Posts

Craft: Get ready for Christmas with this Advent Calendar idea

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* All artwork and tutorials © Jenny B Harris, AllSorts From illustrator, designer and all around crafty lady,  Jenny B Harris of Allsorts  are these sweet and easy tutorials on how to make a "peppermint star," an advent calendar of pocket purses and even a little elf clog.  These were first loaded on her website in 2007 and we have used her tutorials to make  tiny purses for dolls, shoes and stars to hang from the sky.. because that is where stars come from (according to my daughter.) We even made elf shoes for "real" elves that would visit us at night.  We did find out that we didn't have elfin visitors but mice. My child was most disappointed to learn that in our world, at our house, mice do not wear clothes but eat shoes, felt and even the cupcakes we left on the counter.  Keep in mind that these are not my designs or artwork so if you copy or reuse, please give credit where credit it due...  (* All artwork and tutorials © Jenny B Harris, A

Craft: Electoral Voting Map - Color in Each State

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Remember to VOTE for President! Here is an Electoral Votes map. Help your children keep track of each state. Count the electoral votes and be able to explain the Presidential election process!

Apple Season - Make Your Own (DIY) Apple Chips and Apple Vinegar! What to do with leftover apple scraps, peels and cores

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I love those dried apple chips I find in the store. Those expensive, dried, apple chips that usually have only 4 slices of apple coated in sugar, oil and cinnamon jostling around in a mostly empty bag. For years now I've also been drinking  Apple Cider Vinegar  every day. All the health benefits, aside, making vinegar takes absolutely no time of effort. That is my type of cooking.   Our family usually composts our apple bits. Those peels and cores are usually designated to the bin, feeding our red wiggler worms.  After an overzealous bout of apple picking, I thought there had to be a way to reuse some or part of the apples in a different way. Now of course, I'm not the first person to think this way. Martha Stewart usually beats everyone to the punch. Since I'm a staff of one and she has a whole research team, I thought I could come up with an easier way of making homemade apple chips with less sugar and in less time. After you've peeled and cored the appl

Easy, Short Adirondack Hikes Moss Lake Loop trail Inlet (Old Forge) Inlet Outdoor Family Challenge

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Moss Lake is a beautiful 2.5-mile loop trail near Inlet, NY My family searches for swimming spots, every time we go for a hike. We hold tight to the knowledge that have a hot day on the trail we can come back to cool off in a nearby lake or pond. Moss Lake off of Big Moose Rd in Eagle Bay, near Inlet is one such place. Part of the 15,410 Fulton Chain Wild Forest, the trail to Moss Lake has two entrances, one accessible and the other a short jaunt to access the water. The main parking area offers plenty of parking while just 0.1-mile farther, a handicap-accessible parking area leads to a wide level path and observation platform. My family is grateful to learn that we can take members of our extended family to the other entrance on our next visit. For this time we walk the quick 0.1-mile for a quick view of the sandy shoreline of Moss Lake. The loop trail is 2.-5 miles follows the old bridle path when the property was being run as Moss Lake Camp for Girls between 1923 and 1972.

Easy Adirondack Hikes in Eagle Bay- Cascade Lake Waterfall Loop Trail (Inlet Outdoor Family Challenge)

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At the trail register to the Cascade Lake trail, Eagle Bay (Inlet, NY) My family is always looking for those easy Adirondack hikes that still give us a workout and view, but still gets us back to town at a relatively early hour. We still love camping and racking up the 46ers, but we always have time to introduce friends to beautiful easy hikes that are fun for all ages, levels and abilities.  One such hike is the loop trail around Cascade Lake in Eagle Bay (Inlet). It is also an opportunity to cross one activity off the list that gets you closer to earning a badge and your name added to the Inlet Outdoor Family Challenge list*. trail map for Cascade Lake trail loop and Cascade Falls, Inlet NY This 4.9-mile loop hike is located near Eagle Bay and just a few miles south of Inlet, NY. Sometimes a bit muddy, the trail is relatively level path that can be down in two shorter excursions or a longer loop trail. The first 1.1-mile section is a multi-use trail. We encounter