Here is a cool recipe for INSECT REPELLENT that is all natural and you can make it yourself!
Combine in a 16 oz bottle:
15 drops lavender oil
3-4 Tbsp of vanilla extract
1/4 Cup lemon juice.
Fill bottle with water.
Shake it and spray it! Keeps the bugs off during gardening or a BBQ party. 
Second Graders Learn Skills to Keep Them Safe | KUTV.com
We were featured on Channel News TV on Friday for our RAD KIDS Graduation! It is a self defense program backed by the Elizabeth Smart Foundation.
It teaches kids what to do in dangerous or stranger-danger situations. They learn how to fight off an attacker, how to yell “Get Back, You’re not my mom!” and pepper the aggressor in the eyes with their fingers and do shin kicks.
We practice for 8 hours during the week with trained RAD KIDS teachers. Then they practice with the “RED MAN”, who acts out the part of the aggressive stranger. Go Brody, kick him!
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| Kick him, Get away! Scream “No, No, you’re NOT my dad!” |
They learn the tricks that strangers use to lure kids into their cars; “I’ve lost my dog, will you help me look for him?” Of course kids naturally want to help. Hopefully they will think twice if it ever happens with this valuable training.
Here were our cute teachers, Mrs. Sheffner and Miss Maggie.
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| They were with us every step of the way, helping us, coaching us, yelling what to do! |
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| Our principal came to our graduation, explaining the program to parents. |
They learn to scream if anybody were to grab them and strategies to get away if they are grabbed by a stranger. They also learn fire and gun safety rules, the importance of wearing seat belts and a bike helmet, and how it is OK to tell if somebody is hurting you. Nobody has the right to hurt you. They start out each day reciting that.
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| Practicing all our moves together, “high hammer!”, “block!” |
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| Get him Grace! Pepper his eyes! |
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| Yay! Cambria got away, go girl! Everyone cheers for you. It is VERY EMPOWERING! |
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| Even the quiet, shy kids learn to yell and become fierce! I like that. Everybody cheers for their classmates! |
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| Go! Get away! You can do it! Parents all watch from the chairs. |
One of my parents is a producer for Channel 2 News. She organized the TV station to come record and do a story on us. See how cool it was by linking below! It was a very exciting day for all! Second Graders Learn Skills to Keep Them Safe | KUTV.com
Yesterday was a big day for our family. We got our first grandson! Let me introduce baby Dylan Tremayne.
Dylan Gary Tremayne was born April 12th, 2013 at 7 pounds 1 ounce.
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| Proud Papa. I love this picture of Megan and Marisa’s first glimpse at their new brother. Megan kept saying “Where’s his feet? I wanna see his feet!” It was totally cute when she saw his tiny hands. We compared her chubby little fists to his and couldn’t believe the difference. She is 3 1/2. |
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| Grandpa Moss loved holding his first grandson. |
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| I CANNOT believe Tiffany just gave birth 2 hours before this picture. Who looks THAT good? Not anybody. No how. |
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| Megan was white excited to see her new baby brother. I think Marisa took it all in. |
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| Cute Family shot I got. Love this one. |
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| It was a lovely moment in time everybody piled in mom’s bed. |
Then all ate dinner at the Playland at Arctic Circle (corndogs and fries and ice cream cones) and then went in the jacuzzi when we got home. It was a splash fest.
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| The cousins just outside the hospital jumping and laughing…. |
Wendy and Jeff came and brought Josie but they wouldn’t let her in because she wasn’t a sibling. So dumb.
Oh well. She played in the lobby and Jeff and Wendy took turns coming in. Jeff brought his sister flowers. I thought that was so cute. They were in a red ladybug pot. I forgot to take a picture.
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| Miss Josie will have to wait to see her cousin Dylan. |
We brought a stuffed bear and a book “On the Day You Were Born” and a plant with white flowers on it.
He’s a cutie. Everybody is healthy and happy. We are so lucky and blessed.
I have been ignoring my garden for the past few months. Mostly because it was covered in snow. But yesterday the weather in Northern Utah got to be around 60 degrees. It was so beautiful and sunny out. Everybody started working in their yards. Look what is sprouting up in mine!!
And I noticed a few of my bulbs were peeking out from the frozen dirt. I noticed hyacinths in pink. It is so cute!
