The tornadoes were rated at EF5, with winds upwards of 200 MPH. Little remains in these communities and they look more like war zones than tornado damaged areas. The winds were so strong they ripped up grass and cellar doors off storm shelters. The photo above is a picture of the storm as it crossed our house.

With so much devastation, help is needed. Here are just a few ways you can help out during this especially difficult time for Oklahoma.

The American Red Cross

As always, the American Red Cross is on the front line in helping out these devastated communities. However, their resources are limited. Text REDCROSS to 90999 to give $10 to American Red Cross Disaster Relief, donate online, or donate by phone at 1-800-RED CROSS.

The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army is in Oklahoma providing food, water, and essentials to families in need. You can help out their efforts by donating online or texting STORM to 80888 to contribute $10 to the Salvation Army’s relief efforts. You can also make a donation by phone at 1-800-SAL-ARMY. If you’re sending a check make sure you put the words “Oklahoma Tornado Relief” on the check, and mail it to: The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 12600, Oklahoma City, OK. 73157.

Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief

Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief is there to help with cleanup. This is something that sometimes gets overlooked. There are roadways completely blocked, and emergency personnel have difficult times getting to those in need. This is where Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief come in to help. Those interested in helping can make a tax-deductible donation to the BGCO’s Disaster Relief ministry online or call (405) 942-3800. You may also send checks to: BGCO Attn: Disaster Relief 3800 N. May Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73112.

Bountiful Baskets Food Co-op

Bountiful Baskets is a food co-op that services the Moore and Shawnee area. They are sending relief in the form of “no cooking required” foods and clean water. Bountiful Baskets is accepting donations via Paypal. However, you do not have to have a Paypal account to donate. Simply go to Paypal.com, click on “Transfer” and then “Send Someone Money”. The email address to use for donations is: DisasterRelief@BountifulBaskets.org. 100% of monies donated will be used for the procurement of food and water.

These are just a few of the ways you can help out these families in their time of crisis. Please considering helping out my fellow Oklahomans and donating to one of these fantastic organization and their relief efforts.

Turning a men’s shirt into a stylish new look for you is incredibly simple and only takes a few seconds. Watch the video below to see some of the amazing styles using the men’s button up shirt.

Video courtesy of Colour Heels Diary

Men’s Shirt to Dress and Back Again

I tried all the different styles in this video with one of my husband’s old shirts and they were incredibly simple. Once I got the shirt on I realized there were even more ways to style it. The possibilities really were endless. This is not only a great way to repurpose old shirts, but also any shirt with a pattern you like. After you’ve worn it in dress form, simply wash and iron the shirt and it’s back to normal again.

If you don’t have any old shirts lying around, or want something with a different pattern – head to your local thrift store. Shop in the men’s department to find some button up shirts that can easily be converted.

The dress is a mini dress, so if you prefer a longer look, choose an extra long men’s shirt. Alternatively, you can just wear the mini dress as a shirt with pants underneath or leggings. I typically wear a size 6 dress and I used a men’s large button up and it fit perfectly. The tightness of the top will depend on where you button it. Therefore, I could have easily fit in an x-large or medium shirt as well. The larger the shirt, the longer the dress will be.

Try it With a Tee

Don’t have a button up men’s shirt? It can be done with an over sized tee shirt as well. Cut Out and Keep offers a simple two step tutorial on how to turn a baggy shirt into a tee shirt dress. Super simple and cute. This project is no sew and even easier than the button up shirt. However, it is a more basic look than the button up.

These ideas embody a truly unique twist on green living and combine it with easy and functional style. Greening up your wardrobe doesn’t have to break the bank. Have you repurposed any old clothing items? What is your favorite repurposed look?

Starting Your Cutting Garden

There are no hard and fast rules to creating a cutting garden, but deciding which of your blooms to cut can be difficult. You don’t want to mess up your exterior landscape, but you also want the beautiful flowers indoors. If you are going to struggle with chopping up the look of your landscape, you may consider creating a separate cutting garden away from your landscaped yard. This garden will be specifically for cutting and is typically setup in vegetable garden format with rows of your favorite flowers. Or you can plant flowers any way you’d like, since it is for the expressed purpose of cutting for beautiful indoor flowers.

