How to Survive a Badly Injured Fingernail

It might be a little dramatic to suggest how to survive a ripped fingernail, but anyone who has ever suffered the throbbing discomfort of a nail cut or torn past the quick may not think so. This fairly minor injury can cause a lot of pain!

Accidents happen.

In January, I was reminded that improper use of a sharp knife can be dangerous. I've learned all sorts of things from the online Master Class classes I have been taking, including the importance of heeding the teacher's warnings. Despite being cautioned against using a well-sharpened chef knife on a hard vegetable until completely proficient with the knife skill technique being taught, I did it anyway. 

Note: This blog post contains affiliate links. If you click on one and then make a purchase, I may receive a form of compensation. I only recommend products I believe in.

Oops. I did not cut off a finger (as it had been suggested could happen) when the big knife slipped. I did, however, slice right through the middle of the nail on my pinkie finger. Ouch.

Fortunately, the damage to the flesh under the nail was not deep. But it hurt - a lot. I was terrified I would completely rip off the top half of my nail before it grew out. My solution for a

Don't Hang Christmas Tree Lights Without a "Magic Wand"

If you have tall trees to decorate, don't put up the lights until you read this post!

I sometimes recommend products on this blog, but only ones that I would use myself. A few years ago, I wrote an article about a tool that makes it easy to hang Christmas tree lights. And it does. Even on tall trees!

We've had a lot of snow in Montana already this year, but it melted due to unseasonably warm temperatures over the past week or so. Sunday was the perfect day to put up our outside holiday lights. Before we began, I got out our trusty tool. 

We decided to string lights on a tall pine tree and our Canada Red Cherry tree, which is now much taller than when I wrote about it, here. We had no need for a ladder, no tense moments, and no feelings of frustration throughout the process. Lickety-split, my husband and I had both trees decorated.We don't put lights on the roof of our house, but this tool would work well for that too.

Taller than our garage when fully extended, this pole has a very long reach!

It is easier to put lights on a tree when two people participate; it helps a lot to have a second person managing the unstrung portion of the lights. There is a little bit of a learning curve to using the light pole, but it is quite easy to get the hang of it. My husband and I would have struggled a lot more if we had decorated the trees without this tool. It is practically a magic wand! We will never decorate another tall tree without it.

One more good thing. When it's time to take the lights down, this tool makes that an easy task as well.

So, where can you get this magic wand?  I got mine from Amazon.  Click the link to go directly to the Amazon website, where you can order one of your own. 

I do get a tiny bit of compensation if you buy from Amazon after clicking the link, but that doesn't increase your purchase price at all. And I promise that is not the reason I'm telling you about this tool.  

The mission of this website is to pass along helpful ways to make the most of life. This is definitely one of those.

Happy decorating!

Do you decorate your home with outside lights? When do you put them up?

Banana Bread & New Recipes to Bake: Fabulous Finds (Week #25)

I have always enjoyed new recipes; I love to cook and I especially love to bake. Like many people, however, after enjoying the delicious temptations throughout the holiday season I have been trying to return to better eating habits this month. 

After Christmas, I put myself on a bit of a baking ban. This was a measure needed to reset my sweet tooth and resume eating a healthier diet. To my delight, however, this weekend presented an opportunity to to try a banana bread recipe I have had my eye on for a while. 

Yesterday afternoon I realized I needed a hostess gift for some friends. Some really ripe bananas were sitting on my counter and the temptation was just too strong. In a flash, I had the ingredients for my new banana bread recipe lined up on the counter. 

The recipe was created by Epicurious, by combining what they liked best about a number of their favorite recipes. I especially like their suggestion to pre-toast the nuts. Here are some of their tips, helpful no matter what banana recipe is used:

• How we achieved the banana bread of our dreams by Rhoda Boon

I have a recipe for banana bread that I have been making off and on for 25 years. It is really tasty, but I'm always on the lookout for a better one.  My one complaint about my own recipe is that sometimes it is

Ideas for the Holidays: My List of Fabulous Finds (Week #24)

The holiday season is upon us. Here are a few links to articles previously published on this blog, which might make your life even merrier and brighter. I really hope they do!

