Archive for June, 2010

Easy Summertime Camping Meals: Breakfast Burritos

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

Summer is here!  And happy late summer solstice to all!  Summer is usually filled with a great many activities because the kids are out of school and the weather is superb!  Just last weekend, my family went on a camping trip in Kings Canyon National Park and what a fun time that was!

Camping is great because you are outdoors, hopefully near a refreshing body of water, and you are spending time with those you love!  The hard part about camping is the prepping of food.  One must be very careful to clean up after themselves because food attracts wild animals – which are not fun.

A great little snack that my husband and I thought of for this camping trip were breakfast burritos!  We made them the night before, kept them in the fridge, and threw them in the cooler before we headed out of the house.

You can put pretty much anything you want in your breakfast burritos.  Our giant flour tortillas were filled with a thin layer of refried beans, then a mixture of eggs and hashbrowns, and of course, plenty of cheese.  You can also add salsa or ground up sausage for a heartier burrito.

Once you have cooked the burritos, let them cool off on a baking tray, then carefully wrap them in foil.  Place the foil wrapped breakfast burritos in zip lock bags until you are ready to eat them.

Heating up the breakfast burritos was a cinch!  We just threw them on the grill over our outdoor fire for 15-20 minutes, and they were piping hot!  So if you are looking for an easy, no cook, meal for your next camping trip – consider making breakfast burritos!

Posted in Married family | 2,488 Comments »

Outdoor Pool Safety

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

With summertime fast approaching, you and your family are likely getting ready to use your outdoor pool, outdoor firepit, outdoor grill — and just about anything outdoors.  If you have a pool, then summer is a great time to start thinking about safety.  Pool safety should be a number one priority, especially if you have kids.

The American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that between 1990-2000 the second leading cause of unintentional injury death in children ages 1-19 is drowning.  So if you have young children and even teenagers, it is important the you and your children are aware of pool safety.

Many precautions can be taken to ensure that you and your family are ready in case of a pool emergency.

For instance, learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a great life-saving technique that able adults in your family can and should learn.  If you have an above ground pool, then removing the steps or nearby tables and chairs when not in use can help to prevent children from accidentally going into the pool when you are not around.  And there are also common sense rules, such as watching your kids at all times while they are in the pool.

So this summer, remember to keep some simple precautions in mind when using your outdoor pool!

Posted in Household Safety | 1,828 Comments »

Summer Reading versus Summer School

Monday, June 7th, 2010

Summer is just around the corner and summer reading programs are gearing up for kids who are out of school and for summer school students.  Summer reading programs have been developed to encourage children to read over the three months of summer so that they will not fall behind when they go back to school.

A study is being formulated to test out a variation of summer reading programs in low income schools.  Educators are giving their students books instead of having them attend summer school.  It has been found that students in low income neighborhoods do not have the same access to books as their middle income peers.  Some of these children are not able to go to the library because it would be too dangerous and may not own a single book in their entire house.  This book program has been developed to encourage reading over summer, when a lot of low income students have been known to fall behind.  Three months without any education can really do long-term damage over the years.

Books at home give students access to print material and encourages them to read.  If your child is planning on just getting out of the house this summer to play games and plan great adventures, consider packing a book with their toys as well.  Books give a child a sense that they are a reader, and does wonders for their self-esteem.

Posted in Uncategorized | 1,931 Comments »

Looking for a New Home this Summer?

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

Summertime has been known to be one the best seasons for looking for a new home.  This is because the kids are out of school, most people are able to get some time off from work, and there is not the stress of the holidays that comes with the fall and winter seasons – and besides, who enjoys moving when it is snowing and raining outside?

Summer means more sunshine, more time off, and a great time of year to move before the kiddies have to go back to school – or it gives a parent time to enroll the kiddies into a new school.  So when you are looking for a home in the summertime, your vision may be set on pools and a huge backyard so that you can start enjoying the summertime weather right after the boxes have been unpacked.

While that is all fine, remember that as soon as fall and winter set in, you may be considering other household amenities that you may have been considering over the summer.  For instance, if the winters are known to be really cold, then you might have considered that home with the indoor fireplace – rather than the outside fireplace when the temperature starts to drop.  A pool may be a really fun accessory to a new home during the hot summer months, but how will you feel about the clean-up chores during the colder months?

If you are considering a home purchase this summer, just remember to take into consider all the advantages and disadvantages of the home all year round and not just during the warmer months.

Posted in House Decor | 912 Comments »