Inspirational Quote – LifeLessons
August 24, 2015 by
7 Uses For Sunflowers
August 23, 2015 by
Today, I’m going to share a few gardening tips on uses for sunflowers. So, don’t throw those dried sunflowers away. First, I love the strength, grace and beauty of sunflowers in my garden. They’re one of my favorite summer flowers. I love sunflowers because they stand tall, erect and they’re showy. They tower above everything else in the garden, and their bright color makes an impact. Furthermore, there are different varieties to grace your garden and they all grow to various heights. This particular variety is the Russian Mammoth. It usually grows to about 10 or 11 feet. The fence in the background is 6 foot. So, it is truly massive. A bee is enjoying the pollen on the sunflower below.
It is true that sunflowers make a statement. But, did you know that every part of the sunflower is beneficial? Sunflowers are actually considered the cash crop. There are uses for flowers that include the seeds, petals, stalk, leaves and roots. Here are a few examples:
1. Seeds – Humans eat the seeds raw, roasted or dried. Therefore, they are a healthy snack and a great source of protein, Vitamins A, B, E and iron. I love the seeds raw in salads or roasted to snack on.
2. Birdseed Use – Birdseed mixtures often contain sunflower seeds. Furthermore, I actually leave the majority of my sunflowers in the garden for the cardinals and finches to enjoy. You will find black oil sunflower seeds in my bird feeders during the winter.
3. Petals – Additionally, sunflower petals can be dried and used along with other natural items for summer or fall potpourris.
4. Leaves – Another use is the leaves. Also, sunflowers leaves can grow quite large and tasty. Sunflowers leaves are often used to feed livestock or seeped to make tea.
5. Stalks – Noteworthy, the stalks of sunflowers are strong. I actually use some of my sunflowers stalks as a trellis for my cucumbers. Consequently, you can cut the sunflowers off at the base and allow the stalks to dry over the winter. Next season you have a great source of poles to use as a trellis for your veggies. You can also break them in sections, dry them, and use them in fire pits or wood stoves over the winter.
6. Roots – Next, the roots of a sunflower can grow quite deep and large. As a result, they are used to make herbal medicine.
7. Dried Flowers – Last, sunflowers can be dried and used in floral arrangements. They are quite pretty in fall arrangements or on wreaths. Some of the best flowers for dried arrangements are those that are just opening. So, pick sunflowers before are they fully open. They will continue to open as they dry.
Finally, I hope that you like our uses for sunflowers and you will plant a few in your garden. It’s a great project to do with kids too. You may also like: How Make Bottle Greenhouses As a matter of fact, this is how I start my sunflower seeds.
Sunday’s Best Linkup – #34
August 23, 2015 by
Welcome to Week 34 of Mother 2 Mother’s Sunday’s Best Linkup. This is the last week of our Back To School theme. We’re looking for posts on shopping tips, recycling last year’s purchases, books that will help with reading, grammar, spelling etc., tips for moms with college students and those who will be enduring the empty nest syndrome, lunch ideas, after school activities and more.
We also welcome other recipes, crafts, DIY, home makeover and gardening tips, SEO and blogging information, sewing projects, patio and deck makeovers, front porch makeovers, summer organization tips, ideas for backyard BBQ, summer flower arrangements and more.
Dust off your old posts and link those to the Sunday’s Best Linkup too. They’re great for inspiration. Don’t have posts that fit into the theme, link up whatever post you would like to share. We would love to have parenting tips, DIY projects, homesteading, homeschooling, and your posts on family and life. Your linkups and giveaways are welcome here too. Anything goes, as long as it’s family friendly and you may linkup as many posts as you would like.
Each week your hosts will select their favorite post and it will be featured the following week. An image from your post will be used on my blog the following week with a link back to your blog. Be sure to check back to see if you’re a Sunday’s Best featured blogger. All Featured Bloggers will have their posts Pinned to the Sunday’s Best Featured Bloggers Board.
What’s New: We would like readers to select their favorite posts. Voting will start at noon every Friday until mid-night. We will be adding the post with the most votes from our readers to our Sunday’s Best featured bloggers. Be sure to have your blog readers and social media followers head over to vote for your post on Fridays.