If you want to keep your garden together, or don’t have the space, one option is to color coordinate your gardens. Plant in similar tones (cool colors, dark, light, etc). Then, even when blooms are cut, there are plenty of the same or similar colors left. This also prevents the garden from looking messy or confetti like.

Caring for Your Garden

Your cutting garden will be maintained in the same fashion as your standard landscaping garden. Knowing what plants, shrubs, or flowers grow best in your is key. Speak with your local garden center to f ind out which blooming varieties will be best set for your soil type and climate.

Creating Your Bouquet

Now come the fun part: creating your bouquet. Bouquets can be simple, elegant, or a single
flower nicely packaged. Regardless of what is in your bouquet, there are a few tricks to keeping your bouquet fresher for longer.

Follow these simple tips:

• Cut your flowers when it is coolest outside (typically early morning).
• Place the stems directly into water after
  cutting.
• Freshly cut the stems when you bring them inside.
• Add floral preservative to the water for extended life.

Creating a beautiful cutting garden is easy and rewarding. What is your favorite fresh-cut flower?

Here are 5 unique lemonade recipes that are sure to impress the children and adults alike.

Spiced Lemonade

Say goodbye to boring lemonade. This recipe has spice and pizzazz like no other. The fennel and star anise make a truly inspiring beverage that will keep you coming back for more.

Ingredients:

• 3 lemons juiced
• Grated ginger (about 1/2 inch of ginger)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 star anise (whole)
• 1 teaspoon of fennel seed
• 1 cup of ice
• Fresh mint leaves (to taste: I use a small handful)

Directions:

Toast fennel seeds and star anise on the stove, 15-30 seconds until lightly toasted. With an electric grinder, grind the star anise and fennel until it is a powder. Add the powder and all the remaining ingredients into a blender and blend until all the ice is crushed. Serve immediately.

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

This is a refreshing twist on standard lemonade and incorporates both strawberry and basil. You can even add vodka to make a tasty, adult-only beverage for those hot days.

Ingredients:

• 8 lemons juiced (if juicing by hand use 10 lemons)
• 10-15 strawberries
• 1/3 cup fresh basil
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 cups water
• 1/3-1/2 cup of vodka (optional!)

Directions:

Add all your ingredients together and blend in a blender for approximately 30 seconds. Garnish with a basil leaf and serve over ice.

Dijon Lemonade

It may sound less than appealing, but if you can get over the fact that the drink contains Dijon mustard, you will definitely love it. This is another lemonade recipe that can easily be turned into an adult-only beverage with a little spiced gin.

Ingredients:

• 2 lemons juiced
• 3/4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup spiced gin (optional!)
• Lemon wedge or cucumber for garnish

Directions:

Juice your lemons and mix with water and sugar. Mix until sugar is dissolved. Add in Dijon mustard and stir until fully incorporated. Add gin if desired. Serve cold over ice.

Watermelon Fennel Lemonade

This is a tasty twist on lemonade that uses the sweetness of watermelon with the licorice flavor of fennel.

Ingredients:

• 3 lemons juiced
• 1/2 cup watermelon juiced
• 1/2 fennel juiced
• 1 cup water

Directions:

Juice all items and then blend. Serve cold over ice.

Blackberry Lemonade

Blackberries are almost in bloom and make a fantastic addition to any lemonade recipe. Here is a wonderful blackberry lemonade recipe that the whole family will love.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup lemon juice freshly squeezed
• 1 cup blackberries
• 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 4 cups water

Directions:

Heat one cup of water on stove until boiling and add in sugar. Stir sugar until fully dissolved. Blend the blackberries with the lemon juice and strain to remove any seeds. Stir the remaining ingredients together and serve over ice. Garnish with lemon wedge or mint leaf.

