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Sugar & Spice: My Favorite Fall Flavors
Summer is ending and cozy fall feels and comfort food are here. Here are some of my favorite fall flavors. I hope that you get to try some!
Best Cinnamon Toast Ever – Southern Bite
What I love about this is that it is so simple, yet so good. And you can use gluten-free bread! Southern Bite’s Cinnamon Toast.
Coffee Mate Natural Bliss Pumpkin Spice Coffee Creamer
When I saw there was only one left on the shelf at Target, I had to try it! My boys still laugh at me for this idea, but hey, I have found some great products this way! You will never need Starbucks for your pumpkin spice latte fix again after trying this. So good.
Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal – The Pioneer Woman
Yum. This woman knows how to cook and this is a fall favorite. Check it out! Pioneer Woman’s Pumpkin Oatmeal.
Maple Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potatoes – Together as Family
Ask my co-workers how much I love sweet potatoes. I used to bring one for lunch at least every week. This recipe is the perfect combination of fall flavors, and a healthy must try if you enjoy sweet potatoes like I do! Maple Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes.
Oui Apple Pie Yogurt
I love this apple pie flavored limited edition yogurt. Getting my calcium and delicious fall flavor at the same time!
Sweet & Spicy Pecans – Trader Joe’s
You can buy them ready to eat at the store, or make them yourself using this copy-cat recipe from The Modern Locket: Sweet & Spicy Roasted Pecans.
Fall Quinoa Buddha Bowl With Apple Cider Maple Dressing – Eating by Elaine
Eating healthy food doesn’t mean you have to skimp on flavor, and this delicious recipe proves it: Fall Buddha Bowl.
Trader Joe’s Spiced Chai
Trader Joe’s Spiced Chai will satisfies all those sweet & spicy fall cravings with cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, star anise, nutmeg and more.
I hope you found something new and delicious to try for fall. I would love to hear what your fall favorites are! Thank you for visiting my blog. You may also like Fun & Fabulous Fall Porch Decor and Eight Fall Fun Activities in Monterey County. Wishing you peace, love, happiness & beautiful vistas!
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Sensational Sunflowers: Fun Facts You May Not Know!
Have you ever looked at a field of sunflowers and just smiled? Something about their bright, cheerful colors just makes you happy. In fact, the sunflower is a symbol of positivity. There is so much more to these blooms than just their prettiness, though. Here are some fun facts about sunflowers you may not know.
The scientific name for sunflower is Helianthus. This comes from the Greek word helios (sun) and anthos (flower). They are native to America and there are at least 70 known species. It is said that Native Americans cultivated sunflowers, possibly even before they grew corn. The artist Vincent Van Gogh was so enamored with them he devoted an entire series of paintings to them.
Sunflowers can grow up to 12 feet tall, but require full sun and well-drained soil to reach their optimal height. In 2014, a sunflower in Germany broke the world record at a whopping 30 feet, one inch! They are the state flower of Kansas and the national flower of Ukraine. The center of the sunflower attracts bees, but they are actually self-pollinating.
Sunflowers have a very unique feature called heliotropism which starts as they begin to bud. Almost magically, the sunflowers face the sun at all times, from early in the morning when the sun rises in the east until sunset when it sets in the west. The French call sunflowers tournesols, meaning “turned sun”, to describe this behavior.
Some people, like me, love sunflowers, but for some people they are scary. I was once acquainted with a well-known photographer who was frightened by sunflowers. The scientific name for the fear of sunflowers is helianthophobia.
Sunflowers are also a perfect example of the Fibonacci sequence. This process involves a special number called the divine proportion, or golden ratio, for its widespread presence in nature. It’s amazing to think of all the symmetry and order that occurs in our world as the result of this! To understand the Fibonacci sequence, check out the video, “Nature by Numbers”, by Cristobal Vila.
Sunflowers growing on my farm. Thank you for visiting my blog. You may also enjoy Flowers & Other Stories: Spring Gardens I Love and What the Color of Your Flowers Says About You. Wishing you peace, love, happiness and beautiful vistas!