All posts linking to Sunday’s Best will be promoted on Twitter.
In addition to the reader’s and hosts selections, a post for our monthly themes will be selected and featured each week as well.
If you are interested in becoming a Sunday’s Best host, please contact me for details at rhonda@mother2motherblog.com or email one of our other hosts.
Your Hosts Are:
Rhonda – Mother 2 Mother Kim U. – Pinterested Parent Kim M. – Life In A House of Testosterone
For your information, our lovely Kim M. is taking a break for few weeks. Here’s the rules, please connect with us on social media before you leave or subscribe to/follow our blogs:
Mother 2 Mother: Please like my Facebook Page, follow me on Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, BlogLovin or subscribe/join my blog on the right before you leave.
The Pinterested Parent: Please like Kim’s Facebook Page, follow her on Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Bloglovin before you leave.
Life In A House of Testosterone: Please like Kim’s Facebook Page, follow her on Twitter, Google+, Pinterest, Bloglovin, or Instagram before you leave.
Please help us grow by placing our button on your sidebar. Please let your readers and followers know if you are selected as a Featured Blogger. As a matter of fact, they may want to join the party too! For those who have a Link Party list/directory, please add us. Equally important, I appreciate your help in promoting the linkup with Re-tweets and shares. Now lets party!
The Sunday’s Best Posts are:Kim U. selected Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks from Lou Lou Girls
I selected Gluten Free Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups from Not So Shabby Gabby
and
Disney World Tips from Penney Lane
The Readers Selected:
10 Thing You Do Differently With A Second Child from Funny Money Mom
and
The Favorite Theme Posts: Back To School!
100 Plus Back To School Idea from Penny Lane
and
21 Mason Jar Teacher Gifts The Scrap Shop Blog
Finally, congratulations to our featured bloggers! All of the posts on Sunday’s Best Linkup were great. We appreciate each of you linking up. As a result, I would like to invite all of you to linkup your post(s) again. You could be lucky, and be selected this week. Also, while you’re here take a minute to visit these great blogs. It’s a great way to meet and connect with new bloggers. Last, be sure to PIN or share any posts that you like, we all appreciate a little love.
Road Trip Printable Scavenger Hunt Game – Part 2
August 21, 2015 by
Our kid’s road trip scavenger hunt games series continues. We have added to 2 additional printables to our travel tips. Our scavenger hunts are bright and colorful just like the first scavenger hunt printables. Children like to choose just like adults. So, the more games the merrier. If you have more than one child they may not be interested in searching for the same items. Who wants to hear over and over, I don’t want that one or I’m not going to be able to find those things.
What’s the goal of the trip? Isn’t it to arrive at your destination safely, create great memories along the way and enjoy your time when you arrive. Why get into a struggle and ruin the memory while you’re trying to get there. Pouting, crying and unhappy kids can make the trip seem much longer than is really is. Give each of them their choice of scavenger hunt printables, a snack, drink, and let the trip begin.
Searching for different items and trying to finish first makes the hunt exciting and challenging. Take their mind off of how long it’s taking to arrive at your destination by getting them focused on their surroundings. One of your greatest memories will be the kids searching for the items, the conversations you will engage in while hunting for them and the peace you will find by having happy children. Now that is priceless.
I suggest printing the games on stock card. It makes the printable a little sturdier. Stock paper is heavier than regular copy paper, and won’t tear as easily either. Purchasing several clip boards so the kid’s will have something to hold their games. They can place their pen or pencil on the clipboard as well. Download Scavenger Hunt Games III and IV.
You may also like this game: Kid’s Road Trip Games I and II.
Breakfast Ideas That Will Make Kids Smile
August 19, 2015 by
Do you have a picky eater? We’re going to give you a few ideas today that are sure to bring a smile to your kids face. We all know that getting kids to eat can be a struggle. We also know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so we need to make sure that it’s hardy and nutritious. The one thing that we don’t think about when it comes to making meals for your children is fun. I found a way to make my grandchildren’s breakfast fun and exciting.
