guys, Eric is the perfect man. He got on my Pinterest board and looked at all the styles I had pinned, he had his sisters go with him to the store, and he shopped at at least 3 different stores to make sure he'd found the perfect ring. And he did. He found THE. PERFECT. RING.<br />
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<br />
We got a couple of FedEx employees to take our picture, we hugged and kissed and laughed, and then he got on the plane and headed back to Memphis.<br />
<br />
Some people might think that this story isn't that romantic. It's FedEx and he left right afterward. But you know what? It was the perfect proposal. I pick up and drop off from that FedEx each time Eric comes home. At least once a week I get to see the place where my boyfriend became my fiance, and every week I just get so giddy and happy and, yes, very cheesy. But isn't that the point?<br />
<br />
As far as I'm concerned, Tulsa has been a terrific success so far!Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-19635823272168144052013-04-28T15:03:00.000-07:002013-04-28T15:03:02.430-07:00Tunneling Out With a SpoonAs of today, I have 13 more days left here in Chicago. Some big changes have taken place, and I'm very excited about them! Everything has been chaotic, and I've waited for things to settle into place before writing about them. Now that they have, I'm so excited to share my news! There's a lot, so buckle up...<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>This coming Friday my BFF is coming to visit. Aside from a brief 1-hour visit over Thanksgiving, I haven't seen her since I left Oklahoma, and we haven't had one-on-one BFF time together in years. I'm super jazzed. I expect many nights of wine, old movies ("She's the Man", anyone?) and lots of talking and laughing are in our future. </li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>I recently received formal approval of my Master's thesis for the Sociology department, and once I complete my last two classes (next week) I will officially earn my Master's degree in Sociology! Graduation is May 9, and my family and Eric are all flying up to celebrate with me. We already have some fun things planned. After the ceremony everyone is going to come back to my apartment (350 square feet of celebration!) for some snacks and drinks. Then we'll head out to dinner later that night. My family will be here for a few days, and since this is one of the very few times they'll ever have a reason to be in Chicago, we're going to make the most of it by visiting some museums and doing a boat tour of the city. After being so far away for 2 years, only seeing my family 5 or 6 times in a 12-month period, I'm <b>very</b> excited that we'll get to spend some time together. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>I also recently accepted a formal job offer from Miss Helen's Private School in Tulsa. I'm going to be teaching preschool full-time, starting in June. Thanks to a dear friend who told me about the opening, I was able to wrangle myself an interview and use my charming face and sparkling personality to get my foot in the door for my ultimate career goal of being a teacher. For a little over a year now, I've realized that what I really want to spend my life doing is educating others, and even more, I want to inspire others to love learning the way that I do. Learning can open so many doors. It's not just about a good job and a good salary later on in life, but education can also be the stepping stone to pursuing your dreams. (An excellent example is the love of my life, Eric, who was able to pursue his dream of flying airplanes through OU's aviation program.) I can't wait to start working and spending my time doing what I love, near the people I love. Being in Tulsa means being close to friends and family, surrounded by wide open spaces! I can't begin to tell you how much I have missed having big fields, tall trees, and wide open blue skies (and the occasional thunderstorm)-- it's going to be so good for my soul to be back in that environment. </li>
</ul>
These past 2 years in Chicago have been wonderful in their own way. I received a terrific education in the graduate program, and having the opportunity to get this degree while also not having to pay for it has been a gift for which I will be grateful forever. I learned that I am capable of taking care of myself, no matter what-- I moved across the country and built a life all by myself. There's something extremely satisfying and reassuring in knowing that I am capable of independence, although it's going to be nice to move back to where I have a support system so I won't <i>have</i> to do it all by myself. And I got the opportunity to see what this kind of life would be like. When I graduated college I didn't really know where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do. Now that I've had a chance to see what's out there, I feel like I can embrace these life changes completely, without fearing that I'm missing out on something else.<br />
<br />
I have found my way to a new job in a familiar place, and I'm so thrilled to be able to start this new phase of my life. There are few things quite so satisfying as the moment where everything finally comes together. Let me tell you, I'm drinking that moment in. <br />