And here are my cute little Easter chicks on Easter Sunday. Below is my first daffodil coming up in the front yard.
And here is a crocus in purple below. I love this lonely little daffodil too. Some bloggers say they don’t love daffodils. I wonder how long before the deer find mine?
I’m waiting for this one to burst open before the deer find it! Maybe I’ll have a few days of color before it gets chomped on.
Here is a purple hyacinth above and a paperwhite below. They are such delicate little bulbs. I’m going to plant a few more of them. I have also heard that cayenne pepper in a water spray on the flowers can deter deer. I’m going to try it.
Maybe I’ll try this stuff from Sams Club if I get desperate! I have read that yarrow, coneflowers, lavender, blue salvia, and a few others are not loved by deer. Also that you can get wolf urine and hang it up in bags on trees and that will scare them off your property. I am thinking of trying it, as weird as that sounds. My hubs is against it. Haha. I might have to resort to something drastic. Anybody got an idea to keep deer out of the flower bulbs?
We went to her baby blessing in Chicago last weekend. It was neat to also hear Devin Moss give a talk at church. He’s an awesome speaker. It makes a mama proud!
Caitlin prepared an excellent lunch for us all, pulled pork sliders with cole slaw, potato salad and strawberry green salad with raspberry vinaigrette. It was super yummy!
She is a really good cook and the apartment is decorated super cute. I loved it. 
On Monday we decided to go brave the light snow in downtown Windy City Chicago and go see the Shedd Aquarium.
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| But when we got there here was the line coming out the door with about 200 people waiting outside!!. Little did we know it was discount day at Shedd Aquarium. Boy was it crowded. But we still had fun. And we got a $40.00 discount! Woo Hoo! |
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| The view of Lake Michigan and the cityscape right outside the museum and aquarium complex. |
My son Devin is super handsome. He looks cute in his snow hat doesn’t he? Yes he’s a cutie.
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| I was just captivated by these beautiful Amazon rainforest tree frogs. We study these in my 2nd grade classroom but I haven’t seen such colorful ones in a long time. So tiny and cute! |
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| And these sea horses were just adorable! Would you love to have these for pets? |
This crab not so much, it was HUGE! Well, I might like it steamed on my dinner plate! 
They had a huge exhibit of Jellies. I got a few good pictures. 
We enjoyed sauntering around. It was a neat aquarium. And Lena slept almost the whole time we were there. What a good baby!
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| I think this was a chameleon. But we saw geckos too. |
A charming big green iguana. I am fascinated by reptiles that can’t hurt me because they are behind glass. lol.
Oh HERE is the gecko. He was super cute.
I think this is one of the jelly fish exhibits I took a movie of.
We went out to eat at a few places. This one was of course, an Italian, Chicago style pizza place.
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| We walked everywhere. Parking is like $31.00 for a DAY! Can you believe I saw a squirrel in this tree in the city? |
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| The blessing dress was a family heirloom from the McCain side of the family. It was very beautiful and handmade by Cait’s grandmother, Lena’s great grandma. I loved it. |
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| It was great to see these two doing well in a town all on their own, no family. I’m very proud of them. And Devin just got a raise and promotion after 7 months on the job! Woo Hoo! |
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| Little Lena is the perfect baby. Pink and sweet smelling and she didn’t make a peep the whole time we were there. Good Job Caitlin and Devin. We loved seeing your city and your new little one. |
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| St. Patrick’s Day is coming up SOON! |
And here is my classroom….we’ve gone green there too.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! And may the LUCK of the IRISH always be with you!
I was rearranging some furniture in my den the other day and had this little end table filled with DVDs and cassette tapes if you can believe THAT! (tells you how long since I’ve done any spring purging inTHAT room!)
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| My Indoor Potting Shed to get ready for gardening season! This is right next to my glass door in the kitchen. |
Anyway, I decided to move it up to the kitchen and fill my little “Potting Shed Cabinet” with my gardening supplies, so I have it super handy when I go out onto the backyard deck or go out to prune or plant on my garden terraces.