What is your favorite lemonade recipe?

photo credit: miss karen via photopin cc

Unfortunately, I am sad to say, when I had my back-to-back pregnancies I got out of the habit of going. Looking at my precious treasures now, they should have been constant reminders of how important that gift of blood really is. Should something happen to someone I love, I would want to know there is a full bank of blood available and ready for their use. That is why I am making it a top priority to donate whole blood every 56 days again.

You may be wondering if blood donation can really make that big of a difference. You may also be thinking, surely there are enough people that donate at the various blood drives to keep things stocked. Why should I have to donate? Consider these statistics:

Blood Donation Statistics

• Every two seconds someone in the U.S. needs blood.
• More than 44,000 blood donations are needed every day.
• A total of 30 million blood components are transfused each year in the U.S. (2006).
• The average red blood cell transfusion is approximately 3 pints.
• The blood used in an emergency is already on the shelves before the event occurs.
• Sickle cell disease affects more than 80,000 people in the U.S., 98 percent of whom are African American. Sickle cell patients can require frequent blood transfusions throughout their lives.
• More than 1 million new people are diagnosed with cancer each year. Many of them will need blood, sometimes daily, during their chemotherapy treatment.
• A single car accident victim can require as many as 100 pints of blood.

Donating blood can truly save a life and touch someone in a way you never even imagined. There are a number of accredited blood donation facilities and they can be found on AABB.org. Women may also consider (if they meet the guidelines) donating lifesaving platelets. Males can donate platelets or plasma.

Consider Registering for the National Bone Marrow Registry

Blood is lifesaving, but so is the life source of that blood- bone marrow. Be The Match is the National Bone Marrow Registry organization. They are a database for medical professionals to reach out to in efforts to find a bone marrow match for their patient. The process of registration is incredibly simple and will ensure that your DNA is on file for those who may potentially need your life saving bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC). To register you will fill in some basic contact info and ethnic information as well as answer a few medical questions. Then Be The Match will send you  a cheek swab kit in the mail. You will simply swab your check with the swab and return it in their prepaid envelope. Simple as that! Next you will be added to the registry.

If you are a chosen match, you will be contacted to secure the donation. PBSC is donated in a similar fashion as plasma or platelets. Very simple and will potentially save a life. Bone marrow is donated through a process that removes marrow from the hip bone. Many people are scared of the thought of a bone marrow donation because of fear of pain or needles. Fortunately, the myth that bone marrow donation is extremely painful is false. Local anesthesia will be given so that you do not feel the procedure.

Consider these following statistics before you forget about the registry:

Bone Marrow Donation Statistics

• This year, more than 130,000 Americans will be diagnosed with a serious blood disease.
• Leukemia (a blood cancer) will strike 44,000 Americans this year, including 3,500 children. It will kill about half of the adults and about 700 of the children.
• Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer.
• Only 30 percent of patients who need a bone marrow transplant have a matching donor in their families.
• The remaining 70 percent must hope that a compatible stranger can be found using the national registry.
• At any given time, about 7,500 Americans are actively searching the national registry for an unrelated donor.
• Only 2 percent of the population is on the national registry.
• A significant number of those on the national bone marrow registry cannot be located or will not donate when asked to do so.  The percentages of donors who are available and willing are:  65 for Caucasians; 47 percent for Hispanics; 44 percent for Asians; 34 percent for African-Americans.
• At least 1,000 people die each year because they cannot find a matching donor.
• If an African-American finds a match on the registry, there is an 80 percent chance that the identified donor is the only match on the registry.
• Bone marrow donation requires less than five percent of marrow cells.
• 70 percent of marrow donations use peripheral blood stem cell apheresis.
• 30 percent of marrow donations use the traditional method of putting a needle in your hip.
• Donating bone marrow is safe:  More than 35,000 people have donated bone marrow to a stranger without a single donor death.

What if I am not eligible to donate blood?

Good news! Even if you are not eligible to donate blood, you may still be eligible to donate bone marrow. For example, if you have traveled to a “restricted” country for blood donation, this does not affect your ability to donate bone marrow. You can still register. If you aren’t sure if you qualify or not, check out the medical guidelines.

