A Girl Named PJ

A quick guide to maple sugaring

March 16, 2015

My mom reads the paper from cover to cover every day, regularly scanning for health-related breakthroughs and kid-friendly activities. When she finds an article or calendar listing that seems interesting, she’ll tear it out of the newspaper and leave it on the kitchen table for us to browse.

That’s how we ended up at the Maple Sugar Festival in Chatham last Saturday. Originally, my mom stumbled upon a listing in February for maple sugaring demonstrations at the Great Swamp Outdoor Education Center, but a bit of online research revealed an entire afternoon’s worth of activities in March. Since Chatham is almost 45 minutes away, we decided to wait for the festival.

Attending an event all about collecting sap from trees and turning it into maple syrup falls under the category of “Things I’d Never Do If I Didn’t Have Kids.” However, since one of the Dr. Seuss stories we’ve been reading (over and over again) is about making maple syrup, we thought Levi would get a kick out of seeing the process in person.

And — hooray! — he did.

In fact, as we exited the festival, Levi turned to me and said, “Mommy, I had so much fun today!” Apparently (and thankfully), he had quickly forgotten his reluctance to make a maple leaf craft, his bashfulness during the tree tapping demo, and his near-breakdown when it was time to toss his mostly-eaten maple snow cone.

His favorite part, I think, besides sharing a maple sugar donut, was walking though the muddy trail (it rained the whole time we were there) and peeking inside the sap-collecting buckets hanging from maple trees. They were all empty, but that didn’t dampen his enthusiasm.

Plus, he was thrilled to have a reason to wear his red firefighter rain boots.

The Maple Sugar Festival was more interesting than I had anticipated, and I actually learned a few things about maple syrup. Curious?

Here are a few fun facts about maple sugaring:

First of all, did you have any idea that New Jersey produces maple syrup? I didn’t — and I grew up here!
Maple sugaring season takes place between February and March but only lasts about 4-6 weeks.
For sap to flow, temperatures need to be below freezing at night and in the 40-50s during the day.
Maple sap that comes out of the tree is clear and not very sweet. It’s actually mostly water and needs to be boiled at 219 degrees for the water to evaporate.
It takes 40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of maple syrup.
The difference between Fancy, Grade A and Grade B maple syrup is not the quality but the color (and therefore the taste). Fancy, the lightest in color, has the most mild flavor, while Grade B, the darkest, has the strongest flavor.

PS: Another favorite kid-friendly activity that we do every year.

Make this weekend: Chocolate caramel s’mores bars

March 13, 2015

One of Jordan’s college friends came to visit last week, and we took him out to dinner at one of the best Indian restaurants in town. In between bites of the spiciest baingan bharta I’ve ever tasted, our conversation jumped between topics that included vaccinations, education in America, and, for some reason, Rice Krispie treats.

Random, right?

Talking about the kid-friendly marshmallowy cereal bars reminded me of some incredible Golden Grahams s’mores bars we devoured in Buffalo when we visited friends last fall. They quickly became all I could think about, and soon I realized I had no choice but to whip up a pan of them myself.

The s’mores bars from Buffalo were filled with chunks of dark chocolate, but I wanted to try the new DelightFulls filled baking morsels from Nestle Toll House. Specifically, the milk chocolate morsels with caramel filling.

You guys, I may have found my new go-to homemade snack.

They were so easy to make, but here’s one piece of advice: If you ask your husband to start melting the butter for you, it’s best to specify the amount of butter (5 tablespoons) instead of assuming he read the recipe over your shoulder. Otherwise, you’ll end up fishing out a partially melted full stick of butter from a hot pot.

Chocolate Caramel S’mores Bars

adapted from Nestle

Ingredients

5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 bag (10.5 oz) miniature marshmallows
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 bag (9 oz) Nestle Toll House DelightFulls Filled Baking Morsels (milk chocolate morsels with caramel filling)
1 box (12 oz) Golden Grahams cereal

Instructions

Grease 13 x 9-in pan with butter or cooking spray. Pour Golden Grahams into large bowl. Reserve 1 cup of marshmallows.
Melt butter, corn syrup, and the rest of the marshmallows in a large saucepan over low heat. Stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla.
Pour marshmallow mixture over Golden Grahams and stir until coated. Stir in Caramel Filled DelightFulls and remaining 1 cup of marshmallows.
Press mixture into greased pan. Cool for one hour or until firm. Cut into bars.

Thanks to Nestle Toll House for sponsoring today’s post and inspiring me to try the new DelightFulls Filled Baking Morsels! And thank you for being supportive of the brands that allow me to create fun content for this blog.

4 ways to relieve stress

March 11, 2015

One of the first things I remember learning in Psychology 101 is that there are two different types of stress: distress and eustress.

