And much to my displeasure, I totally missed National Peanut Butter Day, Jan. 24, and National Pie Day the day before. There could have been much celebrating. But I missed it.

That makes me so sad. It also made me determined that I’m not going to miss out on any other days of note. I did my research and found out that I still have a few days to celebrate hot tea. January is Hot Tea Month. That makes me ever so happy because I do enjoy a cup of tea. (Have you tried Paris? Oh, it is so fabulous.)

I’ve already had an unofficial celebration of National Soup Month, also celebrated in January. Little did I know that when my craft group gathered for a soup supper earlier this month, we were so timely. Oh well.

Moving forward, I’m pleased to report that Jan. 29 is National Corn Chip day, which seems like a relative to the February 24 celebration of  Tortilla Chip Day.

February also celebrates the groundhog (2/2) , some presidents (2/12, 2/20 and 2/22)  and cherry pie 2/20). It also celebrates our unmarried friends (2/15) and public sleeping… OK… (2/28). As if that isn’t enough, there’s obviously Valentine’s Day and Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday.  That’s a whole lot of celebrating for a little month, so this year there’s an extra day to celebrate, Leap Day, on Feb. 29.

The bottom line here is simple. Life is short and there’s much to celebrate.

Today one of my friends buried his father, but has faith he will see him again. Today, another friend is mourning his father’s passing and is preparing to celebrate his life with friends and family next week. And today, my uncle has three reasons to celebrate — each bypass was a success. That calls for a celebration, for sure, even if it isn’t on the calendar.

Life is short and there’s much to celebrate.

Whatever you do, spend time together! Here are some suggestions:

Observe. Open the blinds and watch the rain together. I know it sounds corny, but sometimes I just enjoy watching the rain…. with a cup of hot chocolate and my fuzzy pink socks, of course!

Bake a Memory: Make some cookies! My mom always made cookies when it rained. Oh-kay, I guess realistically, she didn’t always make cookies when it rained, but in my mind’s eye she did. Create a tradition for rainstorms that your kids will remember.

Pitch a Tent! We have a kid’s Hello Kitty tent that makes its way out from behind the couch from time to time. What’s even better is our kids have discovered how to pitch it themselves. Add some pillows, blankets, and books for a good ole time! If you do not own a tent, why not build a fort. Grab a blanket or two, a chair and the couch for hours of entertainment.

Have an Art Show in your home. Challenge each member of the family. Choose a subject: Cats, flowers, rainbows, family; and compete with the family in a coloring  or art kit challenge. You can even hang up the masterpieces and vote on a winner later in the day. Create an art gallery around the table and positively cretique the pieces. Encourage each child to share one thing they like about each piece. You can even create awards for “Most Colorful” “Creative Use of Space” “Most Realistic” and “Best in Show!”

Play a game… one that is unplugged, even! Perhaps today would be a great day to bust out the Monopoly Board, or deck of cards. Our children have learned how to play Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride. Even Hi Ho Cherry, Don’t Spill the Beans, and Operation make for great rainy day activities.

Picnic Basket Lunch: Pack sandwiches, snacks, and a portable drink (water bottle, juice box, or thermos) and deliver lunch to the picnic blanket. This will work great if you are already pitching a tent! If your kiddos enjoy building their own sandwiches, you can even encourage them to pack the basket for lunch.

Living Room Theater: Rent a video, stream a movie, or find a family friendly movie on tv, and enjoy the day with the family cuddling on the couch. Make sure to include loads of pillow, blankets, popcorn, and perhaps a bag of m&ms or skittles for your movie time. If you want to go all out, let the kids make movie tickets, and set up a concession stand in your dining room. You can assign an usher with a flashlight to escort movie goers to their seats and start the movie.

Splash in Puddles and Dance in the Rain! The rain can be uber fun if you are prepared for it. Don your rainboots, umbrellas, and rain jackets for a morning or afternoon of splashing in puddles and dancing in the rain. Make sure to take your camera. Lots of fun shots should present themselves.

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Jen is a mommy of three and a local blogger. For more information on Frugal Living, Smart Shopping, and Couponing, visit her blog: www.fresnocouponing.com; follow them on Facebook, or Twitter.

The Bistro Bus is now engaged in another challenge: Eat Street with the Cooking Channel. Eat Street is a self-proclaimed lip-smacking celebration of North America’s tastiest, messiest and most irresistible street food. They have uploaded a video sharing about their Fresno Bus which spotlights locally grown organics. This video entry currently has over 250 votes. You can help, by voting for this local food truck here. Simply register with Eat St. and login to vote, keyword search for Dusty Buns.