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The Very Best 2021 Halloween Pet Costumes
With Halloween approaching, many of us with pets are wondering what costumes to get or make them. Here are some of the very best costumes for pets this year. From guinea pigs to dogs, there are so many super cute choices. I hope you find some inspiration for your pet!
Source: @littleprinceofcrownheights This jailbird costume is super cute for any naughty sock (or shoe) thief. Perhaps he will be pardoned by the puppy priest below. Made by California Costume Collections, the Holy Hound is available on Amazon.
This cute butterfly costume by Animal Planet is available at Walmart and other stores.
Source: @longboy_lincoln Cruella de Vil never looked cuter!
Your cat will go batty for these wings by MadeByCleo on Etsy.
Do. Or do not. It’s hard trying not to love this Jedi costume, available at Target.
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Witch, I mean which chicken wouldn’t love this hat and tutu? Available on Etsy in StudioCluck’s shop. Or how about Day of the Dead costumes for your feathered friends, like those below?
Source: @pagepardo 
Your cat will feel like royalty wearing this cape and crown, by ISewDreams on Etsy.
Your rascally rabbit can be a detective or one of the Queen’s guards in these outfits by Binkying Cottons on Etsy.
Source: @minuit_bunny.love Baby shark doo doo doo doo doo doo. Hey wait, that’s a bunny!
Ketchup anyone? Made by Thrills & Chills, both this costume and the biker one below are available at Petsmart.
Source: @wafflethetabby Did somebody say McDonald’s? I’m lovin’ it.
This Despicable Me costume is sure to please the Minions.
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Your puppy will love this costume a latte! Available at Party City.
Thank you for visiting my blog! You may also like Fifteen Fabulous Pumpkin Designs For Halloween and Eight Fall Fun Activities in Monterey County. Wishing you peace, love, happiness, & beautiful vistas!
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Cute Fall Captions You Will Absolutely Love
Fall offers so many opportunities for taking great photos that you simply have to share. From silly puns to sweet quotes, here are my favorite fall captions. If you are looking for some good Instagrammable captions to go with your fall photos, check these out!
Sweater weather is better together.
Source: @southernlivingmag Keep calm and enjoy fall.
Caption variations: Hello gourdgeous. Feeling gourdgeous!
Channel the flannel.
Don’t even chai to say you like fall more than me.
A falling leaf is nothing more than summer’s wave goodbye.
The pick of the pumpkin patch.
Autumn skies and pumpkin pies.
FALLing in love.
Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.
My favorite color is October.
Pumpkin kisses and harvest wishes.
Thank you for visiting my blog. I hope you found some fall captions you can use! You may also like Cutest & Spookiest Fall Kids Playhouses Ever! and Eight Fall Fun Activities in Monterey County, Wishing you peace, love, happiness, & beautiful vistas!
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Simple Tips For Making Homemade Soy Candles
Natural handmade candles are beautiful but also can be quite expensive. I decided to make my own. This was my first experience making candles, so I am going to share things I did wrong, or learned, to help you if you want to make candles. Why did I want to make candles? I just love the ambiance candlelight offers and I also wanted to create my own scents using essential oils. Using soy also made me feel more comfortable since it is organic and more eco-friendly than other materials. Also, with unexpected power outages here in California, candles come in quite handy.
This is what I used. I ordered both on Amazon. The canning jars are leftovers from when I canned plums. Other items you will need include a large pan filled halfway with water, a smaller container such as a large measuring cup that will fit inside the larger pan, and a candy or candle thermometer.
It was great that they included very clear directions with pictures (even though I did not use any dye). If you choose to use dye, be aware that normal food coloring will not work–you have to use oil-based dyes. Once the wax is melted, you can add your scent or essential oil.
I used floral essential oil scents for my candles including jasmine, rose, freesia, gardenia and lilac.
Helpful Tips I Learned:
- The wax flakes will cook down, down, down and often you only have 1/2 to 2/3 of what you originally measured so plan on adding a bit more than you need at the beginning to avoid this.
- When you add a bit of wax on the bottom of your wick and stick it to the bottom of the jar, wait at least 15-20 minutes for it to dry before pouring your melted wax in. I didn’t wait long enough for my first two candles and the wicks moved away from the center. I had a heck of a time getting them in the center again.
