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Our NEW Spring/Summer products have arrived!



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I just know you'll love the delicious products in our NEW Spring-Summer Catalog - from fabulous freezer drinks like
JUICY WATERMELON™ MARGARITA MIX
to unique dips and grilling goodies such as
SMOKY BACON GRILL SAUCE

And if you'd like to be among the first to try them, I'd love to schedule a taste-testing party for you, your family and friends. By hosting a party, you could earn many of these products FREE!

I can't wait to hear from you!

Laura Thompson
Your Independent Tastefully Simple Consultant - #28048
Lothian, Md 20711
LauraLThompson8@hotmail.com
Shop online anytime at www.tastefullysimple.com/web/lthompson1


P.S. Can't decide which ones to try first? Check out The Essential 4 Collection for the four basics that should be in every pantry.

If dandelions were hard to grow, they would be most welcome on any lawn. ~Andrew Mason


I still can't believe my little guy is now making the transition to preschool! He is truly growing like a weed!



Getting him prepped the night before school, he was very excited about wearing his 1st backpack



The morning of, still pretty excited!


Of course little brother can't wait until it's his turn too!!!



We arrived so early the teachers were just arriving themselves :) At least it gave him time to get his barrings before I left him there!

He did an awesome job, tears at first but after finding a tractor and tow truck to play with he was in little boy heaven! I stayed out in the hall for 5 minutes to make sure all was well and then Carter and I left. I really felt like I was leaving a piece of my soul in the school and was really overwhelmed sitting in the parking lot! But I did get 1-on-1 time with Carter that I haven't been able to get so that was nice for the both of us! It made it all better when we went to pick him up and Gavin had the biggest smile, but I think I was just as glad to see him!

Here's to the fun of learning and making new friends!

Flowers and Fireworks

"When you take a flower in your hand and really look at it, it's your world for the moment."...Georgia O'Keefe, New York Post (1946)




Just recently I came across a St. Patrick's Day container from 2 yrs ago that swore I'd use one day to hold flowers. So just this week I was able to afford some fresh cut flowers to adorn our home. Paying so much for these tiny creations that last but only a week or so... these are the times of winter I really miss my garden!

But as I marveled at their beauty I couldn't help but remember how I always associated flowers and trees as living fireworks.


When ever I saw trees by themselves I always pictured them rising up from the ground and bursting with color, especially in the Autumn months, that's a truly magical time for a tree! Driving down the road with rows of trees in full bloom of dazzling colors, it's just like a fireworks show, but you can enjoy it longer.

Flowers also have that same tendency...



The stem rising up from the earth to then explode with numerous colors and designs, it's always fascinated me so I had to post about it and share in the 'explosions' of the bouquet I have on display.









These golden fireworks are always my favorite at any event, they always remind me of weeping willows!





Hope you enjoyed the show! And may you enjoy your own little fireworks show each time you admire the flowers and trees!

Breakfast O's with chowmama

"As the gardener, such is the garden."...Hebrew proverb


I'm not a stickler by any means when it comes to organic foods and feeding my family, I go by the fact that I was raised fine with the foods local supermarkets provide us, so why conform when something is working for us, and our budget. So if I add a few organic ingredients or 'natural' products to our weekly meals I feel I'm living up to the health craze at least a little bit.

Now here comes breakfast... the sweetest meal of the day. Every breakfast item is sugary, from pancakes and muffins to oatmeal and cereal. Most of the time I try my best to cut the sugar by adding the natural sugar of fruits into every breakfast; like stirring purred fruits (or go the easy route and use natural applesauce) into oatmeal or offer cereal mixed with raisins or dried fruit.

I came across this article and thought that since this new wave of eating organic is everywhere it seems, maybe it'll give a few ideas to those who could use it. But some of the recipes I definitely will be trying out, especially the Pumpkin Walnut Cream Cheese, but minus some of the 'organic' in front of the ingredients :)

chowmama Breakfast: "Here’s the skinny (or not-so-skinny, as it were): Cascadian Farms is owned by General Mills who recently quietly reformulated Purely O’s adding THREE times the sugar, fillers including corn meal and sweeteners including tapioca syrup....

Gavin's 3rd birthday!

If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older- Abraham Sutzkever

Here's the day before when both boys were helping to make the cake. They were good helpers... cleaning the mixer and bowl that is :)




Super cute idea I found in using Oreo cookies and melted chocolate for Valentine's treats! Made some for party favors and extras for neighbors with an 'It cool being your friend' message.



The finished flyboat cake. This was the first time I worked with fondant and it was fairly easy to use. It was the almost hour of kneading it from the color white to red that took alot out my hands though!




But it was worth every bit when Gavin saw it the next morning and thought it was his flyboat toy!

So after playing save the baby animals with stuffed toys, coloring the Wonder Pets, and playing with balloons, the only thing Mommy forgot was some celery to end a great day!

Happy birthday to my big guy!!!

Go Wonder Pets!

Sweet ways to have fun

"Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer, when they complained about the heat." ~Author Unknown

Eat your heart out- Make everything from heart pancakes for breakfast to decorated Rice Krispie treats using heart shaped cookie cutters. No heart shape cutter? Just use M&M's or chocolate chips to outline a heart instead!

Look for love- Play the "I love you to pieces' game. Cut out a big heart from construction paper, tear it to pieces and hide the pieces around the house for kids to find and reassemble with tape when found.

Go cocoa- Nothing brings a touch of sweet to winter like hot cocoa. Putting it in a bowl instead of a cup allows the kiddos to arrange mini marshmallows into designs and also works on hand-eye coordination scooping them with a spoon before they melt. Or take the easy route, smoosh a large marshmellow, press a tiny heart cookie cutter into it and plop them in a cup of cocoa... yummy any way you use them!

Snow much fun!

Plant carrots in January and you'll never have to eat carrots. ~Author Unknown


Bizard of 2010 here in Maryland


Gavin says 'Wow' to all the snow we woke up to on Saturday



The 25" is almost as tall as Carter






Our neighbor was a big help with Mike not being home. The boys loved the snow blower atchment to his tractor- too cool!


They were glued to the window- I'd put money on one of them working with trucks or tractors when they grow up!


Gavin helping to shovel a path


Carter enjoying the taste of the season









Little tracks up the driveway and then 'thud' He sat there a good 10 minutes enjoying the newness of the snow!

"A snowflake is one of God's most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together!" -Anon