They make dusty buns from scratch and fill them with loads of Central Valley goodness. Their sandwiches cost about $7, sides $3, and dessert is $2. The bus runs on a cash only basis and if you want in on their yumminess you will need to arrive early, as the line for their organic eats can grow pretty long.

Owners Kristin and Dustin were originally from the Central Valley and trained in San Francisco. They returned to the Central Valley on a mission to share awesome, healthy, organic food with the locals. As their business has grown, they have also grown their family. Dustin and Kristin welcomed Baby Bun in December and are currently on a Baby Bun Bonding vacation, but are bringing the buns back to the streets of Fresno in just a few short weeks. I’m prepared to be first in line! The Dusty Buns Bistro Bus can be found weekly at the Kaiser Permanente Farmer’s Market (Fresno and Alluvial) on Wednesdays from 8am-1:30pm, and on Thursdays from 6-9pm in Tower District for “It’s on Wishon” located just outside Twee Boutique, Café Corazon, and Frosted Cakery.

My personal favorite: Le Grilled Cheese-Aged White Cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, heirloom tomato, and seasonal aioli, and a side of Bistro Fries- Seared marble potatoes, with Fresno chili aioli. Yum!!!

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Jen is a mommy of three and a local blogger. For more information on Frugal Living, Smart Shopping, and Couponing, visit her blog: www.fresnocouponing.com; follow them on Facebook, or Twitter.

Ask an average group of 10- to 12-year-olds in theUnited States, and more than one in four will say famous athlete or singer/actor. Pose the same question to their counterparts in the developing world and professions requiring a college education, like teaching and medicine, top the list.

I think that’s fascinating.

The statistics above were reported by NewsUSA this week, findings from the Small Voices, Big Dreams survey, www.childfund.org, which polled close to 5,000 children ages 10 to 12 in 44 countries throughout Africa, Asia and theAmericas— from Afghanistan to Zambia.

Anne Lynam Goddard, president and CEO of ChildFund International, said the survey found that children who grow up in poverty recognize more than anyone the power of education to a successful future. When they are surrounded by poverty, they look for a way out and that way out is education.

I read that story right after I read one about the massive amount money Americans spend on all things princess – from glitter, play castles and tiaras to extravagant dress up party businesses all focused on a fairy tale dream come true.

Here’s my concern. If we’re surrounding our girls with products that emphasize that what’s important is physical appearance and the dream of a man coming to your rescue, well, what’s that saying about their worth? Are we producing a generation of women whose only goal is to compete for the attention of The Bachelor?

That’s a future too troublesome to contemplate.

Play time and fantasy is important, but I think our girls are in trouble.

The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media reports that males outnumber females 3 to 1 in family films. This ratio, as seen in family films, is the same as it was in 1946.

It also found that females are almost four times as likely as males to be shown in sexy attire and twice as likely as males to be shown with diminutive waistlines or completely unrealistic figures.

From 2006 to 2009, not one female character was depicted in G-rated family films in the field of medicine, as a business leader, in law or politics. In these films, the Institute reports, 80.5% of all working characters are male and 19.5% are female. Real-world statistics show that women comprise 50% of the workforce.

Is the message we want to send our girls the fact that women aren’t valuable members of the workforce, or are simply there to be pretty? I don’t think so.

I think we can do better than show our girls that being a princess is all there is. (To quote Geena Davis, “It is a great gig if you can get it, but job openings are few and far between.”)

Let’s learn something from the children in the Small Voices/Big Dreams survey. Let’s place our hopes and dreams in our ability to raise girls who want to learn and use their heads to better our world. They don’t need to wear a tiara to do that.

This is a hard first step, but to effectively coupon, you must change the way you shop. You must be aware of prices and know which items your family regularly uses. Knowing these things, you can stock-up (not horde) these items when they are on sale to avoid the last minute run to the store.

Read the sales ads before you shop. If you look at the sales ad and make a meal plan, you can save a great deal. A meal plan can be as simple as picking three meals you would like to make for dinners this week. Then you can use this as the basis for your grocery list.

For example, if I know whole chickens are on sale at my local grocery store, I can purchase one for this week and perhaps one for the freezer. I know that personally, a whole chicken will feed my family for at least two meals, consuming half a chicken per meal. If I am willing, I can stretch it to a third by making chicken stock for soup.

There are even websites that help you to meal plan. Some give free downloadable templates for you to use, others create online databases of recipes matched with grocery store sales.

Some weeks I seem to meal plan in a theme-like manner if we really need to stretch our grocery budget. Making a large batch of taco meat one night (for tacos) can be recycled into burritos a night or two later in the week, and if you’d like, loaded nachos for a third meal. These meals all work well with beans and rice, and what you use on Monday for a side dish could be used Wednesday as burrito filling, or Friday as a topping for nachos.

