Add some whimsy and print these Rectangular Blue Doodle Frames for memo type notes in your papercrafting adventures. Cut them out, add some scrawl and stick them down!

Download Rectangular Blue Doodle Frames

Use them for all kinds of tag and label work.

Download Rectangular Blue Doodle Frames – Lined

For those that want them lined, here they are.

Feel like you need these in Oval Shapes? Follow the link to go get them!

Happy Crafting!

Design by Mina Keenan

“Like Water for Chocolate,” by Laura Esquivel, is set in Mexico aroundthe time of the Mexican Revolution of 1910-17. It’s novel of love . . . or is it a novel of the magical power of love . . . or is it a romantic comedy? Honestly, I am not really certain. This is one of those books that might be assigned in a college Freshman english class. I’m sure there’s a lot of symbolism and irony in it, but I’m not very good at finding those things on my own. As a book of pure recreation, however, let me tell you what I thought about my trip to Mexico in my journey of Novel Destinations.

The main character in “Like Water for Chocolate” is Tia, the youngest daughter of the widowed Mama Elena. When Tia falls in love with Pedro and wishes to marry, her mother invokes the long-held Mexican tradition that the youngest daughter not marry. Mama Elena instead gives Tia’s older sister to Tia’s lover – A novel of love.

Tia’s method of accedpting her fate could be called ‘passive-aggressive.’ Her intense emotions somehow come through her intense cooking, affecting all those around her, including her sister and new brother-in-law. Those who eat Tia’s food feel whatever intense emotion Tia was feeling when she cooked it, whether sadness, illness or happiness – A novel of the magic of love.

The antics of Tia, her sister and her new brother-in-law, as well as the other characters in the books, while under Tia’s ‘spell,’ become quite entertaining – A romantic comedy.

By reading “Like Water for Chocolate,” I learned that it was traditional in Mexican culture for the youngest daughter to forego marriage in order to care for her mother until death. I got a glimpse of life for civilians on a disputed border during a revolution. I gained insight into how some people can work through their emotions via cooking. (I, personally, prefer to eat chocolate.)

“Like Water for Chocolate” is at least an interesting, light-hearted read, at best, a terrific work of fiction for a book club or discussion group. I do not hesitate to encourage the reading of “Like Water for Chocolate.”

More information and fun resources:

Additional summary of the book, with discussion questions, at Spark Notes

Have a fixin’ to have your own wee log cabin? Here’s two for you. Get busy with this paper toy project. An easy project and heaps of fun!

Download Light Log Cabin

Craft Supplies

• Paper or cardstock
• scissors
• tape or glue

Download Dark Log Cabin

 How to Make the Wee Log Cabins

• Cut along all outer lines
• Fold along the lines where indicated: house walls, tabs, roof
• Secure the house piece with glue or tape
• Matching the fold of the roof with the peak of the cabin, glue or tape the roof to the cabin

Happy Crafting

Design by Mina Keenan

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, about 8,640 burglaries happen every day–that’s one every ten seconds. Want to hear something even more frightening? Every one out of five homes will experience a break-in or invasion. That’s over two million houses that will become the target of the bad guys.

Make your house the safest on the block

The way you present your house to the world can make a difference in whether your home becomes a statistic. Consider these tips to keep your home cozy and safe:

1. Strong entry doors. Someone up to no good is more likely to pass by your house if the front door is imposing and sturdy. Look for a thick steel entry door that has a solid, proven lock. Expect to pay an average of $1,238 for a new steel entry door, according to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value Report for 2011-2012. However, that’s some of the best money you can spend for peace of mind, and at a 73 percent return on investment, it’s not a bad deal at all.
   