~ ~ Decorate

Politics and Entertaining: My List of Fabulous Finds (Week 22)

Another Veteran's Day has come and gone, and Thanksgiving is coming up.

I put the Halloween decorations away and decorated the house for Thanksgiving in record time this year. The snow we got here in Montana last week never completely melted, and more has been added to it. Our bodies have begun to adjust to day-light saving time, although those dark mornings and early night falls are something I will never like. 

We seem to have made the leap from fall to winter, even though that season doesn't officially begin until December 21st. 

A busy time of year

Many people consider this to be the busiest time of year. Calendars are full with plans to visit family or

A Menu for Thanksgiving: My List of Fabulous Finds (Week 21)

Where did Fall go?

Whooosh - time is just flying by! It is hard for me to believe that our high school soccer season is over, Halloween decorations have been replaced by Thanksgiving ones, and the view out our windows is now a wintery scene.  Some thoughts about fall today ... and every recipe you'll need to prepare a complete Thanksgiving meal!

Not quite what they hoped for - but still a great result!

Many thanks, by the way, to everyone who expressed good luck wishes for my son's soccer team at the State Championship, and inquired how it went. They made it all the way into the finals and ended up in second place in Montana, with only one goal against them in the final game. 

It's not too early to be thinking about Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving less than three weeks away, it is not too early to start planning a Thanksgiving meal. I have many favorite recipes that I make each year, but I have come across a lot of new ones that I would like to try. 

Today, for my list of Fabulous Finds, I am sharing the links to some of these.  I haven't yet made any of them (except the soup) - but they look amazing to me. All together, I suspect they would make quite a delicious feast!

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This Week's Fabulous Finds:

~ ~ Appetizer: a Whimsical Cheese-Tray Turkey

This appetizer from the blog "Also, That's It" looks very easy to make and is such a cute turkey shape that it would almost be a shame to eat it!

• Cheese Tray Turkey Appetizer

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~ ~ Roasted Butternut-Apple Soup

Looking through my "Thanksgiving" Pinterest board, I came across my own recipe for this soup. I had forgotten all about it - but once my memory was jogged, I remembered how good it was, and how it would be the perfect soup course for a fancy Thanksgiving meal!

• Roasted Butternut-Apple Soup

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~ ~ Dinner rolls: Almost Mandatory on Thanksgiving

The directions in this recipe for homemade dinner rolls from Cooking Classy looks easy to follow - and I love the cresent shapes! 

• Amazing Dinner Rolls

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~ ~ No one likes dried out turkey meat!

I have tried all sorts of ways to cook a turkey.  My favorite way is to sear it briefly at a high heat, and then cook it slowly at a lower temperature, basting frequently. I have never injected one, but this method explained on the blog Confessions of an Over-Worked Mom sounds interesting to try.

• How to Inject a Turkey

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~ ~ Do you make your own cranberry sauce?

When I was growing up, we always had a dish of cranberry jelly from a can, and another with my mother's homemade cranberry sauce on the table.  I always assumed everyone always ate both!  Although I have perfected my own homemade sauce recipe over the years, I think this one from Kitchen Treaty using maple syrup could be even better!

• Orange-Maple Cranberry Sauce

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~ ~ A traditional Green Bean Casserole - but better

I was on the treadmill this week watching the Today Show, when they made this recipe.  Fresh green beans replace canned, and everything is from scratch, even the crispy onion (shallot) topping. Sounds like a winner to me!

• Siri Pinter's Green Bean Casserole with crispy shallots

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~ ~ A Very Pretty Side Dish

This recipe from the blog Peas and Crayons caught my eye because it is so colorful, and I love the idea of combining squash, cranberries, and feta. I might not wait to Thanksgiving to try it ... especially since it would be so easy to make using the pre-cubed butternut squash that is available in stores right now.

•  Honey roasted butternut squash with cranberries and feta

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 ~ ~ Avoid the last minute stress of mashing the potatoes!
When preparing the Thanksgiving meal, I can stay pretty organized until it comes time to mash the potatoes. Unfortunately, that ususally needs to happen just as guests are arriving and there are other last minute details to attend to. This recipe from The Kitchn sounds delicious and can be prepared ahead!