If you plan your meals (even a different meal each night), you will save money by only shopping for those ingredients and not running to the store mid-week for a last minute trip for butter or eggs, or chips. These last minute trips to the store are full of impulse buys and can wreck your budget.

Easy meals for our family include pastas, crockpot meals, and build your own Mexican dish dinners. I have found that if I keep the staple items to make these dishes on hand in my pantry, I can simply add the fresh ingredients to my shopping list. Having items your family regularly eats on hand, also helps reduce the urge to eat out, drive through, or pick up a pizza.

Want to save? Start by planning this week’s meals for your family. Let me know how you do!

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Jen is a mommy of three and a local blogger. For more information on Frugal Living, Smart Shopping, and Couponing, visit her blog: www.fresnocouponing.com; follow them on Facebook, or Twitter.

What she really was trying to say was “veterinarian,” but it always came
out “vegetarian.”

She was the kid who always took home the class pet during school vacations, had to visit the pet store every time you came within a mile, begged for a dog, a cat, anything. We finally broke down and got a gerbil, but that didn’t last long, when it continuously bit her. But she just loved animals.

We finally took in a stray cat after moving to Fresno, then added a dog to the mix. And then, she discovered horses! While we avoided owning one of those (they do lease them, thank goodness!), she soon became entranced. Not only do horses hang out at stables, but there’s usually a menagerie of cats, dogs, and sometimes even pigs. Soon my animal lover discovered the joys of working with the disabled and combined the two to graduate from college with an Equine Studies degree and certification as an equine-facilitated therapy instructor. She got a job with a well-known program in Sacramento and loves it.

That’s why it came as a surprise to my husband and I when her Facebook page touted target shooting at a range with photos and commentary on what a great experience it was. We were stunned. Never in my wildest nightmares could I imagine my daughter shooting a gun (maybe a bow and arrow, but that’s about it). This was my kind-hearted, loving child who adored anything animal or human.

When we asked what the heck she was doing, she said it was just for the “experience.” Next thing you know, she’s buying a camouflage jacket and wearing it out with longtime friends when we gathered for dinner. Then she blows us away with the taunt that she needs the jacket to go duck hunting!

The ensuing argument over dinner was fascinating. How could my “vegetarian” child, who actually did grow up to be a vegetarian, even consider hunting? This is the kid who won’t eat red meat, who will only eat chicken if it’s cooked to death, and who would prefer a bowl of vegetables for dinner.

We were all astonished. But that didn’t stop her. She was going hunting with a friend. And by the way, she tells me, her boss is jealous because she’d like to be going. (inference: so it must be OK).

The photos she posted on Facebook include some beautiful sunrise shots; picture-postcard worthy. Then there’s the one of her holding up a dead duck with a smirk on her face.

“I didn’t shoot anything, Mom,” she says. That was a duck her friend shot and he intends to eat it. How does that not bother her?, I ask. She once again brings up the “experience.”

I wish she had shot a duck that day. I’m convinced had she actually shot one, she’d never do it again, thus getting the hunting bug out of her system.

I get that she wants to “experience” new and different things. But this took her entire life’s philosophy to the other extreme.

Did you ever notice how every year there seemed to be some color that was uber popular with EVERYONE on the planet? From clothes to makeup to flippin’ little plastic cups to toasters to Truck Nutz, it seemed like everything would suddenly be following some similar color pattern. And I, in my uninformed brain, would be like HOW DID THEY ALL KNOW? HOW DID THEY ALL INDEPENDENTLY DECIDE THAT TURQUOISE WOULD BE AWESOME THIS YEAR?

For those who were clueless just like I once was- let me enlighten you: Nobody independently decides anything. Like most global decisions, this color thing involves conspiracy and covert decision making and probably the CIA in some capacity.

Every year a secret, elite group of snarky, black-wearing designers meets to discuss the zeitgeist- “the spirit of the age”- and based on such, decides what shall be the Pantone color of the Year. (At least I think that’s how it goes. Maybe it’s just a group of Pantone execs and the CEO of Target.)

Anyway, then the color is decided upon and the WHOLE ENTIRE WORLD lives on pins and needles for the very moment when the color is announced. Will it be Blue Blossom? Succulent Pickle? Iridescent Brown?

This year’s winner: Still not Panettone bread. Which is good for raisin haters. No, this year’s color, Tangerine Tango, “is a bit exotic, but in a very friendly, non-threatening way.” Which makes me happy because I hate- HATE- when I feel threatened by a color. Because I get all, “FORGET YOU, COLOR, I’LL KICK YOUR BUTT” and the color is all, “SCREW YOU, CRAZY LADY, I DO WHAT I WANT. PLUS YOU’RE YELLING AT YOUR SHIRT.” And I have to concede that a violent relationship with my clothing is good for almost no one. (Stupid shirt.)