- Know how tall your mason jars will be before you order your wicks. When I ordered my wicks several months ago, I had planned on using short canning jars but then ended up using the tall ones. I only had 6 inch wicks so I tied yarn to the top of the wick and draped it over each side to hold the wick in place.
- Make sure to not add too much essential oil because it can be flammable, I added about 15 drops to each quart jar.
- Use something old or that you can throw away to stir your wax, like an old spoon. I used a wooden spoon but then found that a wooden chopstick left over from Chinese takeout worked just fine.
- The last part of the melting seems like it lasts forever! There are several little chunks that you think will never melt, but hang in there.
- It takes approximately 12 hours for the candles to solidify.
Next on my candle making list: using pressed flowers like this beautiful candle from terrain.com The next time I make candles I am going to try using pressed flowers on the sides to add a bit of prettiness. I love the look of these. Or maybe I will create some cute paper labels to put on the outside. Or add some twine and cinnamon sticks and give some as Christmas gifts.
Thank you for visiting my blog! You may also enjoy Don’t Sweat That Unfinished Baby Book and Get Super Healthy Hair With Herbal Vinegar! Wishing you peace, love, happiness & beautiful vistas.
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The Prettiest Hidden Homes of Carmel
Houses, like people, have different personalities. Some are bright and bubbly and just exude charisma. They stand out and seem to get all the attention. Others are quiet, shy, and like to stay out of the limelight. Sometimes they like to remain hidden for privacy, and other times they have been been ignored or simply overlooked. Join me as I explore the prettiest hidden homes of Carmel.
Kuster Castle
The Kuster house, sometimes called Kuster Castle, sits high on a hill on Ocean View Avenue. It is somewhat hidden behind greenery and a fence made of tree branches. It was built in 1920 by Edward Kuster, an attorney, who moved to Carmel and eventually built the Golden Bough Playhouse. Kuster’s move was considered scandalous at the time because he was the ex-husband of Una Jeffers, now wife of famous poet Robinson Jeffers. So what did Mr. Kuster do, but build his house next to the Jeffer’s Tor House! Apparently, both couples got along extremely well. Una even did her laundry at the Kuster’s because Tor House had no electricity.
Hob Nob Cottage
Hob Nob Cottage is easy to overlook. Because the gate is rather dark and the house below the road, it remains somewhat hidden from view.
Built in 1924, this Tudor Revival home was originally known as the Garfield D. Mermer house. The origin of its current name is interesting. Hob and nob first came together in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, when Sir Toby Belch warns Viola (who is disguised as a man) that Sir Andrew wants to duel. “Hob, nob is his word,” says Sir Toby, using hob and nob to mean something like “hit or miss”. Since that time, hob and nob became a phrase meaning friends drinking hobnob to each other, and from there it became associated with congenial social gatherings.
Birthday Cottage
It took some clever camera finagling to get a proper glimpse of the Birthday Cottage. This one really tugs at your storybook heartstrings with its steep storybook gables and half timbered walls. Unfortunately, most of the house is simply out of sight, hidden behind trees, shrubs, and foliage. I have not discovered the story behind the home’s name, but maybe it was a present for some lucky soul back in 1929 when it was built. Located at the corner of Santa Fe Street and Sixth Avenue, it was part of a complex of five homes commissioned by W. O. Swain and built by Hugh Comstock.
Fables
Almost completely buried in a tapestry of vines and ivy, Fables is another hidden cottage. Fables is sandwiched between the Birthday House and the Doll’s House. Featuring a steeply pitched roof and Carmel stone chimney, Fables was built by Hugh Comstock in 1928.
The Doll’s House
Nobody ever seems to come play in this Doll’s House. Located next door to Fables on the corner of Santa Rita and Ocean Avenue, it appears to be empty. It too remains largely hidden from view by trees and shrubbery. This home was also built by Comstock in 1928.