• Make-Ahead Mashed Potatoes

For the most amazing mashed potato consistency, some cooks suggest using a food mill or ricer.

~ ~ *~ ~

~ ~ Sweet potatoes must be on the menu
For me, turkey dinner is not complete without sweet potatoes or yams.  My kids (and I) love the traditional sweet potatoes with brown sugar and marshmallows casserole - but this recipe from Simply Stacie looks like a yummy one to try.

• Twice-baked sweet potatoes

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~ ~ Save room for dessert!

Last year I wrote about the pumpkin pie I baked in my college kitchen, to take to my grandmothers for Thanksgiving... and I have made it nearly every year since. Pecan pie, apple pie and pumpkin pies are always favorites of ours during the holidays, but I also love to try new dessert recipes.  

This pumpkin cheesecake from Something Swanky looks good enough to eat right off the computer screen - and the turkeys on Your Cup of Cake's Turkey cupcake creations would delight people of all ages.

• Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Turkey cupcakes

Of course, instead of baking dessert, you could do like we did one year while visiting Columbus, Ohio.  Some of our family members ran the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. We won not one - but FIVE pumpkin pies! Good thing there were a lot of mouths to feed that year.

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So - there you have it. A full menu of ideas for a complete Thanksgiving menu!

• If you need a little advice on how to roast your turkey, there is lots of advice on-line or you could check out the Butterball website. 

• Does making gravy intimidate you? Martha Stewart has published some easy Thanksgiving gravy recipes that might help.

• Wondering what wine to serve with the Thanksgiving meal? Bon Appetit suggests a Pinot Noir.

Whether you are hosting a small or large group, or eating away from home, I hope you have a wonderful meal, and you are able to count many blessings this year. 

Even if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving - I think these recipes look scrumptious enough for any day.

What is your favorite Thanksgiving or Fall recipe?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

It's Almost November: My List of Fabulous Finds (Week 20)

How on earth can it be the end of October already?? 

There have been some signs... the days are definitely a lot shorter and the stores are stocked with not just Halloween and Thanksgiving things - but Christmas items have made their appearance as well. Mother Nature has not helped me to keep track of the calendar though - and I am not complaining a bit! 

We have had an incredibly beautiful fall, with many warm and sunny days and most of the leaves are still on the trees.

Halloween can be a frightfully cold time of year here. I can remember any number of years when it has been below freezing or subzero. This year though, kids might actually get to trick-or-treat without heavy coats over their costumes!

I am been taking a bit of a leave of absence from Facebook, the blogging world, and even reading anything online, as I have been trying to get caught up with life tasks. I did find some fun links, however, to share with you this week. I hope you enjoy them!

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This Week's Fabulous Finds:

~ ~ Cranberry Jam

You might remember that in one of my posts back in January, I shared a link for a wonderful recipe for Banana Jam.  Well, just in time for the holidays, I came across this recipe for Cranberry Jam. I bet it is wonderful on toasted English muffins!

• Cranberry Jam Recipe

~ ~ * ~ ~ 

~ ~ Antioxidants

Just when we think we have a healthy diet figured out, research suggests something different. This study seems to make a lot of sense, but it just doesn't seem fair that something that is so good for us could also cause harm.

• The latest study about antioxidants is terrifying.

~ ~ * ~ ~ 

~ ~ Halloween Costumes

Halloween this year falls on a Saturday.  I suspect there will be even more parties and festivities this year, than in a year when Halloween is on a weekday.  Do you have a costume yet? If not, this link might be helpful - 22 costume ideas you can quickly create!

• Last minute Halloween costumes

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~ ~ Gum Wrappers

When I was in elementary school, we would save our gum wrappers and make long chains out of them. The guy in this commercial used them in a different way. Very creative (not to mention romantic), don't you think?