Distress, or negative stress, is categorized by mental or physical suffering and caused by situations that have a negative effect on us like divorce, illness, or money problems. Thoughts and behaviors like worrying, over-scheduling, and fear can also lead to distress.

Eustress, on the other hand, is defined as “stress that is deemed healthful or giving one the feeling of fulfillment.” It’s essentially good stress that promotes positive emotions and wellbeing. Having a baby, getting a promotion, planning a vacation, or even a challenging physical workout are all examples of situations that cause eustress.

Obviously, the goal is to minimize distress and increase eustress. But that can be really hard, especially when you’re in the throes of multiple major life events — say, moving your family half-way across the country, away from your friends, while your husband looks for a job.

It’s no wonder that Jordan and I frequently feel overwhelmed and agitated. Our primary method of relieving stress is to zone out in front of the TV at night. With all the television we watch, you’d think we’d be totally relaxed — except it turns out that watching TV to relieve stress sometimes just makes things worse.

So I’ve been thinking about other types of relaxation techniques and ways to relieve stress. Here are a few I plan to try:

Meditation

Joy talks about the success she’s had with self-hypnosis over on her blog, Frock Files. Hypnosis sounds very similar to meditation, which I’ve been meaning to learn how to do for some time now. I’ve download the Calm app but haven’t tried the free guided meditation program yet. The app offers nature sounds and sometimes I’ll listen to rain falling on leaves as I lay in bed, though it usually puts me to sleep. I wonder, does that defeat the purpose?

Homeopathic Remedies

I recently learned about RESCUE, a line of homeopathic stress relief products designed to help restore your inner calm and regain control during stressful situations. The RESCUE Remedy is a formulation of five flower essences developed by a doctor more than 80 years ago. I’m actually sucking on a black currant-flavored RESCUE pastille as I type (it tastes good!), and I’m not feeling as jittery as I normally do when trying to meet a deadline.

I’m curious to try RESCUE Sleep Liquid Melts, as I frequently feel the most stressed as I’m trying to fall asleep. Thinking about my to-do list and all the things I still need to accomplish can keep me awake for an hour after I’ve climbed in bed.

Walking

Spending time outdoors was nearly impossible this cold, snowy winter, but now that we’re finally seeing signs of spring, I’m eager to start taking walks around the neighborhood. (I’m sure the dog would love to join me!) Walking, a type of rhythmic exercise, can be a mindfulness relaxation technique when you focus on your movement and your breath.

Plus, fresh air and a little Vitamin D is always helpful.

Unplugging

I spend a lot of time online, both on my computer and my iPhone. When I’m not writing, I’m (obsessively) checking social media and, inevitably, falling down the Internet rabbit hole. Unfortunately, social media networks — and Facebook, in particular — have been proven to increase our anxiety.

While I can’t (and don’t really want to) cut out Twitter, Instagram, and blogs completely, I’d like to routinely unplug from technology and use that time for a little self-care. Perhaps walking the dog while listening to a guided meditation podcast and chewing a RESCUE pastille?

I’d love to know how you manage the stress in your life, whether you’re dealing with distress or eustress. Let’s talk about stress relief and relaxation techniques in the comments below!

PS – How to take a 60-second relaxation break. And the two things that helped me break my chronic nail biting habit (though I sometimes bite them when I’m stressed).

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

DIY envelope iPad case

March 10, 2015

Since moving back to New Jersey, I’ve had the opportunity to attend a couple of press events with some of my favorite brands. I visited the Nod Family Home in the fall, and earlier this year, I went to a Minted Makers gathering to check out Minted’s new fabric.

Interestingly, both events had a DIY component: I stenciled with Lotta Jansdotter and The Land of Nod and made DIY envelope iPad covers (and laptop covers) out of Minted fabric with Jenni Radosevich of I Spy DIY. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to feeling intimidated by the crafting component at each event. I joked with the other attendees about my so-called DIY black thumb, which I realize was my attempt to lower everyone’s expectation of the quality of my work — including my own.

At The Land of Nod event, I sat across from Tina Roth Eisenberg of Swissmiss, who started drawing and cutting her own Batman stencil while Lotta was still explaining the process. As the rest of the table got to work stenciling, I sat dumbfounded, unsure what to print on my little fabric bags.

After what felt like forever, I decided to make Levi a bag to hold some of his tools. I searched Google Images for pictures of a hammer and a screwdriver and tried my best tracing the graphics onto the stencil paper. Then I used an X-ACTO knife (for the first time ever?) to cut them out.

Were my lines straight? Nope. Did they have some jagged edges? You bet. But I cut those suckers out.

As I got to work stenciling my hammer and screwdriver onto the fabric bag, a funny feeling came over me. I felt proud of my work. It wasn’t perfect, but it was mine.