Märchen Haus
Märchen Haus is German for Fairytale House. Located at the corner of Dolores and 11th Street, it is several blocks away from many of the other other Comstock homes. It is also somewhat disguised by all the trees and shrubbery surrounding it. This house is clearly very loved and was getting a fresh coat of paint this past spring. The hand cut shingle roof and curved front door remind me of something from Goldilocks and the Three Bears. This home was also built by Comstock in 1928, which was clearly a busy year for him.
Seaward
At the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean, “Seaward” lies just south of Carmel-by-the-Sea in the Carmel Highlands. If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of it, hidden behind a high stone wall and a forest of cypress trees. Designed by Charles Sumner Greene and built in the 1920s for D. L. James, it seems to naturally grow straight out of the cliff. If you look closely, you will see all the tiny stones making up the beautiful architecture. I can’t fathom how many people or hours it took to build this iconic home.
I hope you enjoyed taking a peek at the prettiest hidden homes of Carmel. You may also like 12 Storybook Cottages to Enchant You! and Cottage Love in Carmel-by-the-Sea. Thank you for visiting my blog! Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and beautiful vistas.
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Don’t Sweat That Unfinished Baby Book
Recently, on one of my thrift shop adventures. I noticed a vintage pink satin baby book resting in a bin of books. I picked it up, admiring the beautiful hand-painted daisies on the cover. It was less than $1.oo. Why not, I thought, tossing it in my cart. When I arrived home, I began to flip through the pages, mesmerized by the pretty illustrations. The parents of this baby had filled in many things, including her name, date of birth, weight, first visitors, and even pinned a lock of her hair on one page. Many of the pages, however, were blank.
I had baby books for all three of my boys. Like many parents, I expected to meticulously record every detail of anything remotely important. I would be able to look back someday and note every minute detail in my babies’ lives. But like most parents, that just doesn’t happen. You are too busy changing diapers, doing laundry, cleaning up food splattered high chairs and spending actual time bonding with your baby.
My three boys’ baby books. According to Jessica Feeder in Today’s Parent, although she and her husband had been determined to carefully document every detail of their baby’s growth, they eventually resorted to snapping iPhone pictures instead and the baby book became lost. She states, “I later found it beneath a pile of old, forgotten underwear, when my daughter was more than a year old.” While she had taped in a lock of her daughter’s hair and her hospital bracelet, “absent was any mention of first foods, first tooth or her first giggle”.
A page in my youngest son Peter’s baby book. Nowadays, in the age of the digital universe, I imagine these old-fashioned baby books will soon become obsolete. Baby milestones will only be captured on phones and laptops, or shared on social media. And while that’s convenient, somehow, I think many of us who did keep these baby books will treasure them even more. Even if we didn’t ever fill out every single milestone.
Thank you for visiting my blog. You may also like How to Save Money with a Clothesline and Nine Best Fresh Herbs To Use In Your Kitchen. Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and beautiful vistas!
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The Stunning Storybook Homes of Willow Glen
Willow Glen
Willow Glen is often called San Jose’s local treasure. Not only does it have a historic downtown full of fabulous shops and restaurants, but also the most enchanting storybook homes. I had already checked out San Jose’s storybook homes near the Municipal Rose Garden. I was so excited to discover more in Willow Glen.
Storybook Homes
What is a storybook home? Storybook architecture was created in the Los Angeles area during the 1920s. Storybook homes often have deeply sloped or thatched roofs. They may also have turrets and dovecotes, arched doors and windows, and eyebrow dormers. They are often made of stucco, brick and half-timbering.
Often featuring crooked walls, rustic chimneys, and sometimes cartoonish features, storybook homes soon became the rage across the country.
While most of the homes near the Municipal Rose Garden are from the same period, I found that in Willow Glen, the storybook homes are interspersed with both older and newer homes.
I just love the quaint chimney and the asymmetrical gable on the entryway of this home!
I never tire of seeing the lovely gardens and especially the roses in the San Jose area!
Fun facts about Willow Glen
- During the 1800s there was a marshy area between the Guadalupe River and Los Gatos Creek. Filled with willows and cattails, it inspired the name Willow Glen.
- Before becoming a town, Willow Glen was one of the most prized and valuable farming areas in the Sant Clara Valley.
