American Flag Etiquette

What? There is etiquette for a flag? Yeah, yeah, I know, don't burn them and don't let them touch the ground - but what else is there? If you were me you'd be thinking "Flag cakes and pallet art! Woohoo!" :-) But, with 4th of July coming up and a bunch of flag flying parading around, I thought it would be useful and (dare I say?) fun to share some American flag etiquette with you!

Let's start with the obvious:

1. Don't let it touch the ground. Why? Because our flag is a symbol of pride and we treat it like a person. The reasoning is that we walk on the ground and it would be disrespectful to our pride and the flag to place it on the ground. What happens if your flag does touch the ground? Proper etiquette is actually to bury it.

2. You CAN burn an American Flag. But not in political protest! (Yikes.) Did you know that the proper way to dispose of an old American Flag is actually to burn it! (To do this safely contact your local American Legion office.)

3. Leave your flag up from sunrise to sunset. If your flag is outside, you should only leave it out during daylight hours. If you leave it out at night, you should have a light shining on it. (The US Flag Code says indoor flags can be left up at all times.) ;o)

4.  DON'T tie it to a tree. Or hang it across a boat, train or car. All those are signs of disrespect. DO - hang your flag from a pole or tack it to a window or wall.

5. DO fly your flag RIGHT SIDE UP and on top! If you are flying 3 flags, the American Flag can be in the middle, otherwise, it's on top. ALSO -- make sure it is right side up. Upside down is a sign of distress. And DON'T do what my son's school did by accident:

Oops!!

True story.

I'm sure that you will do great with your flag. I've heard that the American flag also looks great on face paint and men in uniform. But that wasn't in the flag code. :o)

Do you have any flag tips to add to this list?

Happy Flag Flying!!


Sources: US Flag Code and Real Simple.

Teacher Appreciation Gift Ideas

Last year for teacher's appreciation week my son's school had a theme for each day. {You can see the ideas I shared for each day here.} This year, it is more simple. I will be using some of the same ideas I used last year, plus a couple more.

For example, this year, instead of a little bag of candy -- how about putting the treat in a mason jar with some twine and a cute tag?

I found these mini jelly jars and they were the perfect size for a teacher treat! Plus, I like that they get to use the jar after they eat the candy! {It's the perfect size for a tealight or refilling with treats.} I also used this idea for Administrators Professional Day and it was a huge hit!

I was searching around for more ideas and found  this printable from Capital B. Isn't it sweet? I love the poem and my son's teacher is always asking for school supplies!

And finally - Love the Day always has AMAZING ideas! I am in love with this little Owl!! I usually say us teachers have enough mugs - but I'd make an exception for this adorable Owl mug!

You can see more of this mug and download your FREE printable here.

And I would be BESIDE MYSELF if a student gave me this berry basket filled with all these goodies!!! {Hint, hint if any of my students see this.} Also from Love the Day! Check it out here!

Has your school had Teacher Appreciation Week yet? What did you do? What other ideas have you seen? I'd love to hear them!

Sharing this post here, The CSI Project and tatertots and jello.

Garage Organization ~ Sports Equipment

One of my goals this year is to be more organized. (I know - it seems like this is a goal EVERY year - doesn't it?) But this year, I REALLY mean it! Starting with my garage. I have two very active boys. They love to play sports (Organized and just for fun!) and as they get bigger, their stuff seems to get bigger too!! So this year, I am reigning in the clutter, getting rid of A LOT of old equipment they've outgrown and creating organized spaces for the things we want to keep.

So, the first step was creating a space for some of their gear. Pegboard is a popular garage storage item and I actually scored three whole sheets for $2 at a garage sale a while back! Yes, you read that right!$2! I only used one piece for this project -- I still have two more LARGE sheets! I cleaned and painted the pegboard a nuetral gray for the background and then, to give my boys no excuses for putting their things away {wink}, I painted the silhouette of each item on the board in white. Here is the result -- can you guess what goes in each spot?

I think the first one is kind of easy... from left to right... the first item is a lacrosse stick, then their baseball bag, their flag football game bag and the last two are for pool sticks. {About 2 feet away fron this board is our convertable foosball/air hockey/pool table.}

What do you think? I had seen people use the silhouette method for storing tools, and thought it would be a fun way to store our sports equipment. How did I do it? I took each item and traced it lightly with pencil on the pegboard. I then took a small paint brush and outlined the item in white paint. The rest I free hand painted - very slowly and carefully. The baseball bag and pool sticks were fine of course; the lacrosse stick and football bag however.... let's just say I'm glad I didn't have to do any redos! {For once!}

 And now when my boys need to clean up - they will know where everything goes!

Here is what the board looks like with all the equipment on it:

{Hooks used to hang each item}

Garage sports organization: Check!! One project down, only a few {Too many to count!!} to go!! I will show you the rest of the garage as we go. {There's a reason you're not seeing the the rest! lol} But what's next, you ask? A craft space {yay!} and a mini man cave for my little men! More on that soon - I hope!

