Living Life & Crafty Food

Yesterday I briefly mentioned that my mom had to attend a funeral on her birthday. This past Saturday the world lost a very special person to breast cancer. Julie was one of my mom's best friends back when my mom was the age that I am now. It's been several years since I had seen Julie, but her passing brought back many memories of the fun things she planned for her son and my sisters and myself to do on our visits to her place. It served as a reminder to me that even the smallest of things can make the entire day for your kids and create a memory for life.

One of the things I remember most is that Julie was always creative with lunch. I know there are plenty of moms out there doing the same thing. I've done it before but I needed a reminder. This was lunch yesterday! Cottage cheese, grapes, strawberries, carrots, ranch dressing & a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

And this is what we had today! Fruit skewers, Grilled Cheese fish and a tomato soup pond. And yes, those fish went swimming!!

So anyway, keep life fun for your kids. Or if you don't have kids, do something special for a kid you know! Here's a few other ideas Julie shared with me as a kid

-making ice cream in a can like so. I remember kicking my can all over town!!
- writing letters to kids in the hospital
- dressing up. She had the BEST dress up clothes. Two tutu's even though she only had a son.
- powder puffs. There are fabulous photos somewhere of Julie's son Brandon and I covered in talcum powder! We got in trouble that time!
- postcards. Julie and her family sent us postcards from everywhere!
- special birthday cards. I loved cats as a kid and most of my cards had kitties on them.
- plays. I 'm not sure if it was Julie or my mom that encouraged this one but I have many memories of the "plays" Brandon, my sister Meagan and I came up with. Our best was titled "the big blue rock".

Hope everyone is having a lovely Thursday. I'm excited. I'm going out tonight!!