   Image credit: Brennan Exteriors

2. Windows with serious locks. When you purchase replacement windows, you’re looking at energy efficiency and style. Don’t forget to look at security, too. At least one sturdy lock on your windows is good; two is even better. Keep your screens in place and keep the windows locked, even those that are on upper stories. A burglar really can get up there.
3. Well-placed lighting. Many burglaries happen at night, when darkness is a friend to those up to no good. Lights that keep the shadows down to a minimum can mean a safer house. Consider motion-sensing lights that are aimed at the darkest corners of your yard, floodlights that make midnight look like noon with the flip of a switch, and security lights around the house, especially near the bushes and other decorative shrubbery around the home.
4. Watch the garage. Many intruders find that the garage is an easy method of entry, especially during the day when you’re not around. A garage door that locks when you drive away is a very good idea. If your garage door has seen better days, now is the time to replace it. It’s a very cost-effective move as well; the average price of a new garage door is $1,512, and you can recoup up to 71.9 percent of that investment, according to the Remodeling Magazine Cost vs. Value Report.
5. Reinforce the sliding glass door. Would-be intruders love to see a sliding glass door on a secluded deck. They can often get through the lock with ease or lift the door away from the track to simply remove it. Stop this problem with a solid metal jammer that keeps the door from being opened from the outside.
6. Add an alarm. Homes without security systems are three times more vulnerable to break-ins than homes with security systems. Even a simple system is enough to deter crooks. Small alarms that squeal like mad when disturbed can be purchased at home improvement stores and installed on doors and windows. Though a seasoned thief will realize these alarms aren’t going to result in an automatic call to the police station, most criminals will decide your place isn’t worth the hassle.

Don’t be a statistic. Make your house unappealing to burglars with a strong, sturdy facade. If they do decide to give it a try, make them work to get in–odds are that a thief will walk away before spending too much time trying to get into your place.

Being healthy, when you think in terms of a lifestyle, is not one, huge thing. It’s little steps over a lifetime that add up to brilliant health.

This is what I’m realizing as I have been staying true to my commitment to get up from the computer and start up a scheduled workout DVD or program. It’s not this big, huge difficult thing – which I think in many ways makes it easy to say no. One work out won’t make a big difference one way or the other, right? 

But those little 30 minute workouts, all put together over the course of the past two weeks, have helped me begin to rediscover my body. My strength. My flexibility. My enjoyment of good health. 

I used to be a swimmer – I always enrolled in the swim classes at college just for the dedicated time to swim laps, and a great coach who was helping me improve my butterfly stroke. Between that and my work coaching gymnastics, I had scheduled, dedicated time to exercise on a regular basis. As a mother nothing for myself was scheduled anymore. I had to change that first and foremost. 

I have now been setting an alarm on my phone to remind me to workout. It might seem like a small thing but it’s been really helpful. As a result of actually SCHEDULING my exercise times I have met my goal of working out 3-4 times per week for the past three weeks! 

I’m grateful for the Quaker Oats Heart Health Challenge for reminding me that it is important to schedule healthy habits into our day. Have you joined in the MapMyFitness Challenge? It’s time! 

I’m probably never going to be able to coach gymnastics again. And I don’t live a 5 minute walk from the swimming pool anymore. With kids underfoot I’ve had to get more creative with my workouts but that doesn’t mean I should use them as an excuse to stop exercising. That’s not fair to myself and it’s not fair to them either. 

So I accepted the challenge to work out more often and take those little steps towards improving my health! What about you?

February is National Heart Health month. Even if it’s only 5 more minutes a day, what extra step will you take to stay fit?

For your chance to win $750 complete these two steps:

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Quaker Oats Company. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

Photo by Nick.Allen

When your picture grape vines, you may envision them in rows and rows along rolling, hillside vineyards. I have to agree that these plantings are lovely. But, did you know that grapes tend to fit neatly into backyard gardens? much the way that espaliers do. Grapes can be easily trained against a wall or fence — just like espaliered fruit trees.

In fact, the bright-green leaves turn an ugly, cyclone fence into an attractive, fruit-producing living wall. Grapes have no problem making large containers their home. And if you underplant them with a ground-hugging annual or perennial, they make a handsome statement worthy of the front yard.

The simplest way to acquire them is to find year old, bare-root grapes at your local nursery or garden center. You can always purchase them online or through a catalog as bareroot plants. Later in the year, you may find the more expensive, leafed-out plants grown in containers, as well.