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<br />Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-64631678924167571442013-04-04T10:29:00.003-07:002013-04-04T10:29:30.392-07:00Fancy Fish CakesEric and I have been trying to find ways to include more seafood in our diets. One of the easiest ways we've been able to do this is by purchasing bags of frozen fish filets and eating at least one meal each week from that. However, eating the same type of fish over and over again can get a little repetitive, especially if it's fixed the same way each time.<br />
<br />
So this week I tried out a new recipe I saw in my Real Simple cook book: Dijon Fish Cakes (like crab cakes, but cheaper!) Oh my gosh. It was a DELICIOUS meal, and so affordable! And it was so incredibly easy. You can use pretty much any type of fish you like. We used Swai because that's what we had on hand, but we're planning to try this recipe with Flounder, Salmon, and Tilapia. Each fish will lend its own unique flavor!<br />
<br />
We ate our cakes with a side of broccoli and potatoes. There were a couple cakes leftover, and I used those to make little sandwiches on whole wheat buns for lunch the next day.<br />
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For this recipe you'll need:<br />
4 8-oz fish filets<br />
2 eggs<br />
1/4 to 1/2 cup mayo<br />
1 heaping Tablespoon Dijon mustard<br />
2 Tbsp fresh Dill<br />
1 tsp lemon juice (or zest if you have it) <br />
Salt and Pepper to taste <br />
2 Tbsp olive oil for frying<br />
<br />
Preheat your oven to 400 and bake the fish for 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through.<br />
<br />
While the fish is baking, combine eggs, mayo, mustard, dill, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Whisk together. (Note: Start with less mayo, then add more once you've folded in your fish if it seems like the mixture is too dry.)<br />
<br />
After you've pulled the fish from the oven, take a fork and flake the filets, then add to the mixing bowl. Fold in your fish. Once combined, use a large spoon to create little cakes on a plate. You should have enough to make 7-8. Let these cakes chill for <i>at least</i> 30 minutes before frying.<br />
<br />
When the cakes are ready, heat your olive oil in a wide skillet until the pan is nice and hot. Add your cakes and fry for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.<br />
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After the cakes are all done, serve any way you like! Serve with a side of veggies, over salad, or on buns-- whatever you like! The leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days, or frozen in airtight ziplocks for up to 2 months.Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-5504701079839094142013-03-14T14:51:00.000-07:002013-03-14T14:51:15.428-07:00A Little "Work" for Love
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Being in a relationship with anyone is
hard work; it takes maintenance, patience, commitment, and
creativity. It also requires being tuned in to your partner's needs
and wants. Being in a relationship with a pilot who is home only 2
days a week (on a <i>regular</i><span style="font-style: normal;">
week) is even more challenging! The added obstacle of distance can
certainly present its own set of complications and difficulties,
ranging from limited communication to just plain loneliness. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Eric
and I are blessed to consider ourselves not only partners in a
relationship, but best friends as well. We also tend to talk a lot
more than normal couples, usually for a few hours every day,
cumulatively. We've been together for a long time and are very
familiar with each others' expectations and needs, as well as each
others' gifts and special traits. But even with all of these things
going for us, we still have to “show up” to our relationship
every day and put in the time and effort to make it the wonderful
thing that it is. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">One of
the ways that we work on our relationship (“work” meaning
purposefully doing things for the strength and stability of our
relationship) is by taking time at the beginning of each week to ask
a few questions. I found this idea on Pinterest and I'm SO glad we
tried it out. Here is what we ask each other:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">What
did I do this past week to make you feel loved and encouraged?</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">What
does this week look like for you?</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">What
can I do this week to make you feel loved and encouraged?</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">What
can I do this week physically to make you feel loved and encouraged?</span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">How
can I pray for you this week?</span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">We
each take turns asking each other the questions and answering until
we make it all the way to number 5. These questions are so simple,
yet they are so powerful. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Question
1 gives us a chance to praise one another for things we appreciate--
very important! This starts us off on a good note and it gives us a
chance to remind ourselves of how great the other person is. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Question
2 allows us to share what's coming schedule-wise with the other
person. If I have a hectic Wednesday, Eric will know about it and
that way he can understand why I may not be in the best mood that
day. Being open about what's going on helps us mentally prepare for
our needs and the needs of each other. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Question
3 literally makes us prepare ourselves for the other person's needs.
