Pin the Crown on the Princess Game

As some of you may know, my day job is a Marketing Communications Manager with an emphasis in Graphic Design. I work in manufacturing where I get to use my creativity and artistic talents daily on print, website and multimedia projects. But my love for design is not limited to my profession - I have the pleasure of creating design projects for friends and family often. I have designed invitations, wall art and t-shirts, and this past weekend I added a birthday party game to my resume!

The idea for the game came from my friend - her four year old daughter's princess-themed birthday party needed a princess-themed game. She came up with the idea to play Pin the Crown on the Princess, a take on Pin the Tail on the Donkey. We appropriately agreed on Cinderella as the princess to be featured in the game as that is one of her daughter's favorites.

To create the game, I designed the princess poster in a graphic design program called Adobe Illustrator. You might be able to achieve something similar by using Microsoft Word as well. I found a picture of Cinderella online and created an illustration based on the image. I added a pink background and personalized the game with the birthday girl's name. I then illustrated ten crowns sized to fit on Cinderella's head.

After the design was complete, I printed the graphics and laminated them. The Cinderella poster was created as an 11X17" poster, while I cut the crowns to shape.

I was happy with the look of the game, but the real test was if the kids liked it! The birthday girl loved it and immediately requested to be the first kid to play the game. We taped the poster to a door and applied a piece of tape to the back of each crown after writing each kid's name on their crown. Each kid took a turn putting on a blindfold and attempting to pin the crown on the princess' head.

I think the game was a hit! Some of the crowns were placed near Cinderella's head, others closer to her hands but all of the crowns made it on the poster somewhere which was pretty good! I think this game added nicely to this already adorable birthday party complete with a homemade castle cake and castle piñata.

I love using my talents to realize the great ideas of others, and I was happy to do just that for a friend this past weekend!

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Taste Cafe and Marketplace 3.35/4

Taste Cafe and Marketplace is undoubtedly my favorite cafe in Indianapolis!

My sister and I had the pleasure of going to this cafe at 52nd and College Ave. last week for lunch, and the experience was perfection. We entered the inviting, contemporary cafe with bamboo accents, walked past the case of homemade salads and desserts, placed our order with the friendly cashier then chose a small table illuminated by the sun as we awaited our food.

The portion sizes at Taste are large, so we split the B.A.L.T sandwich on a whole wheat baguette (the "A" stands for avocado), pomme frites (french fries) served with a basil aioli and a lemon bar for dessert. The sandwich was hearty and fresh. The fries were simply unbeatable ... maybe it is the combo of koser salt and cracked pepper along with the dipping sauce ... whatever it is, props to the chef! The lemon bar was an impulse buy ... you conveniently walk past the fresh desserts before ordering your food and before you know it one of the treats are added to your order!

Taste is self proclaimed as a fresh dining experience, designed to stimulate the senses with sight, smell and taste. They use only the finest and freshest ingredients. For dessert, they serve delicious cookies, cakes or other treats, baked fresh on-site. The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch daily and now open for dinner on Wednesdays and Thursdays. 

Here is how this experience stacks up based on my 1-4 rating system - 4 being the best:

Food: 4
As I said before, their is something magical about this food! The combinations of flavors and the presentation is perfect! I have loved every item I have gotten from this restaurant!

Atmosphere: 3.75
The cafe decor is modern and sleek. It is a welcoming environment with a good vibe. There are pitchers of fruit-flavored water in the dining room so that you can refill your water yourself and the staff is circling to pick up your plates when you are done eating - it is casual yet sophisticated.

Price: 2.5 
The only possible complaint about this place might be the price ... compared to similar cafes, the prices are a bit high - a minimum of $7 for a sandwich and $4.50 for pomme frites seems a bit much.

Uniqueness: 3.5
The food is unique, there are always daily specials and the homemade dessert options are a nice touch.

Service: 3
The service is good, and the staff is friendly. While you order at a counter, the food is delivered to your table and the staff picks up your empty plates.

Overall Average: 3.35
The overall average was brought down by the price category, but, as you can see, the rest of the experience was top notch.

Visit the Taste Cafe and Marketplace website and check out their offering. I suggest looking at the menu online to get a feel for the food choices before your visit because you order from large menus attached to the wall, not from a menu at your seat which can be a bit intimidating if you are unfamiliar with some of the ingredients and such, http://www.tastecafeandmarketplace.com/

So ... next time you are on the Northside of Indy near Broad Ripple or Butler, you MUST visit this restaurant ... and, in my opinion, and the opinion of most people I have visited the restaurant with, it is even worth making a special trip!