While you’re perusing the possibilities, you’ll notice that grapes fall into these three categories: European, American, and American Hybrids (crosses between American and European grapes). Let your garden center or master gardeners at the Cooperative Extension Office know what you’re looking for in a grape and they’ll steer you to the right category.

Photo by Joe Shlabotnik

Planting Grape Vines

If your region experiences mild winters, such as California, you’ll want to plant your grape vines during the winter. But, if you’re in a colder zone and have deep snow, you’ll want to wait to plant them until about three weeks before your frost date.

In the home garden, grapes are usually planted against a support such as a fence or arbor. Choose a place that has full sun and well-draining soil. Dig the holes 1-1 1/2′ away from the support structure and 8″-10″ apart from each other. If there’s any top growth on the plant, cut it back so that it has 2 or three buds.

You’ll want the plants leaning slightly towards the supports. So while you’re planting, position them at an angle to guide them. Usually, they’re planted just as deep as they were in their original containers. However, this may depend on your growing zone, so check with your local nursery because they’re often planted deeper. When you slide them out of their containers, gently tease (pull and straighten) the roots so that they’ll spread out inside their planting hole.

Photo by sjsharktank

Grapes don’t need extremely rich soil because they aren’t heavy feeders. A moderately fertile soil is just fine with them. Their leaves are prone to fungal disease, so do your best to water them at the soil line — drip irrigation is your best bet. The vines should be pruned every year every year because the fruit is produced on the new growth. Plus, it’ll help restrict the plant’s mature size, as well. Pruning the old wood to two or three buds will stimulate the necessary new growth.

As far as how many plants you’ll need to produce a crop, nearly all grape varieties are self-fruitful, so go ahead and plant a mini-vineyard or just one as a focal point. The best advice here is to simply be sure that it’s a variety that likes your area.

You can never have enough tags for papercraft! Whether you are scrapping something, creating cards or gift giving, tags are so multi-purpose. Here are another couple of pages for your crafting stash.

Download Blue Gingham Tags

Gingham Tags

You get seven different shaped tags in this post, in colourways blue and fawn.  Just punch a hole in them and thread ribbon or string through to use as tags. A bright red gift image cheers them up!

Download Fawn Gingham Tags

My Summer uniform at Primary School was blue gingham. Those days when you started school, they gave your Mother a pattern, so there was no excuse for not having a uniform. Such a change from the Winter uniform. Scratchy, heavy thing it was. The gingham one was great to get dirty in, they washed really well and dried fast! Cloth has changed in quality BUT gingham cloth continues to be one of my favourites!

 Happy Crafting!

Design by Mina Keenan

Essential oils can help to promote healing in your body, whether it’s emotional or physical.

My husband J. L. Geiger MD, the OilMD, and I have recently started teaching classes on “Reinventing Healthcare With Essential Oils.” I believe that allopathic (traditional) medicine is a need, don’t get me wrong there are times when we do need to see a doctor.

I believe in yearly check-ups, yearly blood work as we get older, like mammograms,  and if what we are doing at home isn’t working or we didn’t start soon enough with the alternative approach you may need to seek medical advice. There maybe those times; we’ve all gone to a doctor.

Still, I like to think that when people learn about the healing systems of their bodies they will feel confident and have the wisdom that is needed to care for themselves and their families. This would eliminate the overuse of medical services and their cost for those services.

As we put the effort forth to have the basics in place , my favorite is the Family Physicians Kit, for ourselves and our families, we will all be healthier and happier. I’ve found wonderfully scented oils with the chemical constituents in them that are so powerful that they can reach your cells. That means they have the potential to change your DNA.

How to Select Essential Oils

The oils that we use are CPTG essential oils, not the ones you can find at the Dollar Store or the fragrance in a can or a plug-in that they say freshens your home. These are not pure nor therapeutic. The fragrance companies may use a portion of a plant to get the scent they are looking for, but using a plant to get their scent really doesn’t say much.