~ ~ * ~ ~ 

~ ~ Spring Forward / Fall Back

Just as I am finding it hard to believe that October is almost over, if seems as though we just moved the clocks ahead an hour - - and now it is already time to move them back.  Daylight Saving time changes occur on different dates all over the world - but for most of Canada and the US, we will be setting the hands of our clocks back one hour on Sunday, November 1st, 2015 at 2am. (Actually, I will be setting mine back before I go to bed on Saturday night!)

• Daylight Saving Time around the World

Don't forget, when you change your clocks, it is a good idea to also change the batteries in all of your smoke detectors!

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Which of these links did you like the best?

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This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

Moles and More: My List of Fabulous Finds (Week 19)

Did you know that today is National Mole Day?

What is a "mole" and why celebrate it?

In addition to being a furry animal that lives underground, a "mole" is a basic unit of measurement in chemistry: Avogadro's Number (6.02 x 1023)  I know that I learned about Avogadro's Number when I was in high school; in fact I remember using it quite a bit.  I do not, however, remember ever celebrating it!


In the more recent past, "Mole Day" began as a way make chemistry more exciting, and it is celebrated every year between 6:02 am and 6:02 pm on October 23rd. My son's chemistry teacher has invited all her students to arrive at school at 6:02 tomorrow morning, with "mole" related foods.

My first "fabulous find" of this week has to do with Mole Day - and then there are some pretty fabulous other things as well.

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This Week's Fabulous Finds:

~ ~ National Mole Day

Just to be clear - this National day of recognition is in honor of moles - not voles. We have far too many of those on our property right now - watch the top quarter of this short video

News About Bears: My List of Fabulous Finds (Week 18)

What have your newspaper headlines been this month? 

In our Montana news, there has been a lot of articles about bears! 

While some of this week's "finds" may be more interesting than fabulous, I thought I'd give you a little glimpse into life in Montana.


Today's List of Fabulous Finds is all about bears! 

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This Week's Fabulous Finds:

~ ~ Bear Road-Kill

The Helena Independent Record ran a story on its October 12th front page about "bear road-kill." An unusually high number of bears have been killed by cars in Western Montana this month. A scarcity of food in the mountains has driven wildlife closer to civilization this year. I would really, really not want to hit one with my car! You can read the story here:

• Bear Road Kill Unusually High in Western Montana; next two weeks expected to be even worse. 

~ ~ Speedy Speed Limits

Most of our Interstate highway speed limits have just been increased from 75 mph to 80 mph. I am not sure if any of the previously mentioned bears were killed in areas where the speed limit is now 80 mph, but I can't help but wonder if it was a factor in any of their deaths.  Like everyone else, I like being able to get where I am going just a little bit faster, but the amount of distance it takes to bring a car to a stop does increase with higher speeds.

• Some Montana Speed Limits Increase to 80 mph.

~ ~ Hunter wakes up to a Bear

On October 8th, our paper ran a story about a hunter in Idaho who woke up and realized a black bear was biting his head! It appears it is not just Montana bears who are having increased contact with humans this year! It's quite a story - you can read it here:

• Sleeping Idaho Hunter Wakes up to a Black Bear Biting His Head

~ ~ Use Caution When Hiking and Camping in Bear Country

A couple of weeks ago a hiker in Glacier National Park was grabbed by a bear, but he managed to deploy his can of bear spray and get away.  This article has the story, and some good advice for anyone hiking where bears are prevalent.

• Hiker survives attack by grizzly bear in Glacier National Park

~ ~ This Bear May Have Been Looking for a High School Diploma 

A bear found his way into a high school in Bozeman on Wednesday morning, and took a look around! Read about the incident and watch the video here:

• Black Bear Wanders Into Bozeman High School

Video by Leon Uebelhoer, foreign exchange student from Germany
Posted by KBZK TV on Wednesday, October 14, 2015

~ ~ Schools and Bears

Bears (sort of) are frequently mentioned in the sports pages of our newspapers - whenever the University of Montana State Grizzlies and the Capital High School Bruins play!

~ ~ The Bears Were Here First

It is a little too close for comfort to have a bear in front of our moving vehicles, or within the halls of a high school, but most people here are happy to catch a (safe) glimpse of one in the wild. In fact, an agreement was just appoved this week by a Federal judge to protect more than 22,000 acres of grizzly bear habitat.