Kudos to Taste for offering such a delicious experience!

2013 Indiana Golden Gloves Tournament

It's that time of the year again ... Indiana Golden Gloves Boxing Tournament!

Aaron and I have been attending the annual Indiana Golden Gloves Boxing Tournament for 5 years now. The tournament this year began last night, Thursday, March 21 at Tyndall Armory downtown Indy at 7:30 pm. It is a 6 week (every Thursday), single elimination boxing tourney featuring 4 nights of preliminary boxing matches and 2 championship nights. There are typically 18 or so fights each night - the weight classes, ages and experience levels of the fighters vary with every bout.

The event is entertaining for those of us that follow boxing and understand the sport, but it is also pure entertainment even if you don't know all of the ends and outs of boxing. I will warn you that if you are a bit squeamish these fights might be a bit intense - there is likely a bit of harmless blood shed ... add in a 50/50 raffle, concessions and beer carts, and you are in for a wild night!

The fights last night were good ones! Lots of all-out boxing ending in a few close decisions. There was one technical knock out which was one of the worst/best I had seen at one of these tournaments. You never know what you are going to get from fight to fight - some fighters are power hitters while some are "dancers". It makes for good variety!

The crowd, as always, was rowdy and some of the fighters definitely know how to put on a show. The constant cheering and booing from the crowd creates the ultimate fight night atmosphere.

We have quite an appreciation for the training and technique these fighters need to have in order to to get in the ring and give it their all! I definitely suggest stopping in if you are free on a Thursday night in the next 5 weeks. The boxing is lively, the people watching is some of the best around, and it is always great fun!

Tickets can be purchased from this website in advance, http://www.stubwire.com/c/1621/indianagoldengloves or at the door.

DIY Fragrance Plug-In

I am a fan of fragrance throughout my home - it smells clean and fresh and depending on the scent, it can evoke emotions such as energy, relaxation or calming. I traditionally buy my fragrance plug-ins from Bath and Body Works. The choice of fragrances is vast, and the price isn't too high, but, I thought ... what if there was a DIY version that smelled just as good and cost even less ... well, I found that project as I was pinning away on Pinterest one day, so I gave it a shot!

As I read that article that I pinned, I also discovered that the Wallflower Scented Plugins that I bought from Bath and Body Works have volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in them. VOCs are connected to a number of health problems such eye, nose, and throat irritation; headaches, loss of coordination, nausea; damage to liver, kidney, and central nervous system. Some organics can cause cancer in animals; some are suspected or known to cause cancer in humans. This is even more of a reason for me to make my own fragrance plug-ins using all-natural essential oils ... so, here is how I did it:

1. Remove the fragrance bulb from an empty Wallflower plug-in, remove the wick from the bulb by prying it out with your nail or a knife, then rinse out the bulb.

 

2. Select an essential oil to use for fragrance. I chose lemon for my kitchen area.

3. Fill the bulb with the oil — about 1/3 full depending on how strong you want your scent.

4. Fill the bulb the rest of the way with water. Do not fill to the top, you need room to put the wick back in.

5. Snap the wick back into the opening of the bulb.

 6. Screw the bulb back into the plug-in and plug into the wall.

The fragrance is spot on! You can choose a number of essential oils to fit your personality. I bought mine from Nature's Market - there were tons of choices. I went with the lemon for the kitchen area because it is good for masking kitchen smells, plus the smell can be uplifting and cheering. I think I will choose a calming scent for my bedroom, something like lavender.

Creating your own fragrance plug-in is simple, economical and better for your health - you can't beat that!

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Giving credit where credit is due: I found this project idea at http://holycrickey.tumblr.com/post/7394307755/diy-wallflowers-scented-plugin

Portion It Out

Preparation, when it comes to food, is one of the best ways to save time and ensure a healthy lifestyle. I have found that buying healthy food in bulk and then portioning out single servings is both economical and time saving. I know you can purchase several foods in single serving portions but I have found those foods to either be more expensive or more processed then raw foods or some bulk foods that you can portion out yourself.

My routine following every trip to the grocery store consists of portioning out my purchases in Ziploc bags or foil in order to be prepared for the week to come. This week I portioned out sweet potato chips, grapes, pistachio nuts, trail mix and slices of the homemade banana bread I made. Other options might be berries, almonds, homemade oatmeal or veggies.