So there it is: Color of the Year. Enjoy it. Dance with it. Don’t eat it (because it’s not actually food).

Traci Arbios is a mom, stepmom, adoptive mom and working mom. She lives with and writes about her blended family of seven kids, four pets and one amazingly patient husband at www.herdingsquirrels.com. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/herdingsquirrels; contact her at traci@herdingsquirrels.com; or zap her on twitter, @traciAWESOME.

@2012, Traci Arbios.

See more at www.herdingsquirrels.com

By TRACI ARBIOS

I know I shouldn’t complain about being cold. I live in California, where the sun is shining and the only white stuff I’ve seen this winter has been fog. But I can’t help it. I’m cold. And that means I’ve got a serious soup craving. There’s nothing quite like warming up from the inside out. And these two recipes aren’t too horribly bad on the waistband, as well.

Chrissy’s Greek Meatball Soup
24 frozen cocktail size meatballs (the little cocktail ones at Trader Joe’s are the perfect size. The Fresh and Easy ones are just too big for soup.)
2 carrots, thinly sliced on diagonal
1 onion chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried Greek seasoning
1 can (14 ½ oz) chicken broth
½ cup uncooked orzo pasta
2 cups baby spinach, 2 oz. (you can substitute asparagus, or zucchini will work quite fine)
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp dried dill
1 tsp grated lemon zest
Microwave meatballs on High until defrosted, about 2 minutes. Coat pot with cooking spray; place over medium high heat. Add carrots, onion, meatballs, seasoning and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until meatballs are browned, 3-4 minutes. Add broth and 4 cups water; bring to a boil. Stir in orzo and zucchini or asparagus; cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach, dill and zest.

Can you say yum? Chrissy says this recipe first came from Woman’s World magazine.

If you want something a little bit more hearty, try this one inspired by Olive Garden.

Toscana Soup
12 links spicy pork sausage, sliced
1 tabespood vegetable oil
3/4 cup diced onion
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons chicken soup base
4 cups water
2 potatoes, halved and sliced
2 cups sliced kale
1/3 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place sausage links on baking sheet and bake 25 minutes, or until cooked through. Slice into 1/2 inch slices. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent; add garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in broth, water and potatoes; simmer 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add sausage, kale and cream; simmer until heated through and serve.

When I made this recipe, I just browned Italian sausage in a pan instead of using the oven. If you’re watching calories, you could also substitute milk for heavy cream. While the soup was lovely when I served it fresh from the stove, it was sublime the next day, when all the ingredients had a chance to get to know each other and become friends.

I found this recipe via Pinterest, of course, originally found here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/toscana-soup/detail.aspx

Did you know that some companies host FREE events for kids on the weekends?

Here are some great family friendly events that your kids will love, and they WON’T break the bank!

Home Depot: Kids Workshops
Once a month, Home Depot hosts a Kids Workshop where children 5-12 are invited to come out with adult supervision from 9-noon the first Saturday of the month, and build an awesome craft. Kids are given Home Depot aprons, a pin, and certificate of completion. Our kids really enjoyed the build your own dry erase board craft! January’s craft is build a Savings Shed, and in February they can build a Keepsakes Box.

Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinics
Twice a month, Lowe’s hosts their Build and Grow Clinics. They are held at almost every Lowe’s location on designated Saturdays at 10am. Although there is online registration, the stores allow you to walk in with unregistered kiddos. They hand out kits on a first come, first served basis and each child is given their own apron, goggles, patch specific to the craft, and certificate. This month, children can make their own castle and dinosaur crafts on January 14 and 28, respectfully. All tools needed for the crafts are provided.

Disney Store
Each month, the Disney Stores have held some sort of FREE promotional event and this month, the same holds true. The Disney Store has invited children to come dressed as their favorite princess for  an enchanted sing-a-long and craft event. There will be three sessions held January 14 at 10:30, 11:30, and 12:30.

Michael’s
Your local Michael’s store should hold a number of classes and events throughout the month. Some of these events are FREE and some are Family Friendly. On Saturday, January 7th they are hosting a FREE event for children three years of age and over to make a yarn backpack buddy.

Fresno County Library
Your local library can also be a great resource for activities and events for families with children. Check out the event calendar here to sort activities by branch.

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Jen is a mommy of three and a local blogger. For more information on Frugal Living, Smart Shopping, and Couponing, visit her blog: www.fresnocouponing.com; follow them on Facebook, or Twitter.