How about you? Have you started spring cleaning yet? What area would you like to get more organized?

This post is MAN APPROVED! ;)

Join me on Facebook for more conversations and ideas!

Linking up here, man up link up and tatertots and jello.

Where to Eat in NYC

Do you like food?
Yes?
Well, then this post is for you!!

I recently traveled to New York this summer to visit my sister and nephew. I’d been to New York before and seen most of the ‘touristy’ stuff so this trip was just for family time. The only places I wanted to visit were the World Trade Center Memorial {more on that later} and Central Park. {I’d seen it, but never been!} So, other than those two stops, the rest of my trip pretty much involved my sister taking me to all the places she loves to eat! {Yay!} Can you imagine having an NYC tour guide take you to the best local little places to eat?  Well, that’s what I got!

And just so you know, we’re not talking the trendy expensive hot spots here. We’re talking little family owned restaurants and cafes, that you might accidentally pass by or happen upon out of luck, but that create the best food I have eaten in perhaps years. Yes, it was divine.


Stop 1: Numero 28 PIZZA FROM NAPOLI





This is a family owned restaurant and the owners really are from Italy!
In addition to the best bruschetta bread and pizza, they also had really good tiramisu. This was my official birthday lunch while I was in NY. {Thanks again sis!}




Some of you could probably stop at that delicious tiramisu – but there is so much more to share!!


Stop #2: THE LOEB BOATHOUSE in Central Park

I have to say this was my FAVORITE place to eat on the trip for many reasons. Yes, it had great food. Yes, the service was excellent – funny and nice waiters; efficient, yet relaxed. But you get the best of both worlds! The Boathouse has an indoor restaurant, it has a full bar area with TV’s, if you’re into that, {maybe next time for us, when we don’t have a 10 month old and stroller in tow}, it has an express cafe AND it has an outdoor patio area right on a lake in Central Park. That is where we sat. Who wouldn’t love a nice cool drink and meal with a view like this?



I could have sat there all day with a glass of wine and a good book. But, hey, something else I had really wanted to do was go for a boat ride on this lake, so after we relaxed at the restaurant, off we went! Guess who got to row?




Stop #3: A PICNIC in Central Park!



Okay, this one isn’t exactly a restaurant, but if you’ve never been to Central Park {like me} or just want to get back to nature for a bit, then Central Park is the place for you. We just bought simple sandwiches on our walk, but you can even pack your own picnic to make it a fun day. This is also an inexpensive way to enjoy the city. We ate lunch with this adorable little gazebo in view:



You could even stop by the Zoo or find a bench and have lunch near Belvedere Castle in the Park! {This CA girl thought it was a little reminiscent of Cinderella’s Castle in Disneyland! Just a little.}



And if you’re feeling very brave, you could buy a hot dog off of one of the many carts in The Park.
I did that.
Once.
That was not one of my favorite places to eat, but I had never eaten a hot dog off a cart before. Check #112 off the bucket list. I think we ended up getting a sausage and it was not good. Lots of people say the hot dog carts are good, so maybe we just got a bad cart? Time will tell if I give another cart vendor a chance, but at least I can say I tried it! lol

Stop #4 – DESSERT TOUR!

On my last day we took a dessert tour around the city! We had crepes, chocolate chip cookies and  cream puffs! We were supposed to have gelato as well, but I couldn’t hang and had to stop at the cream puffs!

The crepe I got was from the Café Deux Margot. We sat outside, had a French waiter, felt fancy and ate a delicious crepe!



Then it was off to Levain Bakery to get the thickest, biggest chocolate chip cookie in the city! If my sister didn’t know about this place, I very well could have passed it. The bright blue door is actually quite unassuming from the street. You have to go down the stairs once inside to see what the bakery looks like. There is no store front or bakery window showing their treats. Just this sign and their signature blue door {that I will be sure not to miss next time I’m in the city!}



Why no picture of the cookie? Let’s just say we ate it so fast there was no time to snap the evidence! By the way, this cute shop also sells milk. Good call Levain Bakery. Good call.


Last stop: cream puffs!



Beard Papa’s boasts the world’s best cream puff, and I have to say, they’re pretty close. My favorite EVER cream puffs are from COSTCO. Believe it or not, their small frozen hors d'oeuvres are quite tasty. BUT, I will say Beard Papa’s taste almost exactly the same only in a larger creamier version! Yum!!



Next time we’ll have to come here FIRST so I won’t be so full because I seriously want to try every single flavor! Éclair puff? Yes, please! And if you want to try some good gelato {also on my list for next time}, it's just next door or at least not far from Beard's Papa's.

A couple other side track stops – while walking, we got water. I HAD to snap a picture of these treats I did NOT eat. Apparently this shop had a fascination with BACON:



Have you ever had a bacon cookie?? Not me – but maybe my next trip.


