The Importance of Creating Summertime Family Traditions

Good Wednesday morning!

Welcome to the NEW "A Simple Life." Hopefully, I will be able to transfer all of the OLD "A Simple Life" to this blog in a day or so making it easier to access old posts, etc. (For now, you can still access old posts at www.belindafaulkner.blogspot.com.)

I have a new website address, too. You can find A Simple Life at www.belinda-asimplelife.blogspot.com.

I apologize for the inconvenience, but as I've stated before, it's a little miracle I'm able to figure out how to blog at all... much less keep it up for almost three years. (If you've known me two minutes, you know I am a severely computer/tech-challenged chick. SEVERELY!

The Gallery Pics are a few leftovers from Mikie's birthday.

Wednesday Wisdom - I've wasted a lot of time over the last 24 hours trying to figure out what is probably a very simple "fix" for some people. Thus, today's wisdom is about spending time wisely. (Something I did NOT do yesterday!)

"Time is what we want most, but what we use worst." William Penn (Amen, and AMEN!)

"Don’t be fooled by the calendar. There are only as many days in the year as you make use of. One man gets only a week’s value out of a year while another man gets a full year’s value out of a week." Charles Richards (Oh, I want to be the guy who "gets a year's value out of a week.")

"The key is in not spending time, but in investing it." Stephen R. Covey (I really LOVE this one.)

"Determine never to be idle. No person will have occasion to complain of the want of time who never loses any. It is wonderful how much can be done if we are always doing." Thomas Jefferson (I'm thinking Mr. Jefferson wasn't a "nap-taking" kind of guy.)

The Importance of Creating Summertime Family Traditions

I found this explanation of the importance of TRADITIONS, and I liked it. It makes you think.

"Traditions are special ways of doing things that we repeat over and over again," explains Milly Kaiser, Family Life Educator with University of Illinois Extension. "When you use a muscle in your body over and over again in a certain way, it makes the muscle stronger. Sharing experiences over and over again in a certain way strengthens a family."

"Family rituals or traditions can be something that you do nightly, weekly, monthly or yearly. The only condition is that you choose something that everyone is interested in doing."

"Most importantly, traditions give the family stability and a feeling of belonging. It's an opportunity for parents to share and demonstrate their values and beliefs with their children through their traditions."

"Togetherness does not have to cost extra money. Togetherness is simply giving your time to each other. With a positive attitude and a little creative flare, your family can make these simple activities a fun way to be together, and learn together."

Plant a flower or vegetable garden together... together.

Visit the local humane shelter and ask how you can help... together.

Call a homeless shelter and ask how you can help... together.

Train for a 5-K charity walk or run... together.

Go blueberry picking and make blueberry pancakes... together.

Check out summer concerts or festivals... together.

"Plan some special family time this summer," suggests Kaiser. "Who knows? Maybe some of the summer activities you do this year will become a tradition. Summertime living with family traditions can be some of the best memories for years to come."

Have a wonderful Wednesday. Plan something with your family for this weekend. Spend your time wisely. (And let it be known, I'll be taking my own advice!) I'll be here in the morning with Blog Linkage and a fun summer date (that will keep you cool)!

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda

AND TODAY YOU GET A TWOFER... You will find yesterday's post below:

Banana Boats and Ice Cream in a Bag

Good Tuesday evening!

RANDOMNESS #1 - I had a lot of Randomness earlier in the day when I thought everything was going to be normal, but it has all left me now. The fact that A Simple Life is floating out in cyberspace with no one to watch over it is very unsettling for me... the Mother Unit!

RANDOMNESS #2 - I will say that the Summer of 2011 has been a very different summer for our family. With Josh AND Austin working different shifts at the Chick, Roxie going to practices for basketball AND volleyball and Mikie finishing his June deadlines (his busiest time of the year), I am feeling more than a little discombobulated (good word).

Throw in the question, "Where, oh where, is my BLOG?" and you have a perfect description of my summer thus far.

I am adjusting. We usually eat around 8:15 or 8:30 so whoever is present can be here when Roxie and Mikie are available. I know it is unhealthy to eat so late, but when the kids are eating breakfast around 10:00 a.m. or later, I think it evens out.

I will tell you about something that HAS worked out and something that HAS NOT worked out in my Epic Summer of 2011 plan. You can feel free to learn from my mistakes.

Almost every night (even as late as 10:30 or 11:00), we all gather in the den and watch an old episode of 3rd Rock From the Sun. It is on our X-Box Netflix package... something else I do not understand. There are 129 episodes, and depending on the time and sleepiness of everyone (mainly me and Mikie), we will watch one or two episodes together. It has been fun and doable with teenagers.

I told you we were going to play Monopoly a little every other night or so as a family. What I didn't tell you (because I was not aware of this fact) is once all the property is bought, most of the Faulkner Five want to stop playing. They do not want to purchase hotels or homes or barter or trade. It's over. It's done. Let's move on, shall we? Tonight, I'm setting up an ongoing Scrabble game. Wish me luck.

RANDOMNESS #3 - My new Family Fun magazine came in, and it is getting harder and harder to use ideas from this publication for my "ever-growing-older" family. However, I keep on a-tryin'... because I never want to give up my subscription, you see.

I was interested to see out of the Top 20 Years of Summer Fun, I have tried SIX of the different activities and/or recipes.

The favorite would have to be the pinaqua. You fill a plastic trash bag with two gallons of water and knot the top. Tie a roper tightly beneath the knot. Toss the free end of the rope over a tree branch and either tie it securely or have an adult stand by to raise and lower the pinaqua. After being blindfolded and spun around three times, each player takes three whacks at the pinaqua with a broom. The winner is the one who manages to break the bag and unleash the wave.

We had a ball when we did this many years ago!

And I had tried two of the summer recipes. These have both appeared in A Simple Life, but in case you never read them or have forgotten about them, they are the featured recipes again today!

Banana Boats

1. To make one, cut a lengthwise slit in a peeled banana and place it on a sheet of aluminum foil.

2. Stuff as many chocolate chips and mini marshmallows as you can fit.

3. Wrap the foil around the banana and place it on a grill for about 5 minutes (or in the oven for 3 or 4 minutes at 200 degrees).

4. Once cooled, this is best eaten with a spoon (and lots of napkins).

I usually let the kids and their friends make these before a backyard camp out. Fun and delicious.

Ice Cream in a Bag

1. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 cup half and half and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in a pint-size ziplock bag.

2. Seal it tightly.

3. Place 1/2 cup coarse salt (table salt is also fine) in a gallon-size bag, then fill it halfway with ice cubes.

4. Place the sealed smaller bag inside as well, and seal the larger bag.

5. Shake the bags until the ice cream mixture hardens, about 5 minutes. (Feel the small bag to determine when it is done.) Take the smaller bag out of the larger one, and eat the ice cream right out of the bag.

6. Each bag serves 1.

This is not only a cool treat, but it works up an appetite.

Have a great Tuesday... what is left of it. Remember, Wednesday is our busy day on A Simple Life!

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting and Slightly Lost Belinda