I literally measure out 1 serving of each food using a measuring cup or by counting pieces. I always look at the food labels to determine the serving size of each food prior to portioning. You might be surprised that a serving of pistachios is only 1/2 cup with shells or that the serving size of most chips is anywhere from 10-16 chips. If you are like me, you may be capable of consuming a half bag of chips in one sitting, so portioning out 1 serving is sure to limit your intake. You will likely feel just as satisfied with the single serving if you give your stomach the time to tell your brain that it is full!

I have also found that my food goes further by portioning it out. I bag of pistachios lasts us about two weeks portioned out and trail mix is the same. It's also nice to have a variety of snacks on hand so your palate doesn't get bored!

I place my portioned out food in a basket in my pantry or in the refrigerator if necessary. Throughout the week we can grab a snack to take to work or eat before we workout. We always know that we have a portable snack when we need it, and we feel good knowing that we can eat something fairly healthy while on the go.

I know you might have concerns about the amount of plastic bags we go through ... but we try to re-use the bags if we can by refilling with like items or washing out and re-using them for another need. Another option is to use re-usable bags.

Serious Brain Training

Have you seen those commercials for Lumosity.com ... Brain Games & Brain Training?

Well, I kept seeing these commercials talking about playing games on this website to improve your brain, and I wanted to give it a try. My husband, sisters and mom, as well as myself all signed up for a Lumosity membership and have begun to explore the possibility of pushing our brains to their full potential and becoming smarter, sharper and brighter as the website claims.

The website is a bit vague as to what it offers until you actually create an account, so here is an overview. You begin by taking a short profile which will ultimately identify which brain areas you hope to improve, then it structures a combination of 5 daily games for you to play. Each game only takes a few minutes and you are not required to play every game, every day - it is more of a suggestion to help maximize your brain training.

The website games focus on 5 areas of cognitive learning including speed, memory, attention, flexibility and problem solving. Speed games focus on information processing and spatial orientation. Memory games focus on working memory, spatial recall and face-name recall. Attention games focus on visual field and focus. Flexibility games focus on verbal fluency, task switching, response inhibition and planning. Problem Solving games focus on arithmetic, quantitative reasoning and logical reasoning.


Each individual game outlines the real-world benefits you should receive from playing it such as "thinking outside the box", "mental calculations", "driving safely", "faster reaction time" or "avoiding distractions".

As you play these games you build a Brain Performance Index number (BPI) which is a measure of your cognitive performance based on the above mentioned areas. This number changes as you play each day and should improve as time goes on. You are also able to see how your scores compare to others in your age range that are currently registered on the site.

As of today, my Best Brain Areas are memory and attention, though it fluctuates. I can see how memory is one of my strengths as I tend to be strong in that area both at work and in my personal life. And attention seems about right since I tend to be a detail-oriented person. Speed is my lowest area, so to improve this, I focus on playing more speed-related games. My BPI has raised 387 points since I began playing in mid-January!

There is a lot of variety in the games, and they are all pretty entertaining. I have never been a gamer or really ever enjoyed these type of online games, but I have to say I am glad I signed up for this. It is interesting to understand the science behind Lumosity, and my BPI is rising as the site expects so maybe I am becoming brighter ...?

Sure there is a fee involved, but I like the idea of pushing my brain and having a bit of fun while I do it! I can't say that I feel insanely smart as a result of this website experience, but I also don't think it can hurt anything! If I can improve things like adding numbers in my head, quickly determining a tip, remembering where I placed my keys, remembering people's names when I meet them and so on ... I think it is worth it!

Check out the website, http://www.lumosity.com/. Also, there is an app called Brain Trainer that offers a free trail ... the app in not all-inclusive though - the desktop version has more games and stats.

Coffee, Coffee How I Love Thee ... and ME!

I generally like to surround myself with family and friends, constantly on the go, experiencing all that I can ... but on occasion, I like to just be with ... me ... and a great cup of coffee!

On the rare Saturday morning when our morning isn't booked, I like to curl up on my back porch with a cup of coffee and just be ... I might read a magazine, write on my blog or peruse Facebook or Pinterest ... I might watch the squirrels in the yard or snuggle with my pup. I simply zone out and enjoy the birds chirping - it's incredible the clarity you can get from just taking a load off.