It's also great because it gives us both a chance to explicitly ask
for whatever it is we want to see from the other person, whether that
means asking for patience on a particular day, a phone call, or even
asking the other person to remember to do X, Y, Z so that we can
focus on our stuff. Eric and I are not mind-readers, so asking each
other for things out loud is a great way to avoid misunderstandings
and unrealistic expectations. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Question
4 is certainly intimate, but again, it allows us to ask for what we
need. On weeks like this week where we aren't actually going to get
to see one another, this question reminds us to set a FaceTime date
so that we can at least see each other on the screen and feel closer.
</span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Question
5 helps us remember that we are not in this alone; God is always a
part of our lives, and therefore a part of our relationship.
Including Him in our relationship in an active way helps us to
connect on a much more significant level, and it helps us to
appreciate one another in a deeper way. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">Eric
and I ask each other these questions every Sunday, regardless of
whether our weeks have been going well. On easy weeks, these
questions are usually accompanied by a lot of joking and laughter. On
weeks when it's been a little tougher, these weeks allow us to be
vulnerable and honest with each other in a safe way, where we can
speak to what we love and need from each other without arguing or
belittling one another. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-style: normal;">I
recommend these questions to anyone in a relationship. It's a lovely
routine to have and a terrific way to keep the lines of communication
open, both between you and your partner and you, your partner, and
God. Try it out and you'll see what I mean!</span></div>
Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2987227403886652819.post-26647621214167575792013-03-10T16:11:00.002-07:002013-03-10T16:11:58.588-07:00Ironically, A Chocolate Cake RecipeHello, world!<br />
<br />
I'm still trucking along on the reduced-carb journey. So far I'm down 8 pounds! Things are going well, and I'm almost to the point where this diet is automatic. Though I originally planned to cut down my carbs by half, and then cut them down again, I've stayed at cutting them in half because the results have been so quick and it's been pretty easy. I don't really see the need to go further; this is a lifestyle I can embrace! Right now I'm on target to reach my goal weight by graduation! That's right, when I walk across the stage I'll be pretending that I'm walking down the catwalk to "I'm Too Sexy" and strutting appropriately.<br />
<br />
That being said, living on 100 grams of carbs a day can be challenging when you find an amazing recipe for chocolate cake and you want to eat the whole thing in one sitting. But what is life without challenge?<br />
<br />
I made this cake for Eric for our Valentine's Day celebration and we both LOVED it. It was so moist that frosting it would have been completely over the top (no pun intended!)-- this cake was amazing without the extra sugar rush. Instead we served it with strawberries and whipped cream: Heaven!<br />
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To make this cake you'll need:<br />
2 cups white sugar<br />
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />
3/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened<br />
1 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
1 1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 cup milk<br />
1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />
2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 cup boiling water<br />
<br />
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray your pan with cooking spray or use butter. You can use any size/shape pan you want. I used a bundt pan to make the cake look fancy with absolutely no work whatsoever. I like to stay true to who I am.<br />
<br />
2. <span class="plaincharacterwrap break">In a large bowl, stir together
the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the
eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, and mix for 2 minutes with a mixer or a large whisk.
Stir in the boiling water last. The batter will be thin. Pour evenly into your cake pan(s).</span><br />
<br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break">3. </span><span class="plaincharacterwrap break"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the
preheated oven, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the
pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.</span></span><br />
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<br />
<br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">If you love the tingly burn of way too much sugar, throw some frosting on that sucker! If not, you can serve your cake like we did with a little fruit to help drown out your conscious as it scolds you for eating such an amazing treat. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="plaincharacterwrap break"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break">Whichever way you choose to go, I think you'll be pretty happy. Enjoy! </span> </span>Natalie Seefeldthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16632420180505155316noreply@blogger.com0