Are you registered with Be The Match? If you have been chosen to donate I would love to hear your story in the comments section.

Fortunately for families, there are a number of completely free educational resources online. As a full-time homeschooling family, I have found that these free resources can be just as beneficial (if not more so) than some of the standard workbook type programs. Here is a list of my top 5 favorite free homeschooling resources for elementary students:

PBSKids.com

PBSKids.com is a fantastic site for fun and educational games. The site is definitely appealing to small children and easy to use. The games focus on a variety of topics from basic grammar, reading, and math skills to computer skills. The website features all the popular characters from PBS cartoons and is packaged in a way that encourage kids to learn while playing.

Along with educational games, the site has a full list of videos and programming. You can watch PBS Kids shows and snippets from the site and then play corresponding games. Martha Speaks is a favorite in our house.

Starfall

Starfall.com is a free public service company that helps teach children how to read with phonics. Starfall is a great alternative to learning for children and is designed specifically with preschool-2nd graders in mind. This program is also used by many homeschooling families for phonics curriculum as well as children with special needs.

The site is separated into sections: Learn to Read, Fun to Read, and I Can Already Read. This makes it easy to determine where to start with your child. According to Starfall creators: “Our method of instruction motivates children in an atmosphere of imagination and enthusiasm, provides opportunities for child-directed instruction, and supports English language learners and struggling readers learning alongside their peers.”

ABCya

ABCya.com is perfect for those kids who want to brush up on their computer skills while touching on core subjects like math and reading. The site is separated out by grade level and incorporates programs for those Kindergarten through 5th grade. Simply click your student’s grade level to begin. All of the activities were created – or approved – by certified school teachers. The games are free and are modeled from primary grade lessons and enhanced to provide an interactive way for children to learn.

Cookie

Cookie.com is another fantastic website dedicated to fun, colorful, and educational games that will hold your child’s attention. You can choose from a variety of subject areas and grade levels. Cookie also provides free printable exercises you can do with your child. Play the online games or print off some worksheets to take the lesson away from the computer.

Mother Nature Herself

The ultimate free learning resource is Mother Nature herself. What better way to learn than going out and doing? From insect life cycles to weather patterns, there are so many lessons that Mother Nature can provide. Setup some experiments or just let your child ask questions about the world around them. You can turn a day in the park into an educational opportunity by discussing the animals, plants, or even people you see.

Little minds are curious minds. Don’t let your child’s mind stop working just because it is summer. What fun ways do you incorporate learning into your child’s break?

Instead of focusing on material possessions this Mother’s Day, try to encourage your children (and spouse) to incorporate more family oriented time. One way to do this is by starting a new Mother’s Day tradition. Here are just a few ideas to consider:

Mother’s Day Brunch

Many families have the tradition of enjoying a Mother’s Day brunch. It can be the perfect time for your spouse or children to show off their culinary skills at home. What mom wouldn’t love some breakfast served in bed? Or if your family is lacking in the culinary department, go to your favorite restaurant for brunch and enjoy your time together.

Plan a Day Outdoors

Make it a new tradition to spend your Mother’s Day enjoying the great outdoors. Choose a spot that you love – like a local garden center, hiking trail, or park. You can spend your day enjoying the scenery and your family. Have the family pack a picnic lunch with some of your favorite items.

Gardening

Do you enjoy gardening? If so, spend your Mother’s Day gardening with your family. You can purchase some flowers, plants, or trees and create some beautiful landscaping together. You may even consider starting a Mother’s Day garden.

Child-free Time

It may seem counter-intuitive since Mother’s Day is all about being a mother, but having your spouse take the kids for a few hours on Mother’s Day to allow for some “you” time can be the perfect Mother’s Day gift. Needing some spouse time? See if you can find a babysitter for a few hours on Mother’s Day to allow you and your spouse to spend quality alone time together. Or do both! Start off with time enjoying the company of your kids, and end it with a date night.

Pack Up and Head Out

Take a day trip with your family. Go on an exploration to find new places. Try mapping out all the locations within a few hours driving distance and make stops at any that look fun and interesting. This can be the perfect way to make memories together. Spending each Mother’s Day finding new hidden treasures on day trips is a fabulous tradition that is guaranteed to continue on year after year.