• Judge OKs agreement protecting 22,000 acres of grizzly bear habitat near Whitefis

~ ~ Wildlife out my front door

 So far this year, I haven't seen any signs of bears around our house - but there certainly have been lots of deer. They have no fear. This photo shows how close they let me get to them wih my car, without them looking the least bit flustered.

Deer are not the only wild animals that visit us though. There are definitely bear in the area. One year we found bear scat just 15 feet from our front door, and one summer a black bear wandered by not too far from our house in the middle of the day.

~ ~ A Message from the Bears

A bear's perspective ...  This photo was posted by a friend on Facebook and showed up in my Facebook feed today:

Have you ever seen a bear?

Does your newspaper have front-page headlines about bear? 

Are there bears in your neighborhood?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

How To Do "Anything": My List of Fabulous Finds (Week 17)

This week's List of Fabulous Finds is all about "how to do" things.  In less than a year, my youngest child heads off to college. I have been thinking a lot lately about whether or not I have taught him well enough "how to do" all the things he will need to know. 

I worry less about whether or not I've taught my kids enough, when I think about the wealth of information at our fingertips today. The Internet is a powerful resource.

The following links are good examples that the Internet provides information on how to do just about anything.

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This Week's Fabulous Finds:

~ ~ How to sew on a button

A button fell off one of my son's dress shirts this week. I've shown both my kids how to sew a button back on, but this in not a skill that is regularly practiced.  Wondering if help would be available, I searched on-line and sure enough, found a video that gives even better directions for this task than I ever could.

• How to sew on a button 

~ ~ How to fold a suit without wrinkling it

I think my children know how to properly fold clothes, but even I learned a trick or two in this

Week 16: My List of Fabulous Finds (Moon, Mars, and More!)

There's a large variety of topics in this week's "List of Fabulous Finds" - with links to articles and videos about the moon and mars, college applications and homesickness, uncommon uses for household items, a recipe I just can't wait to try, and some "things that swim."

Don't miss checking out any of these links!

Sometimes watching videos posted on the Internet can be a waste of time, but I found the ones linked here to be very entertaining and informative. Of course, I also had to include a few photos of my own - one of which I was very surprised by how well it turned out!

Enjoy!

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This Week's Fabulous Finds:

~ ~ A Discovery about the Red Planet

There's been lots of interesting news about stuff beyond our atmosphere this week! NASA may consider this evidence of flowing water on Mars to be "game-changing," but I won't be standing in line for a trip to the red planet any time soon!

• Dark Streaks on Mars

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~ ~ Lunar Eclipse

Sunday, September 27th was a "BIG" night for the moon! Skies were clear and it was a beautiful evening in Montana.

A few friends were visiting, and we had a great view of the "Super Moon" lunar eclipse from our deck...

I'm actually pretty pleased with this photo that I took ...

My List of Fabulous Finds: 12 Helpful Resources!

I mentioned earlier that I have been making some changes to my blog design and organization. 

For my List of Fabulous Finds this week, I am providing links to some of the resources that have been helpful throughout this process.  

All of these services can be used on a Blogger platform, and offer support in addition to the services already provided there.

Whether or not you have a website, if you do any creative work on a computer you may find about the first half of these links helpful.  

If you are a blogger, all the other links may be useful to you, as well. 

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Here are this week's links:

1. How to create a free online signature: My Live Signature

Here's mine: 

2. How to get a darker/lighter shade of any color: HTML Color Picker

3. My preferred online photo editor: Ribbet

4. A huge collection of free fonts that can be added to your computer: Google Fonts

5. A page creation tool useful for creating printable recipes: Google Sites

6. A useful way to search or share recipes: Yummly

I hope you use my Yum button on my posts, to share some of the recipes I publish!