Wondering what I’ve come up with? I’ve stocked up on pancake and waffle molds. It’s the perfect solution and fun way to start the day. When my grandchildren are visiting or I’m visiting them, they wake up every morning looking forward to helping me make their favorite pancakes or waffles. Most importantly, I love watching them wait in anticipation while they watch their favorite Saturday morning shows. My stash includes: barnyard and zoo animals, dinosaurs, an airplane and a train. The barnyard and zoo animals are their favorites.
My grandchildren love them so much on mornings when I just don’t feel like making pancakes or waffles, and I try to bribe them with yogurt or some other quick meal, the majority of the time they don’t take the bribe. They enjoy helping me mix the batter and watching me pour them into the molds. I must admit enjoy eating a cow or pig pancake and elephants and lion waffles too. Seriously, they gobble them up and ask for seconds. When you clean your plate in my house, we call it a happy plate. They are proud to show me their happy plates.
I found these molds on e-bay. They’re easy to use as long as you spray the molds well with PAM as well as the griddle. I allow the molds to heat up before I pour the batter into them. This ensures they lift from the batter easily. I’ve found that a measuring cup or batter bottle works well in controlling the batter when pouring it into the molds.
Finally, make these fun pancakes with your children and they too will disappear. Add a few fresh strawberries or apple slices with the pancakes, and you’re guaranteed a happy plate too. Bon Appetit’!
Sunday’s Best Linky – #33
August 16, 2015 by
Welcome to Week 33 of Mother 2 Mother’s Sunday’s Best Linkup. We’re continuing our Back To School theme this week. We’re looking for posts on shopping tips, recycling last year’s purchases, books that will help with reading, grammar, spelling etc., tips for moms with college students and those who will be enduring the empty nest syndrome, lunch ideas, after school activities and more.
Label Daddy Peel & Stick Promo
August 14, 2015 by
Save 20% on Label Daddy labels! Label Daddy is the number one solution for labeling your belongings! Remember to label all clothing, sports equipment, electronics, and other personal belongings your kids bring to school, camp, sports leagues, day care, vacation, and other places. Label Daddy labels keep them from getting lost or mixed up with others. These labels are great for adults too! — Put them on your sunglass/eyeglass case, phone, camera, sports equipment, tablet, e-reader, hats, clothing, and more. The possibilities are endless. Promotion sponsored by US Family Guide.
Kid’s Road Trip Games: Scavenger Hunt
August 12, 2015 by
Family road trips can be exciting, but they can also lead to a barrage of are we there yet. Or, if you’re traveling with children fights, screaming, whining and moaning. Kids will be kids, but it’s enough to drive you crazy at times. I don’t know about your children, but anything over an hour seems to be more than my grandchildren can bear. That is probably typical of most children to be honest. So, today I am sharing a few travel tips. To make things interesting, I created a series of kid’s road trip scavenger hunt games. My grandchildren play this game when there’s a road trip. Trust me, it keeps them busy for a few hours.
Playing games allows time to unplug and enjoy the beauty that God has surrounded us with. Additionally, road trips are a great way for children to observe the country side and what’s happenings on the interstate and highway. Observations can lead to questions and interesting conversations with the children. Kid’s road trip games can be a great way to bond. Most importantly, make the trip educational and also memorable for everyone.
For this particular road trip game, children will love looking out the window in search of items on the paper. We come across most of them during our trips. And, we have so much fun trying to find the items. If we find all of them all before we reach our destination we have other games to play. My grandson love doing word search puzzles, hidden objects or we do another Scavenger Hunt in the series. I don’t know who has the most fun me or the kids.
Here’s a few tips for the games:
- Purchase a few clip boards and pencil or pens
- Print out several copies of the games. I like to print the games on stock card. It’s heavier than regular copy paper and that makes it easier to use without tearing.
- You can also have the games laminated for a few dollars at Office Max or Staples.
If you like our Scavenger Hunts please share and feel free to print for your use. Place an X on each item that you find. Good Luck!
Stay tuned for other printables in my Road Trip series. You can download the road trip scavenger hunt games here. You may also like: Kid’s Road Trip Games: Scavenger Hunt II .