Everyone Wins

Want to spend some quality time together as a family, but everyone has different interests? Wake up and have everyone write down on a piece of paper what one family activity they/d most like to do for the day. Fold the papers and place them all in a jar. Spend the day drawing, one at a time, from the jar. Do whatever activity is on the paper and move on to the next.

Walk Down Memory Lane

Break out the old photo albums and drives on your computer and look through photographs. You can choose to go through all your old photos or even just look at photos from the previous year. You may be surprised at all the things you have forgotten about.

Mother’s Day can be fulfilling and complete without all the commercialized hype. If you know your Mother cherishes the bouquet of flowers you send, by all means still send them; however, if you aren’t sure of the “perfect” gift or if your mother is without specific needs, consider giving the gift of quality time. What is your favorite Mother’s Day activity?

Many of you probably think you don’t have enough space to make an awesome garden. However, that is exactly what these organizations are out to disprove. You don’t need a lot of space to grow a garden. In fact, you can grow gardens in very tiny areas. If you have a lawn, you can grow a garden. If you don’t, you can still use some of the tips to incorporate gardening into your windowsills or through vertical gardening techniques.

How It Started

Heather Flores’ book, “Food Not Lawns, How to Turn your Yard into a Garden and Your Neighborhood into a Community,” was a big initiator of the movement. In the book, activist and urban gardener Heather Flores shares her nine-step permaculture design to help farmsteaders and city dwellers alike build fertile soil, promote biodiversity, and increase natural habitat in their own “paradise gardens.” But Food Not Lawns doesn’t begin and end in the seed bed. This joyful permaculture lifestyle manual inspires readers to apply the principles of the paradise garden–simplicity, resourcefulness, creativity, mindfulness, and community–to all aspects of life.

“Grow Food Not Lawns” Resources

Foodnotlawns.com started in 1999 as a small group of activists, but has grown to a large community across the country. Food Not Lawns chapters are still sprouting up across the country. You can find a full listing of local chapters here. With social media, even if you don’t have a Food Not Lawns chapter in your area you can still gain their knowledge by opening a discussion on one of the local chapters pages.

There are several Food Not Lawns Facebook pages with a wealth of knowledge for all types of gardeners – from apartment dwellers with little space to those with larger lawns.

• Grow Food, Not Lawns
• Grow Food, Not Lawns Social Media Campaign
• Food Not Lawns International
• Venice Food Not Lawns

Getting Started

Starting your own garden doesn’t have to be difficult. From small window herb gardens, to handing tomato and strawberry planting, there are a number of ways you can incorporate gardening even into the tiniest of spaces. The Food Not Lawns movement community can help answer your questions and get you started on your gardening project. Best of all, gardening can add some natural beauty to your setting. I promise the communitie will give you ideas worthy of any Pinterest board.

What is your favorite gardening technique for a small space? Have you tried vertical gardening?

One of my favorite things to grill is asparagus. Asparagus is simple, tasty, and perfect for adding a little elegance to your grilled meal.

Prep Your Asparagus

The first step to awesome grilled asparagus is ensuring you are cooking the right portion of the asparagus. The tips have a different distinct flavor than the stalk. You can technically grill the entire stalk of asparagus, but I prefer to cut off the bottom 1-2 inches of the asparagus because it tends to be tougher than the rest.

As with any vegetable, don’t forget to wash your asparagus before cooking.

Choose Your Grilling Method

Asparagus can be cooked by placing it directly on the grill or it can be cooked in tin foil for a steamed taste. I prefer the tin foil method so you can easily cook with oils and vinaigrettes. Place your asparagus in center of a square piece of tin foil, add butter, vinaigrette or other toppings now, and wrap loosely. Place the tin foil directly on the grill. Cook about 6 minutes for a firm texture, or 8-9 minutes for a nice and soft steamed asparagus.