And then other people began noticing my work…and complimenting me on it. Even Michelle from Nod gave me her approval! (Naturally, I joked that Nod could license my pattern for a line of products. The offer’s still on the table, Michelle!)

That validation from my peers gave me the confidence to attempt cutting another stencil, although I ended up needed a bit of help from Lotta on that one. Making circles with an X-ACTO is no joke!

I had a similar experience making my DIY envelope iPad case at the Minted Makers event. I joked with the other participants (most of them Minted community designers!) about my lack of crafting abilities, secretly worrying that I’d somehow mess up Jenni’s pattern.

I can’t cut in a straight line. Haha!

My edges don’t line up. Haha!

I should have done this step before that one. Haha!

But you know what? At the end of the night, my iPad case looked just as good as the lot of them. Did some of them have straighter edges and more thoughtful details like a full interior lining? Sure. But mine turned out just fine.

And I had fun. So much fun that I even brought home extra fabric and supplies to make another DIY envelope case — or rather, to remake my iPad case with a few less errors.

What can I say? I’m a perfectionist.

Does this mean I’m going to start posting DIY projects on the blog? Probably not. I’ll leave those to the professionals like my friends Sarah Hearts, Oleander and Palm, The Crafted Life, and Pars Caeli.

However, now I can’t tell people that I don’t have a crafty bone in my body. I’m actually quite creative (at least my husband and mom say I am), and while I may not initiate a DIY project on my own, I’m certainly able to follow instructions. I don’t give myself enough credit at times, and I wonder if you can relate.

If you want to try your hand at crafting, you should give I Spy DIY’s envelope laptop case a shot. I made mine slightly smaller to fit an iPad instead of a computer. Then full instructions and template are on her blog (and a video tutorial is here), but you’ll need:

Fabric
Felt
Ribbon
Crafting slide buckle
Fabric glue
Marker
Scissors
Ruler
Paint brush

How do you feel about DIY projects? Do you enjoy working on them or would you rather buy what you need instead of making it? And what are some of your favorite DIY blogs?

(photos from the Minted Makers event)

St. Patrick’s Day activity: A leprechaun gingerbread house

March 6, 2015

Back in December, my mom bought Levi a Chanukah-themed gingerbread house that he built and decorated with our help, meticulously gluing colorful candy balls to cookie walls with sticky sweet icing. Levi was so proud of his handiwork that he cried when we broke the house apart to taste it.

So when my mom spotted another gingerbread house on sale after the holidays, she picked it up for a rainy day activity. Or, as it turned out, a snow day activity.

Earlier this week, I ran to the supermarket for gingerbread house decorations. With St. Patrick’s Day on the horizon, I thought it’d be fun to make leprechaun house using an assortment of green and rainbow candy and gold foil chocolate coins.

I also thought we could use the occasion to talk to Levi about St. Patrick’s Day traditions like shamrocks and leprechauns. (“Leprechauns do magic? Like brushing your teeth for you?”)

To Levi’s disappointment (and Jordan’s relief), this particular house came pre-built. We let him spend about 30 minutes after school on two days decorating his house while finishing up his leftover milk from lunch (and sneaking bites of mint M&Ms). By the way, the new Munchkin Miracle cup that he takes to school is truly amazing. It doesn’t leak in his lunchbox or spill when he holds it upside down, plus now we don’t have to spend money on milk boxes.

The boys finished up the gingerbread house yesterday morning after we learned that Levi’s school was canceled for the 78th time this winter because of snow. We’d been storing the candy in our Love-a-Bowls (they have lids! genius!) so everything was still fresh. I’m not sure it really mattered, though, because I doubt Levi will let us chow down on this house. Not after his meltdown last time!

I’m actually surprised by how festive his little leprechaun house turned out. If you’re looking for a St. Patrick’s Day activity to do with your kids, it looks like Amazon is still selling a few gingerbread houses. Of course, you can always make gingerbread from scratch if you’re feeling ambitious. Has anybody ever baked homemade gingerbread? Is it terribly complicated?

We’ve had such fun building two gingerbread houses this winter that I’ll be stocking up on kits next December to use for future snow days. And can you believe that neither Jordan nor I had ever made one before? It’s true! So if you have any tips on building or decorating gingerbread houses, I’d love to hear them.

PS – It’s officially Shamrock Shake season! Here’s a copycat recipe you can make at home, perfect if you’re snowed in like we are!

This post was sponsored by Munchkin, one of our favorite brands, and all words and opinions are my own. Munchkin rids the world of the mundane by developing clever, innovative solutions that make family life safe, easier, and more fun. You can find their products at Munchkin.com, Target, Babies’R’Us, Walmart, and Amazon. It’s the little things!

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