Because you walk everywhere in New York, we made sure to stop at my sister’s favorite bookstore. I know this picture is not about food, but we’ll just keep with today’s theme and say if you are hungry for books {get it? lol} like me, you won’t mind! This is my sister’s and now my favorite bookstore in NYC:



It’s quaint atmosphere reminds me of ‘The Shop Around the Corner’ bookstore in the movie “You’ve Got Mail.” It’s locally owned, independent and lots of new and seasoned authors go there for book signings! My “I’m not going to buy anything” mantra did not last very long in this store!!


And finally, if you are at all worried about eating your way around New York City – then have NO WORRIES. New York offers FREE yoga in the park {Bryant Park} on Tuesday nights. Yes, I said FREE. And it was awesome. The only thing missing in this pictures is the sky scrapers in the background behind those trees.




Aaagh, good times. Thank you to my sister and little nephew {isn’t he a cutie patootie?} for being the best tour guides ever on my trip! {PS – the only other place to eat I left out was my sister’s house. She’s a great cook and if she wasn’t so dang private, I’d post her address and phone number here so you could pop over for dinner sometime.}




Are any of you planning a trip to New York soon? I’d love to hear if you eat at any of these places!! Or share a new place for me to try on my next trip!

For all of my foodie friends out there – what’s your favorite restaurant/place to eat where you live??? Cheers!!

I {Heart} Summer Vacation

Summer is quickly drawing to an end here in So Cal. Many students have started school already, but over here we have 2 more glorious weeks!! This past week we spent primarily at my favorite spot: the beach!

The best vacations {in my book} are stay-cations! Especially when we are lucky enough to live 15 minutes from beautiful scenery and days like this:





Even though we were close to home, we felt miles away because we were CAMPING! It’s a new family tradition that we do every year! My son has even learned to set up the tent {mostly} by himself.




The campground is right on the beach, which means we got to spend most of the days with our toes in the sand, splashing in the water, riding our bikes on the trail and just RELAXING!! Here are some pictures of the fun we had this week!






My friend, Valerie, made these neon yellow shirts for all the kids to wear! With so many families (10!) and kids, it made it easy for the adults to see which kiddos belonged with our group! I’m also glad they were all the right ages not to be ‘too cool’ to wear them!

My loves xo

Both my boys enjoyed some of their  favorite activities – riding bikes and boogie boarding!

Our last night we all got together and had a potluck. I was amazed at how well we ate for camping! (That is all in thanks again, to my friend Valerie who organizes this all! I would probably starve and freeze if I tried to go camping alone!)



 







Homemade Ice Cream while camping? I think yes!




During one of our beach days one of the parents found a whole bunch of tiny brittle stars on some seaweed that had washed ashore!! {Don’t worry – they all made it back safely into the ocean!} There’s nothing like a little marine science education when you’re at the beach! {Yes, this teacher makes everything a teachable moment - wink} Can you make out the tiny sea star my son is holding?




We even learned how to fry a freshly caught fish. Really.



Despite all my 8 yr. old’s pleas, he was not allowed to eat it. I know. Mean mommy. But actually he was more fascinated in the bones afterward anyway. {That fish still grosses me out! But, hey, that’s nature! More power to my little nature boys.}

And of course we enjoyed the bonfires, s’mores, family time and beautiful sunsets…








No matter what we were doing this week, we just HAD FUN together because that’s what vacations are all about, isn’t it? Until next year…



Do you have a family vacation tradition? Where do you like to go?

Happy 4th of July!

July 4th is one of my favorite holidays! I love that it stands for our freedom, I love the fireworks, I love the red, white and blue, and it kicks off my birthday month {woo hoo!}
July {5th} is also this little man’s half birthday!



Since both my boy’s birthdays fall within weeks of Christmas, we celebrate half birthdays here. When it’s your half birthday you get to pick the dinner, dessert AND pick out a toy from the store. It is YOUR day! Little man decided we should all eat at Farrell’s. It’s an ice cream parlor style restaurant, that is actually quite patriotic in it’s décor. Good choice little man!
 







The staff at Farrell’s was also extremely nice – they sang their birthday song and gave him that delicious treat above and treated him like it was his ACTUAL birthday day! They made him feel so special! Thanks Farrell’s!


Then it was back home to get ready for more 4th of July fun! We made these delicious treats that my friend Elizabeth showed us how to make. I, of course, had to use patriotic colors for the M and M’s!




Does this look like an American flag? Even a little??





We also enjoyed a bbq at a friend’s house near our local fireworks show - just a short walk to the lake by her house!



Hello – is this child really mine? He looks way too big…




Here we are waiting for the show to start!!




{They have some pretty mad skills with the glow sticks!}




                                                                   


Happy 4th of July!! I look back on days like this and am reminded how truly blessed I am in my life. God has truly surrounded me with people that give me lots of love and encouragement. My big guy even said "Best 4th of July ever!" Not an easy quote to get from a preteen! I hope you enjoyed the day with your families as much as we did!! God Bless! xo