I, like many others, don't seem to have h-o-u-r-s to dedicate to this alone time but even a half hour dedicated to you might just open your mind and give you a new lease on life. I feel like, to often, we get caught up in the things in life that we "have" to do and forget about the things that we "want" to do. This alone time allows you to re-evaluate your priorities. It is also a great time to jot down a list of experiences that you would like to have, like a bucket list or set goals. It is that one time during the week to concentrate on you because you are important!

I have found it challenging to balance friends, family, work and me time but have also learned that if you no longer find enjoyment in what you are doing, you shouldn't be doing it and those activities that you can't live without - you should make it a point to do them more often ... I know this is easier said than done in most cases, but it takes a little self exploration in order to find a healthy balance.

For some reason, a great cup of coffee seems to really aid in this process. Maybe it is the hot steam hitting my face, the scrumptious taste or possibly it is the caffeine rush. No matter what it is, this busy body has found that occasionally cozying up with a cup of coffee and myself can be felicity for me - who would have thought!

Organizing Bobby Pins - it's the little things!

Another Pinterest success story ... a clever idea for organizing bobby pins in your medicine cabinet.

To complete, simply attach a piece of sticky back magnet strip to the inside of your medicine cabinet door, add your bobby pins and voilà ... easy access to your bobby pins whenever you need them.

I was lucky enough to have a random magnet strip already at home, so I peeled the backing, stuck it to my medicine cabinet door - it look literally 10 seconds.

I'm all about convenience and this is just that - cheap, easy and practical!

Giving credit where credit is due: I found this project idea at http://sprwmn.blogspot.com/2010/11/2-minute-bathroom-organization.html

Homemade Banana Bread

I love the smell of bread baking in the oven! The irresistible aroma fills the house, and I anticipate the delightful taste that is soon to come. I don't bake often but the 3 VERY ripe bananas sitting in my fruit bowl inspired me to whip up some banana bread.

The recipe I used came from a website called http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/. This site inspired me a while back to view food in a much different way. The overall concept of the website follows a family who challenged themselves to cut processed foods from their diet completely in order to be healthier. Many of my views on food and diet align with those of this site, and I am happy to utilize the tools they make available to create food that I know is healthy and more importantly unprocessed or minimally processed. I am a firm believer that by eating whole foods as they come from nature, that are not genetically altered, I can directly impact my health, weight and overall well-being. Here's the recipe:

Whole-Wheat Banana Bread Recipe
http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/05/02/recipe-whole-wheat-banana-bread/

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cup whole-wheat flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• ¼ cup plain yogurt - I substituted 1/4 cup of applesauce since I had it on-hand
• ¼ cup honey - I substituted 1/4 cup of agave nectar since I had it on-hand
• 2 eggs
• ⅓ cup oil - I used coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease pan.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl mix mashed bananas with yogurt (or applesauce), honey (or agave nectar), eggs, oil, and vanilla.
4. Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture until blended. Do not over mix.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan.
6. Bake large loaf for 40 – 50 minutes or until it comes clean with a toothpick.

The result is a loaf of homemade, whole-wheat banana bread that tastes amazing - not like cardboard as some whole-wheat recipes can - that can likely be made with items you already have on-hand.

Enjoy!

Breakfast Club 03.02.13

I'm not referring to the Breakfast Club many of you remember from PU ... I'm referring to the new tradition my family started a month ago - Monthly, Saturday Morning Breakfast.

This new tradition simply consists of my mom, dad, sisters and their families, as well as me and my husband meeting at a restaurant, eating good food, laughing a lot and just enjoying our time together.

Let me start off by giving a shout out to my wonderful family. I am so blessed to have supportive, loving parents who have always let me be me and have lent their guidance when needed. They have always sacrificed their time and resources to ensure that I had every opportunity in the world to better myself. It doesn't hurt that my dad is hilarious and my mom shares my love for fashion and thrifty shopping!

I couldn't ask for better sisters either. They are my best friends ... I know I can also depend on them, and we ALWAYS have a great time together, no matter what we are doing. Throw in the 2 most adorable kids EVER and 2 brother-in-laws that never hesitate to lend a hand and anyone can see how lucky I am!

This morning for breakfast we went to Early Bird Pancake House at 86th and Michigan Rd. The food was tasty and the service was great. We were able to hang out for as long as we wanted and put all of our stresses behind us and just be together ... A perfect little Saturday!