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| I put my hand shovels and my gardening gloves in the top drawer of the potting cabinet. I’ll have to find the rest of my tools when this frozen wasteland we call Utah thaws out. LOL The top drawer of my indoor potting cabinet I’ll use for gardening hand clippers, small shovels and garden gloves. |
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| I got this sprayer after the summer on clearance for $4.00, what a deal! The middle drawer is for hose sprayers and dry sprinkle-on fertilizer. |
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| The beginnings of my Indoor Potting Shed…..it’s just starting to take shape! I’ll eventually have jars of seeds on the top shelf. The cupboard is for liquid fertilizers and my small pots and leftover bulbs and seed packets. |
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| Look at this cute herb garden I saw in a kitchen recently. I HAD to take picture. How would it be to be able to cut fresh herbs anytime you cook? I have GOT to try this one. Be sure to keep your herb seeds in an airtight container. She also had her granny’s favorite recipes framed. So sweet! |
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| Always put your leftover seed packets in an airtight container like a lidded jar or Rubbermaid container. |
Now the thing about seed packets is you need to keep them away from heat or moisture or any kind of fluctuating temperatures. So it is best to put them in a lidded jar. If you just leave your packets out in the garage or in drawers, they will lose their vigor and maybe won’t germinate quickly, or may die.
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| So keep them in an airtight jar. I just used a Ball jar and lid I had in my canning supplies. |
I’m going to try to start an herb garden in indoor pots even though it is only February. I can keep it inside for the cold winter months and see what it does. Maybe I’ll try some cilantro. I LOVE that stuff!
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| Valentines is coming soon so I got out my bins of February Valentines Decor and got busy today…
It’s amazing how much stuff I’ve got stashed in those flippy white and red bins!
This is my coffee table…..I love this little stained glass heart box….
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| This is great little pillow for a Hot Potato Game….for a kid’s Valentines Party |
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| I can’t believe how much stuff I’ve accumulated…..This fake plant I put different stick decor in it for each holiday and different ribbons. |
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| Living Room Valentines Table decor…..All my candleholders I just change out the color of candle for each holiday. |
I worked at Kohls while getting my Master’s Degree in Education….so I got great discounts
on lots of their fun decorations at holidays….. It’s hard not to go overboard though….:D
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| So anyway, here’s inside my front door…… |
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| My dining room picture wall….each season I change the black metal cone contents…..and hang some new ribbons or a swag of some sort on the wrought iron bar….. |
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| Great Room entry……I love this jingle bell heart….. |
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| Hanging from the dining room chandelier…lots of hearts here…. |
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| I got some heart suckers for my grandbabies…. |
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| Kitchen table….I love placemats and runners…..and I change out the candle colors each season…. |
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| This little plate rack in my kitchen I’ve got Holiday plates for every season now…. Well….except for 4th of July…Maybe I can find some red, white and blue ones….hehe…. |
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| Valentines Picture Wall of my family and grandkids…. |
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| Outside on the front door I hung a heart ornament on a beaded wreath….I’m so crafty…hehe…. |
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| Front entry table….I love this light up LOVE lamp….it stays on all season long….. |
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| My 3 sons and my darling first granddaughter….some of my fav peeps….. |
My grandkids love all of my candy dishes…only thing is….these conversation
hearts are like a year old….I buy them after the season…they are for looks only! I actually think they might break your teeth if you chomped down on one of em……
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| I love this little cupid lamp…..Got it at Kohls after Valentines Sale. |
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| I’ve got Valentines Decorations all up now! Ye Haw! |
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| Valentines is coming soon so I got out my bins of February Valentines Decor and got busy today…
It’s amazing how much stuff I’ve got stashed in those flippy white and red bins!
This is my coffee table…..I love this little stained glass heart box….