The plant itself has to be pure, and whether or not you use just the flower or the whole plant is another important step, it also has to be harvested at just the right time, and distilled in just the right way.  Then it has to be tested on several levels before you can put the CPTG label on it.

To select pure essential oils it is important to check the company and their standards for the oils they manufacture and you purchase.

HOW TO BEGIN USING ESSENTIAL OILS

The way I started using essential oils when I wasn’t very familiar with them was just to start using them.   The first step was by purchasing those oils that would help with the symptoms and aliments we were experiencing right then.  I researched what oils would be good for myself, my husband and my three children and I started with those.

My suggestion would be to get a good diffuser and a good carrier oil along with several essential oils.  You can now begin diffusing these essential oils and start using them topically as a therapy for yourself and your family.

This is the beginning stage of transforming the way you handle aliments you are experiencing now and becoming more pro-active with preventative healthcare in your family.

Historic essential oil distillation equipment in the Lavender Museum

There are few herbs that have as many uses as lavender. Lavender is used in herbal medicine, in aromatherapy, in perfumes, in cosmetics and even in cooking. Although lavender grows around the world, French lavender is often believed to be of especially high quality.

Not so long ago I had an opportunity to visit a lavender museum in Ardèche, France. Lavender grows wild on the Plateau de Gras in the Ardèche region, but it has also been cultivated in the area since the 1920’s. The Musée de la Lavande is located near the Ardèche Gorges, a popular destination for kayaking, canoeing and camping. The small and pretty museum stands in the middle of its own lavender fields, surrounded by the stunning scenery in the Ardèche Gorges national park.

Types of French Lavender

Several types of lavender grow in France: fine lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), spike lavender (Lavandula spica) and lavandin (Lavandula hybrida) – a hybrid combination of fine and spike lavenders. All have slightly different properties and different scents.

Lavandula angustifolia is the lavender you will usually think of when you think of lavender. Fine (also called true) lavender essential oil has a delicate scent that makes it very popular in aromatherapy and in natural cosmetics. It is one of the most commonly used oils in aromatherapy, thanks to its wide range of therapeutic properties. Spike lavender has a more camphor-like scent. Its oil can be used to relieve respiratory conditions and muscle aches and pains.

Lavandin is the hybrid variety. It was originally created naturally by cross-pollination between spike lavender and fine lavender, but today it is cultivated in many parts of France. The main reason for its popularity is that it can produce more essential oil per each plant than fine lavender. I had always thought that lavandin was just a cheap substitute for lavender, but in the museum it was also recommended for some therapeutic uses.

Because it is cheaper, lavandin is often used in perfumery as a substitute for true lavender. Lavandin oil is, unfortunately, sometimes sold as “lavender” essential oil. When buying essential oils, it is always important to check the botanical (Latin) name to know what you’re buying.

The Production of Lavender Essential Oil

The Lavender Museum also has a collection of essential oil distillation equipment from the 20th century and guests are invited to see a demonstration of the modern distillation process. The steam distillation method produces lavender essential oil and, as a by-product, lavender flower water (lavender hydrolat) which is used in natural cosmetics and in room fragrances. Lavender water was traditionally sprinkled on bed sheets and other household textiles to give them a beautiful, clean and fresh fragrance and to keep moths away.

In this part of France lavender generally starts to flower in June and it is harvested by the end of July. If you visit the museum during the summer months, you can see the lavender fields in full bloom. The museum also has a small botanical garden that grows several different varieties of lavender. The adjacent boutique sells a wide range of lavender products, and it is incredible what you can do with lavender: bath salts, soaps and body creams, lavender honey and candy, and of course locally distilled lavender essential oil.

If you ever get a chance to travel to the stunning Ardèche region in France, pay a visit to this lovely museum. The Musée de la Lavande is located around 15 kilometres from the town of Vallon Pont d’Arc on Route des Gorges D490, near the village of Saint-Remèze.

Photo: Enzo Coribello

Sub-Group Characteristics and Specific Cultivars

These English Roses are developed from Alba roses giving them the wild-rose daintiness, gently nodding flowers and a lighter scent than other English Roses.