- Willow Glen Road was renamed Lincoln Avenue in 1865, shortly after President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated.
- The area became incorporated as a city in 1927 to avoid the rerouting of the Southern Pacific Railroad down Lincoln Avenue. (Caltrain uses the track rerouted to a different area today.)
- Willow Glen residents voted to be annexed to San Jose in 1936 primarily to join the bigger city’s stage system and avoid having to build their own.
- During the Christmas season, many locals display small, multi-colored light Christmas trees in their front yards, a tradition that started in 1950.
- Today, Willow Glen is one of the most expensive places to live in Silicon Valley. According to trulia.com, the typical home value here is over one million dollars.
For more information, see Willow Glen. Thank you for visiting my blog! You may also enjoy Cottage Love in Carmel-by-the-Sea and 12 Storybook Cottages to Enchant You! Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and beautiful vistas!
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How to Attract Hummingbirds To Your Home
If there were a bird olympics, hummingbirds would capture every gold medal. Hummingbirds are little miracles. They are superheroes in tiny bodies. They can flap their wings 80 times per second and can fly in all directions, including backwards and upside down. They can fly up to 30 miles per hour and up to 60 miles per hour in a dive. They are also smart, sweet, and sociable. I just love them.
Here on the farm, I wake up every morning not only to the crowing of my rooster, but also the whirring wings and cheery chatter of dozens of hummingbirds. I never tire of watching them at the feeders I have hanging outside my home. It is very easy to attract hummingbirds. Here are a few great tips that will entice these tiny wonders to your home.
Hang Hummingbird Feeders
Nectar is the primary food for hummingbirds and they need it almost continuously throughout the day. Nectar supplies fast energy to the hummingbird’s diet. The feeder should be where you can watch it, but also close to trees or shrubs where they can perch inbetween feeding. It should be in a shaded area to keep the nectar fresh longer. I have also found that my hummingbirds seem to be partial to one of the feeders I have that also has a perch around it so they can sit while they are consuming their nectar.
Use Easy Homemade Nectar in Your Feeder
Make your own easy organic nectar. Do not buy the stuff from the store with food coloring in it! While hummingbirds are attracted to the color red, the consequences of consuming red dye may pose potential health risks and is completely unnecessary.
Simple Nectar Recipe: Use 4 cups water and 1 cup sugar. Mix the two ingredients well and heat on stove until mixture comes to a boil. Boil 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool before filling feeders. Never add anything but these two ingredients (and that includes artificial sweeteners and honey).
Keep Feeders Squeaky Clean
Clean your feeders well and regularly. Your nectar should last at least a week in the shade, but in cooler areas may last a bit longer. If it has been two weeks, whether they are empty or not, take them down and wash the shenanigans out of them. In particular, the little flowers over the feeding holes need to be cleaned carefully as they can build up toxic mold. I use bleach to clean mine and use chopsticks to clean the flowers. I then do a double and triple rinse to ensure all the bleach is removed. If you don’t feel comfortable using bleach because you don’t want to do all that rinsing, you can use 1 part vinegar and 4 parts water to clean your feeders. The primary goal is to kill all the toxic mold and bacteria.
Use More Than One Feeder For Best Results
To attract the most hummingbirds, try to have more than just one feeder, and place them at a distance. This will help prevent hummingbirds from fighting over food.
Plant Flowers That Attract Hummingbirds
Plant things around your home that hummingbirds love. Before I moved to my farm, I lived in a very small apartment. There were tons of bottlebrush trees behind it which were always filled with hummingbirds. Here at the farm, they love my hanging fuschia, petunias, plumbago flowers, zinnias, and also many of my succulent flowers. Other plants that attract hummingbirds are bee balm, honeysuckle, trumpet vine, cardinal flower, sage, rhododendron, columbine, butterfly bush, lupine, bleeding hearts, and any native red or orange tubular flowers.
Avoid Pesticides
Never use pesticides. Besides nectar from flowers, hummingbirds also eat spiders and other small insects.
Make Water Available
Hummingbirds are super clean and like to bathe frequently. Make water available via either a fountain or misting device. Hummingbirds also love sprinklers. Every time I turn mine on in the evening, I am guaranteed one or more of my little friends will come to play in the water.