Add Some Flavor

You can really change the taste of your asparagus when you add toppings. Give it a kick with citrus, add tang with vinaigrette, or flavor it with cheeses or nuts. Here are some toppings to consider for your grilled asparagus.

• Lemon juice
• Freshly squeezed orange juice
• Salt and pepper
• Balsamic vinaigrette
• Parmesan
• Butter
• Olive Oil
• Hollandaise sauce
• Garlic
• Panko

There really is no end to your topping choices. Once you have chosen a topping consider adding some elegance to your presentation by adding some garnishes. If you are making a citrus asparagus, plate the asparagus with lemon wedges or orange slices.

Add a Little Protein

Do you prefer meat in your dishes? No problem. Bacon goes perfectly with asparagus and can make for beautiful presentation. You can cut your bacon into smaller pieces and individually wrap your asparagus spears, or you can bunch your asparagus into small bunches of 5-6 spears and tie them together with a strip of bacon. The bacon should be cooked on the asparagus for added flavor. If you are cooking your bacon on the asparagus you will want to grill the asparagus until the bacon is thoroughly cooked.

Asparagus prepared on the grill can make the perfect side dish to any outdoor party. How do you prepare your asparagus on the grill?

photo credit: KayOne73 via photopin

The Pacific Northwest

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, here are some gardening tips for your April gardening.

• Sow cold season crops. These include radishes, peas, carrots, onions, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.
• Plant your herbs. You can plant seedlings of parsley, rosemary, mint, chives, and similar herbs now if your soil is ready.
• DO NOT plant tomatoes, peppers, or other vegetable seedlings yet. Frost is still possible and it can kill the seedlings.
• You can start to plant the following: Azaleas, roses, and fruit.
• Once you are confident you have had your last frost, you can start planting your garden flowers and summer bulbs.
• You are most limited in your planting during this time. Most of your flowers or seedlings will need to hold off on planting until May.

The Pacific Coast

Tips for the Pacific coastal regions.

• Plant your annuals now. Includes azaleas and blooming flowers.
• Plant any warm-weather loving seedlings.
• Unlike other regions, you can plant your perennials now.
• If you are in hotter southern regions of the coast you can begin planting your tropical plants and trees now as well.
• Be sure to mulch your gardens now.

The Southwest

If you live in the Southwest here are you planting guidelines for April:

• Sow your annual flower seeds now. 
• Plant your winter vegetables. This includes radishes, peas, carrots, onions, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage.
• Planting fruits is also acceptable now. Plant your watermelons, strawberries, and fruit trees now. One trick to continuous harvest throughout the growing season is to plant your items a few days or a week apart. You can plant some strawberries now, wait a few days and plant some more, and so on. This will allow you to have a better more continuous harvest throughout the season.
• Plant flower seedlings now, unless you are experiences an exceptional cold April.
• If you are wanting to start some sod or plant a summer lawn, this is the time.
• Mulch where needed and consider planting or enjoying the wild flowers.
• Don’t forget to harvest any remaining cold weather vegetables.

The Southeast

You can do everything that your Southwest neighbors can with a few exceptions.

• You may have slightly colder nights so you will want to cover any seedlings, trees, or shrubs you have planted. You can cover them with plastic covering or even sheets. Just be sure to cover them if the temperatures are going to drop below freezing over night.
• Harvest any remaining cold weather vegetables you have in your gardens.

The Northeast Atlantic

Tips for those colder weather dwellers in the northeast.

• Weather still may be chilly here so focus on planting seeds.
• You can plant your winter harvest seeds now such as squash, potatoes, radishes, ect.
• You can also plant warm weather flower and fruit seeds now.
• Steer clear of planting any seedlings now.
• Map out your garden for May so you will have your perennials ready.

Mid-Atlantic Region

You aren’t quite as cold as your northern Atlantic friends so you have slightly more options.

• Everything from the Northeast Atlantic list.
• You can also plant your annuals now such as azaleas.
• Prune your roses which will start blooming any time.
• Plant fruit trees or shrubbery now.

What region do you live in? What tips do you have for others in your regions for starting a beautiful April garden?