A Touch O' The Irish - Leprechaun Fun #2

Last week I shared part one of our St. Patrick's Day fun. If you missed it, you could find that post here. I hope you have started reading some leprechaun books to your children and have them excited about building a leprechaun trap. If so, you are well on your way to a fun St. Patrick's Day. So, here is our continued blog post...

On St. Patrick’s Day morning, the children wake up and find little green footprints that lead from their beds to the letter from Lucky the Leprechaun. After reading the letter, the children will want to seek out the antics of the leprechaun. At each place of mischief, the children find will help clean up the leprechaun messes and collect a green shamrock coin. We also check our leprechaun trap to see if we were lucky enough to catch Lucky the Leprechaun. Of course, the trap is empty and our treasure is gone! We then head to breakfast for green pancakes or a bowl of Lucky Charms with green milk. Yummy!! After breakfast, we talk about Lucky's hat and his letter and decide that when the kids get back from school that together we will write a letter to Lucky scolding him for the messes he left behind. We will also make sure to find and leave his hat for him as well.

When the kids return from school, we have green milk (compliments of the mischeivious leprechaun), cupcakes, or pudding cups and write our letter to Lucky the Leprechaun. We leave the note for Lucky when we go to bed. When the kids wake up in the morning, they will see that Lucky has left them another note. This one says:

Dear Mariah and Jackson,
Thank you for finding my hat! I am so happy that you found it!! To thank you, I have decided to leave some of my gold with you. See you next year!
Love,
Lucky the Leprechaun

In the end, the children get to do a good deed by helping Lucky find his hat and in return, they get to keep his pot o' gold. Of course, he leaves a trail of shamrocks and gold glitter.

I hope you found these ideas fun and I hope you and your little ones have a fun St. Patrick’s Day!! If you choose to follow any of the antics I posted, I would love to hear about them!!

Your once-a-year Irish Girlfriend,

Michelle

The Lent Experiment - Day 20

It's Monday and to many people, that means back to the grind. What if our acts of kindness and niceness made their Mondays, well, less-Monday-ish? Enjoy the day and go get your nice on!!

Your choices for today are:

1 - Leave a little treat and a note for someone anonomously. This could be in a co-workers mailbox, a classmates locker, or the front seat of a friends car. (I like leaving a small can of Brazil Nuts on my friends car seat with a note attached explaining that Brazil Nuts are a good source of seratonin – just four and you will feel better!)

- or -

2 - Leave a note for postal carrier or garbage collector thanking them for their hard work. Maybe even leave a little treat for them. Both jobs are often thankless, so let’s shower them with thanks!

Your Girlfriend,
Michelle

Make-It Monday - Going Green at Home

Our last few Make-It Mondays have been all about going green. By making small changes in our homes, we can save ourselves money while enabling us to keep our carbon footprints in check. Even if you've seen many of these steps before, spring time (yep, I am seeing the glass half-full) is the perfect time for a refresher.

Take a moment to look around and run through this quick list to see what DIY improvements you can make to make your home more energy efficient.

1. Check for leaks in common spots, like windows, doors, and places where pipes come into the house. Putting plastic wrap on windows and doors is a quick way to stop leaks before they cost you a bundle.

2. Keep the air moving with a ceiling fan, and in the winter set the blades to turn clockwise, which will create an updraft. This forces the warm air that collects near the ceiling down to where we can use it.

3. Still got some of those incandescent bulbs? Swap them out for compact fluorescent and reduce your electric bills by 10% and remember to switch off lights when you leave a room!

4. Insulate your pipes, and you could reduce your energy use by 25%, not to mention keeping them from freezing!

5. Put a blanket around your water heater. This insulation reduces how much energy it needs to function.

6. Window coverings help keep the cold out. Close your blinds to cut down on drafts.

7. Check and change your air filters on heating and air conditioning systems. Dirty filters make your equipment work harder, contribute to allergies, and use more energy.

