April is usually the month that most schools go on spring break. I think the college I attended might have been one of the few exceptions; I recall our spring break falling just before my birthday, which was in March. Considering the college was located in Florida, I guess I can’t complain too much, as most of my friends attending colleges in other states seemed to think I was on spring break year-round.

Because it’s that time of year (seriously, where has the year gone already?), Matter of Cents and I have chosen Spring Break Ideas as our theme for this week’s Pin Me! Thursday. I’m going to share spring break travel ideas, projects and crafts to complete while on spring break, and a few other spring break-related items. Going through and finding pins to share with you has definitely put me in the mood for a towel on the beach (though I’ll probably have to settle for a lounge chair on our patio).

Everything about this says “Spring Break” to me. It makes me want to throw on some flip flops and a fedora, grab a friend, a mixed tape and some lemonade, and head off on a road trip.

Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes Recipe

Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes

Most people only associate Maine with lobsters (and occasionally blueberries and whoopie pies), but Maine is one of the top ten states in terms of growing potatoes. Idaho gets all the name recognition, but let me tell you as someone who grew up in Maine and worked every potato harvest until I left for college: Maine potatoes kick some serious butt.

As you can probably imagine, when a food item is so widely available and tied into the economy, you eat a whole lot of them. I was pretty sure I’d had potatoes served in every way imaginable. Baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, french fries, crash potatoes, potato cakes, tater tots, hash browns: seriously, this could turn into the Bubba Gump moment of the potato world.

PBS recently released “The Best of Caillou: Caillou’s Outdoor Adventure” on DVD. As we’re big Caillou fans in our house, we were pretty excited. A quick episode or two right before bedtime really helps Bubbles to wind down and get ready to fall asleep. And we’re obviously not alone in our love of the cute preschooler; over 4 million households tune in to watch each month!

The Best of Caillou: Caillou's Outdoor Adventures

Photo Credit: Amazon.com

A record lottery was drawn last week, so I’m sure there are a lot of people that were pondering “What would I do with the money if I won?”. It’s also a little ironic because back in January Matter of Cents and I had scheduled this week’s Pin Me! Thursday theme to be “If I Had a Million Dollars….”. Because those “if I…” conversations were already fresh in my mind, it wasn’t hard to put together my list this week.

First up would be to build our dream home, maybe something like this one (can you just imagine sitting on a swing or in rocking chairs on this deck, drinking hot chocolate, while the kids run around outside catching lightning bugs?)

Of course, the dream home would have to have a big, open kitchen. Maybe something like this.

Easter Crafts – DIY Easter Peeps Centerpiece

When I saw the Peeps Topiary on Pinterest (from the post at The Hungry Mouse), I knew I had to try one. We’re hosting Easter brunch/lunch at our house again this year, and I thought it would be a great centerpiece for our table. Plus it just looked fun to make! And other than coloring eggs, I don’t always see a lot of Easter crafts, so it was nice to find something a little different to try.

DIY Easter Centerpieces: Peeps Topiary

To start, you’ll need the following items:

Two 6″ Styrofoam balls
1 wooden dowel or stake (12″ long; 1″ thick if using a stake, at least 1/2″ wide if using a dowel)
Pointed toothpicks (not the flat kind)
6″-7″ clay flower pot
8 packages of Peeps (5 of the 1st color, 2 of the 2nd color, 1 of the 3rd color)
jelly beans

If you would like, you can start by painting your clay pot. I like the terra cotta look, but if I were to paint it, I might choose white so the colors of the Peeps are still the focal point. It’s totally up to you, though.

To assemble the topiary, start by cutting the bottom 1/3 of one Styrofoam ball off, and use a knife to shave down the sides. (You can discard the remaining piece of Styrofoam or save it for a future project.) You want to be able to fit it snugly into the bottom of your clay pot. Continue reading »

Views From the Ville

Liza

Ready to Run: Spring Break Ideas!

Cheesy Potato Heavenly Goodness – aka Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes

Scalloped Hasselback Potatoes Recipe

Join Caillou On an Outdoor Adventure

If I Had a Million Dollars…. Pin Me! Thursday

Easter Crafts: DIY Peeps Topiary Centerpiece

Easter Crafts – DIY Easter Peeps Centerpiece

DIY Easter Centerpieces: Peeps Topiary