Helpful Tips:
- Sugar/water nectar can be stored in the frig for up to 3 weeks.
- Use only feeders that are easy to clean. If you can’t reach inside or use a tool to get in and clean every nook and cranny, it is no bueno.
- Place feeders in areas where animals such as cats will be unable to reach them.
For more information on hummingbirds, see Audubon. You may also enjoy Add Charm to your Garden with Beautiful Birdhouses! and The Bluebird of Happiness. Thank you for visiting my blog. Wishing you peace, love, happiness, & beautiful vistas.
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How to Save Money with a Clothesline
Years ago, using a clothesline, drying rack or even bushes to dry clothing was the only method available. Today we have become used to drying our clothes in dryers. It’s easy and convenient. But it also uses unnecessary energy and costs more than you may think. Using a dryer can cost you over a hundred dollars per year, depending on how much laundry you do. You can find out exactly how much it costs to run your electric dryer by multiplying your dryer’s wattage by the length of run time in hours and dividing by 1000. Multiply this number by your cost per kilowatt on your electric bill. Then multiply the number of monthly loads you do to determine your monthly cost for using your dryer. Gas dryers cost on average 11 cents per hour plus 12 cents per hour for electricity to power the drum. Here are some great options for skipping the dryer and saving money.
Source: Pinterest Old Fashioned Clothesline
I have been hanging clothes on the clothesline since my three boys were little shavers. Back then, we lived in an old Victorian home that had a huge clothesline I just loved. It was approximately twenty feet long with four lines which were always completely filled when I did laundry!
Available at amazon.com, this collapsible rack can also be used to dry herbs. Drying Racks
Even if you live in a tiny apartment, like I once did, you can use a drying rack like this one from Amazon. You can even use your shower curtain rod to hang clothes to dry!
Elgan Clothes Airer available at pulleymaid.com. Overhead Clothing Airer
Another option for drying laundry naturally is the overhead clothing airer. These originated in Europe back in the 1700s. They were built using a pulley system that lowers for your laundry items, then raises back up towards the ceiling where the home’s warmest air helps the drying process. They have recently become quite popular again. For a tutorial on building your own, see the Grit and Polish.
Rotary clothesline available at wayfair.com Clothesline Benefits
Benefits of hanging clothes vs. using a dryer are that they smell cleaner and fresher from being outdoors in the sunshine. You save on wear and tear from them being tumbled around and beat up in the dryer. You also avoid the “pilling” that occurs on items put in the dryer. Also, many clothing items such as blouses and sweaters are line dry only, and will inevitably shrink if you put them in the dryer. Reducing our drain on the planet’s energy is also beneficial. What I like most about hanging clothes on the clothesline is that it is relaxing. You have time to engage in a simple, repetitive activity that can actually be quite calming. I also like that you can sort the laundry as you hang it, pairing socks, etc. so there is no maddening struggle to match things up later. As an occupational therapist, I have used hanging laundry on a clothesline as a therapeutic activity in skilled nursing facilities. It is a great activity to work on fine and gross motor skills, eye hand coordination, and balance.
Helpful Tips
- To avoid wrinkles, always shake out wrinkle prone items a few times before hanging them on the clothesline. (Thanks to my Aunt Barb who taught me this many years ago!)
- When removing dry clothes from an outdoor clothesline, always give them a good shake before folding them. Years ago, I had folded a pair of my son’s jeans and was putting them in his drawer when I heard a buzzing sound. Lo and behold, I discovered a bumble bee inside his pants, which could have led to a most painful and unpleasant experience. Thankfully, this is a pretty uncommon occurrence, but one best to avoid.
- You don’t have to get fancy. You can purchase cheap, simple clotheslines at any hardware store. At my current home, the clothesline is strung between the posts on my back porch, and I have clothes drying racks as well.
Thank you for visiting my blog! You may also enjoy The Very Best Soothing Summer Herbal Teas and The Most Beautiful Instagrammable Spots in Monterey! Wishing you peace, love, happiness, and beautiful vistas.