8. A programmable thermostat keeps you from fiddling with the temperature, and allows you to turn down the temperature at night when you're asleep, or during the day when you're at work. (or invest in a Snuggie)

9. Replace old appliances with ones that have the Energy Star logo. In the long run you'll save money on energy consumption, and pollute less.

10. Put a stake in the energy vampires! Unplug unused computers, printers, TVs, and children’s games, which draw energy even in their standby mode.

If you remember, one of my New Years resolutions was to become greener and to lessen the carbon footprint of my family. We have already done a few things on this list, the easiest being switching to compact fluorescent bulbs. I am amazed at how long these bulbs last!

Have a great day and I hope you go and get your GREEN on!!

Your Green Girlfriend,
Michelle

The Lent Experiment - Day 19

Sunday, Sunday... also known as day nineteen of The Lent Experiment. Have a great day and do your best to spread some 'Sonshine'!

Your choices for today are:

1 - Say 'hello' and 'how are you' to others today and WAIT FOR THEIR RESPONSE – don’t just keep walking.

- or -

2 - Invite someone NEW out or over for lunch, dinner, or dessert today. Many Sunday afternoons or Sunday evenings, we spend our time with the same people - which isn't a bad thing. Invite someone new to join your group. This is a great choice for everyone - singles, couples, and families.

Your Girlfriend,

Michelle

The Lent Experiment - Day 18

Welcome to the weekend edition of The Lent Experiment. Thanks for meeting me here today. I hope you make someone's day!

Your choices for today are:

1 - Forgive someone who has hurt you. Bury the hatchet. Forgive. Forget. Let go of the past. Everyone deserves a fresh start and you’ll feel better too!

- or -

2 - The next time you go to a restaurant, cafe, or coffee shop, write a thank you note on the napkin for the wait person to pick up. How often do they clean up after others have left and never hear ‘thank you’?

Your Girlfriend,

Michelle

The Lent Experiment - Day 17

Happy Friday ya'll and Happy 17th day of The Lent Experiment. Spend a few minutes reflecting on your acts this week. Get ready for the weekend and remember to check back on Saturday and Sunday for your choices. They will be here, waiting for you...

Your choices for the day are:

1 - Everyone loves a suprise phone call, so call someone you haven’t talked to in a while and say HEY! We all have people on Facebook or in our email list that we haven’t talked to in years, so get off your computer and get on your phone.

- or -

2 - Put a random present somewhere for someone to find. From putting a meal in the fridge at work with a post-it explaining who it is for, delivering a hot coffee to a co-workers desk, or stuffing a sweet in the sock drawer of your sweetie.

Your Girlfriend,
Michelle

Foodie Friday - Potato Pancakes

One of my favorite memories when I was younger is when my mom and I would go to this little diner. They served potato pancakes with sour cream and applesauce. They were huge, yummy and I loved spending the time with my mom. I thought I would share my potato pancake recipe. It is super easy and a yummy addition to any meal.

Potato Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 can of sliced or whole potatoes
1 egg
1 Tbsp. flour
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. milk

Drain and mash the potatoes. They can be slightly lumpy. Combine potatoes and all other ingredients in a bowl and mix. Take a small handful and pat into a pancake. (It will be a little hard to keep together until it starts cooking.) Place in a hot skillet that has been sprayed with vegetable spray. Let cook on one side for a few minutes, then flip over. The pancake should be browned on both sides. Serve with sour cream or applesauce.

I hope you can use this recipe or another to create a special time for you and your child. Remember, just spending a few extra minutes chatting can make memories that last forever!

Your Irish Girlfriend,
Melinda

*Just a helpful hint from the non-Irish Girlfriend: when I cooked potatoes for mashed potatoes last weekend, I put some of the cooked potatoes in a separate bowl and used them a couple nights later for potato pancakes. I just pulled them out, mashed them a bit, and added the ingredients. Worked like a charm!! Helpful since many of us do not have canned potatoes on hand.