7. “Manage your recipes and add a professional recipe page to your blog... for free!”: ReciPage

8. Create indexes of recipes or posts using photo galleries (I haven't tried this yet): Inlinkz

9. Add custom share buttons to your posts: Shareaholic

Mine look like this:

10. My new email subscription service is now: Powered by MailChimp

11. Generate a disclosure policy for your blog: DisclosurePolicy.org

12. Add a print button to your posts: Print Friendly

13. Code it Pretty and xomisse both offer detailed tutorials for adding a new Related Posts Gallery for Blogger.

14. If your website is on Blogger and you need any website help, I would highly recommend  the Blogger consultant: Kim Six Blogger Support!

She is very helpful and extremely patient, and I don't think there is anything she cannot do! 

At some point in the future, I may provide some more information about some of the services I mentioned here. Until then, however, if I've been able to figure them out, you probably will too!

I hope you find this list helpful - and I can't wait for you to see the rest of the changes we are working on for my blog ! I am pretty excited about them!

Have you ever used ReciPage or InLinkz? 

I'd love to know the pros and cons!

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!

In the spirit of full disclosure, this post may contain an affiliate link. If you make a purchase after clicking on one of them, the price you pay will not be affected but I may receive some small compensation. All opinions expressed, however, are entirely honest and my own.

Week 14: My Week of Fabulous Finds (Good Deeds)

When we listen to the news, so much of it seems to focus on bad things that have happened. Too often, we hear of crimes committed, injustices and wrong-doings, hurtful actions, or disrespectful attitudes. Yet, that is not an accurate picture of our world. 

I truly believe that most people want to help others and do good things.

Gratitude.

Some bloggers write an occasional "gratitude post" in which they list the things in their life for which they are grateful. I enjoy reading these types of posts, because they invariably help remind me of the things in my life that I am grateful for as well. 

Good Deeds.

This is not exactly a gratitude post - but more of a good deeds post. I hope it will serve a similar purpose though, and cause you to think about the good deeds that are happening around you - and what efforts you might be able to make to support them. I used to think good deeds should be done anonymously. Lately, however, I have realized that good deeds tend to be contagious, so it is perhaps okay to let others know of what you've done!

September is an active month for some of the charities that my husband and I support. Last week we donated to a number of different causes - and marveled at the dedicated efforts some of our friends and family on behalf of the organizations we were funding. 

My List of Fabulous Finds is focusing this week on some examples of these good deeds.

Here are this week's links:

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~ ~ Walk to End Alzheimer's Disease.

You may have noticed this purple badge in the sidebar of my blog. I place it there to support

Week 13: My Week of Fabulous Finds

On this day, September 11th, people all over the world take a moment to pause and reflect.  It is a day marked by bravery, loss, tragedy, and hope. It is a time in our history that we all wish we could erase, but one that we should never forget. 

I invite you to take a moment to remember, before you read this post.

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Welcome - or welcome back - to My Week of Fabulous Finds! 

“Same - but different” 

• It wasn't until after I compiled this list that I realized that two of the links refer to two types of (B)bears! 
• I mention Whiplash - but not the kind that makes your neck sore. 
• Fog is the most natural reason for hazy skies - but  two very different causes of reduced visibility and particle-filled skies occurred this summer.
• I'm so impressed: Lauren Singer taught herself to live a “zero waste” life, I've struggled just trying to use up all the zucchini I grew myself! 

I hope you enjoy this week's links!

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~ ~ I was introduced to Bear Grylls 

No, I did not meet him in person, but when my son was in middle school he could impersonate him with precision. This “Bear Gryll” persona would appear during our hikes and entertain us with his accent, while educating us about every rock, plant, and potential predator lurking around each corner. We would be in stitches, laughing so hard we had to beg my son to stop so we could breath.

President Obama recently spent some time filming with the real Bear Grylls. While I have no doubt he enjoyed the experience, I bet the President would have had just as much fun listening to my son's impersonations on one of our hikes!

• President Obama Visited Alaska, and meets “Bear”

I couldn't find a photo from those hikes, but here is one of my son from about that same time period. Bear Grylls fed the president salmon left over from a bear; my son's method of catching fish was with a rod!

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~ ~ When you come across a bear, there's no time to research what to do! 

None of us every really knows how we would respond if we encountered a bear while hiking,