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| This is great little pillow for a Hot Potato Game….for a kid’s Valentines Party |
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| I can’t believe how much stuff I’ve accumulated…..This fake plant I put different stick decor in it for each holiday and different ribbons. |
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| Living Room Valentines Table decor…..All my candleholders I just change out the color of candle for each holiday. |
I worked at Kohls while getting my Master’s Degree in Education….so I got great discounts
on lots of their fun decorations at holidays….. It’s hard not to go overboard though….:D
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| So anyway, here’s inside my front door…… |
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| My dining room picture wall….each season I change the black metal cone contents…..and hang some new ribbons or a swag of some sort on the wrought iron bar….. |
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Great Room entry……I love this jingle bell heart….. |
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| Hanging from the dining room chandelier…lots of hearts here…. |
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| I got some heart suckers for my grandbabies…. |
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| Kitchen table….I love placemats and runners…..and I change out the candle colors each season…. |
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| This little plate rack in my kitchen I’ve got Holiday plates for every season now…. Well….except for 4th of July…Maybe I can find some red, white and blue ones….hehe…. |
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| Valentines Picture Wall of my family and grandkids…. |
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| Outside on the front door I hung a heart ornament on a beaded wreath….I’m so crafty…hehe…. |
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| Front entry table….I love this light up LOVE lamp….it stays on all season long….. |
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| My 3 sons and my darling first granddaughter….some of my fav peeps….. |
My grandkids love all of my candy dishes…only thing is….these conversation
hearts are like a year old….I buy them after the season…they are for looks only! I actually think they might break your teeth if you chomped down on one of em……
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| I love this little cupid lamp…..Got it at Kohls after Valentines Sale. |
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| I’ve got Valentines Decorations all up now! Ye Haw! |
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| Buffalo Chicken Tenders…with Copycat Wingers Glaze and Buttermilk Ranch Dipping Sauce…. |
I LOVE Buffalo Chicken. But I like the sauce to be a bit hot and a bit sweet. After some trial and error, I think I have the perfect, delicious Super Bowl Party food! These Buffalo Chicken Tenders are soooo yummy! They will really be a crowd pleaser…and they are not hard at all. You probably have all of the ingredients at home right now, except maybe for Franks Hot Sauce and Buttermilk.
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| Yummy Buffalo Chicken Tenders….Perfect for party food! |
INGREDIENTS for BUFFALO CHICKEN TENDERS in Wingers Copycat Glaze
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 chicken breast fillets cut into 1/2 inch strips OR 8 to 10 chicken tenders
Yummy Buffalo Chicken Tenders….homemade!
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| 2 ingredients I had to purchase to make the Buffalo Chicken Tenders…Buttermilk for the dipping sauce and Franks Red Hot Sauce for the Buffalo Glaze on the Chicken….
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| Wash and pat dry the Chicken Tenders before breading them….
Directions:
Combine flour, salt, peppers, and spices in a bowl. Whisk together egg and buttermilk in another bowl. Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk/egg mixture first and then roll into the flour mixture.
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Set the plate of chicken tenders in the fridge for 30 minutes. Heat up a frying pan with oil (1/2 inch in pan) and add a few Tablespoons of real butter just before frying. It makes the flavor better. Then fry chicken a few minutes on each side till it’s golden.
Lay fried chicken pieces on a napkin to soak up excess oil. Then mix up your Buffalo Wing Sauce.
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| Put the Franks Hot Sauce into a pan and add the brown sugar and real butter…..mix it up! That’s it! |
Then pour it over the fried chicken or toss in a large salad bowl with the chicken….either way works great.
I read this cool review on taste testing the top 4 rated hot sauces to decide which one to buy for my sauce recipe. Here it is from Serious Eats.
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| All 4 hot sauces were in my local market but this is the one recommended by Serious Eats! |
Boneless Buffalo Wings Glaze (like Wingers)
1/2 cup Franks Louisiana Hot Sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar (or use 1/3 cup if you like heat more than sweet)
2 Tablespoons Real Butter
This is very similar to the flavor of Wingers Buffalo Wings….very sweet and a hint of heat.
Dipping Sauce for Veggies and Boneless Wings
1/3 Cup Greek Yogurt
1/3 Cup Ranch or Blue Cheese Salad Dressing
Mix it up and use for a great dipping sauce
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| All I do for dipping sauce is mix half greek yogurt (plain) and half ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing depending on who loves which dressing! My hubs is a blue cheese man. I love the ranch flavor. |
Put celery, cucumbers, red peppers, carrots out in bowls to dip with your Boneless Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Wingers Copycat Glaze.
In the meantime, I wonder WHO WILL WIN THE SUPER BOWL? Here is my class’ graph and it looks like the 49ers have it. We shall see.
This would be a perfect football game food or a party appetizer of any kind. How about for the Super Bowl? Yum. Dig in!
