Nija's Thoughts

This time of year most people are wondering what to get people for christmas, here are some tips to aid in the gift giving 1. Don't wait until the last minute, if you find something you think someone will like in jan get it and save it until christmas 2. Be practical, dont get a gift for someone just to give them something because they typically won't use/ wear it. ex. fill up their gas tank, give them money to pay a bill, take them on a spa day 3. Personalize, no one wants some generic gift that you give to everyone ex. if you're artistic write them a song, or a poem, paint/ draw a picure. Remember their favorite colors & what they like. 4. Don't be so commercial & save a shopping trip by making gifts that people will cherish, they will appreciate that you spent the time ex. pot holders, afghans, quilts, doilies, table cloths, coasters 5. Instead of giving people presents give them your presence, they will find you more valuable than any gift you buy e...

When I hear those words I think tons of food, friends/family, and lots of laughing. The menu this year for us includes a ham, stuffed hen, dressing, mashed patatos & gravy, green bean casserole, rolls and an apple pie. Sometimes it's hard to come up with the perfect menu for you & your guests so here are a few tips that I go by 1. keep in mind any food allergies -http://www.eatingwithfoodallergies.com is a great site with recipes and tips 2. remember the number of guests & how many options you want to give them 3. its fall, so think fall flavors (personal culture can influence this) -desserts: pumpkin, apple, sweet patato, berries, nuts -vegitables: corn, green beans, patatos, carrot 4. common meats are turkey, ham, hen, & even German sausages. All of them can be served to give variety or pick what your guests typically have to make them feel more at home -ham glazes: brown sugar, honey bbq, mustard, & smoked (anything fruity is typically Chr...

For those who want to break into the halloween costume do it yourself scene because you're tired of cookie cutter costume ideas or for what ever reason here's some tips to help get you started what you will need -tools scissors, sewing machine, patterns(optional) *Note that some looks can be no sew because your can just drape & tie -various fabrics tulle (can come in different colors, can be found in fabric stores or online), cheese cloth (softer than tulle; can be found at wal mart, craft stores, or online), velvet (thicker & soft; can be found in fabric stores or online), organza ribbons & trims (can be used for ties to hold the costume together or just accents; can be found in fabric stores, wal mart, or online) -Closures/Fastenings velcro (easy to apply, unseen, quick & easy to open & close), zippers, buttons/buckels/claps (easy to to aply, can add visual appeal) With different combinations of the materials above a variety of looks can be achiev...

Halloween is coming up soon and I had some ideas for costumes if you waited until the last minute & cant find a costume, or simply want a played down/ modern version of a costume. All you need for these are everyday clothes (& remember what you don't have in your closet a thrift store might) Disney Princess: Cinderella - blue headband, blue ribbon for choker, white shoes or those clear gel shoes, light blue dress, blue elbow length gloves(opt), hair in high messy bun Snow White - blue sweater (or jacket), yellow cami & skirt (or dress), red head band, fold hair under & pinn in if its too long to look shoulder length Peter Pan: Peter Pan - green dress (or long coat), dark green leggings(or tights), green slouch hat(or beanie), red feather to put in hat, brown belt, light brown ankle boots Tinker Bell - sleeveless green shirt & green shorts (or sleeveless green dress), green ballet flats(or converse), put hair in bun & tie w/ yarn, body glitter would be ...

Acne *vitamin A & vitamine E- once daily *brown sugar- in face wash *Grated cucumber- apply over the face, eyes, and neck for fifteen to twenty minutes eating right & exercising- three meals a day, lots of water, avoid sugar, strong tea or coffee, condiments, soft drinks, candies, ice cream, refined & processed foods *Hot Epsome Salt Bath- 2x a week, add 1 ½ kg (about 3 1/2 lbs, 6C) of Epsom salts to 60 L (16 gal) of water having a temperature of about 37°C (about 97°F). remain in the bath tub for 25-35 mins till sweating freely. After the bath, cool off gradually Menstral Cramps *hot compress- Soak a towel in warm water, wring it out, & apply to lower abdomen *drink a lot of warm liquids- chamomile tea & honey, gingerroot tea, nettle tea Sunburn *aloe vera or vinegar- it will stop inflammation & pain *mustard oil- rub on the affected skin & allow to it dry, this will take out the heat from the skin *Baking Powder Bath w/ a few drops pf Lavend...

I saw an AARP Bulletin and it mentioned something about Harry Potter being banned on the cover so I looked at it & found a list of books that at one point were banned or had attempted to be by American schools & libraries. They include many classics like the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn for its adultuary theme, The Grapes of Wrath by John Stienbeck for it's language, Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe for being too political, I Know Why the Cage the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelo for too much sex. Remember these; The Adventures of Huckelberry Fin, Gone With the Wind, Of Mice and Men, The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mocking Bird, One Flew Over the Cukoo's Nest, In Cold Blood, The Color Purple, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl? Well they were all banned at some time for being socially offensive. The American Library Association annually sponsors (in part) a banned books week from Sept. 25- Oct. 2 that celebrates the first amendment draws attent...

I graduated from high school on May 21 and I feel no different. Some part of me feels like in the fall I will see all my friends again walking the halls that we didn't really act like we owned even if we were the "big dogs on campus". Highschool was always interesting to say the least; other peoples drama, friends parting, and relationships. Being involved with the arts in school made it that much harder to part with but surprisingly I didn't find myself in tears as I walked across that stage & saw the friends I was leaving behind with the impressions we made upon eachother but smiling and happy. Now I'm still not sad but I am going to miss everyone as we move on to bigger and better things. Good thing there is always facebook:) peace, love, & flowers

I feel old when I get up in the morning to see dora & diego, handy manny, and ni hao kai-lan. Those are just some of the shows where you actually learn something instead of the more mind numbing stuff that allows parents to let the tv babysit there children. When I was little there was the flintstones, the jetsons, scoobey doo, & tom and jerry. We learned sharing from barney, seaseme street and blues clues, quality shows. Does anyone remember Madaline? that was the cloesest we had to a language learning show & I loved that show as a little girl. Kids now are deprived of such good shows that were nice & simple but didnt talk to us like we were hard of learning. I remember lamb chop, mr roger's neighborhood, gullah gullah island, & wishbone as most people around my age do. Where are shows like that now? They still show some of they good ones like auther and clifford but children arent watching them as much:( peace, love, & flowers nija

This is my first blog post & this was what came to mind. First I think that the taylors should have gotten best kiss. I love twilight & am a avid fan but their face sucking was epic lol. Second what was going on with Jacob's hair in the preview clip? it was like that guy from grease. I love grease but I don't think it's a becoming look for jacob. I'm still very excited for eclipse to come into theaters. I feel like the movies are just getting better but I wish the characters looks would stop changing so drastically. I understand that in movies the characters looks tend to evolv with the story but I dont think the twilight characters make overs fit the small time span that the story seems to take place over. peace, love, & flowers Nija