How to Tell A Fortune

Take it from one who knows! 

Come closer and let Zoltar tell your fortune no?

Here's some interesting fortune telling methods you may have never heard of!

Alectryomancy was the practice of divining the future through the fortune telling powers of a pure white chicken. First, a chicken was placed amid piles of grain. Each pile represented a letter, and the answer the diviner sought was spelled out by the chicken pecking at the piles.

Parrot Astrology originated in southern India and gained the most popularity in Singapore. Despite its name, the birds used to divine the future are actually parakeets, usually green. Though every fortune-teller has his own unique style, a session often begins with the customer saying their name while the fortune-teller sets out a number of cards based on Indian cosmology. They will then open the bird’s cage, and the parakeet walks out and selects a card to determine the customer’s fortune. Once a card is chosen, the bird returns to its cage.

Asparamancy A self-fashioned “asparamancer” residing in England, mystic Jemima Packington, claims to be able to predict the future using spears of asparagus. She says she has been reading asparagus since she was eight years old, having inherited the “gift” from her grandmother, who practiced reading tea leaves. Her method of divination amounts to tossing the vegetables in the air and “reading” how they land.

 Pawmistry

“Pawmistry” is like palmistry! You can learn to read your cat's paw from a book. Pawmistry: How to Read Your Cats Paws claims to teach you how to read your cat’s fortune via the lines and shape of its feet. Performing a reading, the authors claim, will make you a better caregiver with a deeper understanding of your pet.

Automatic writing is writing without conscious effort. The messages scrawled were believed to come from outside entities, at least at first. It came into vogue as a way to communicate with supernatural beings, especially the dead, and aliens after its use by the Fox sisters, famed diviners who have been linked to the creation of spiritualism.

Read about Zoltar at  http://durangotoydepot.com/zoltar-forunte-teller-machine-speaks.html

 

 

Fun Fall Facts

 Fun Fall Facts!

1.According to NASA, autumn is “aurora season” because geomagnetic storms are about twice as frequent as the annual average during the fall.

2.Each autumn, monarch butterflies migrate from the U.S. to Mexico and some parts of Southern California. They fly at speeds ranging between 12 and 25 miles per hour. Monarch butterflies are the only insect that migrates to a warmer climate that is 2,500 miles away!

3. You’re bound to see pumpkins as part of autumn decor. The pumpkin was first named by the Greeks. They called this edible orange item “pepon,” which means “large melon.”

4. While the actual origin of apples is not known, it is likely the apple tree originated between the Caspian and the Black Seas. There is proof that man has enjoyed apples for at least 750,000 years. Apples were a favorite of the ancient Romans and Greeks.
Early settlers of the United States brought apple seeds with them. According to records belonging to the Massachusetts Bay Company, apples were grown in New England as early as 1630. As the United States was settled, traders, missionaries and Native Americans transported apple seeds west. John Chapman, also known as Johnny Appleseed, was responsible for extensive apple tree plantings in the Midwest.


5. The Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is a coffee drink with more than 200 million sold since it was introduced in 2003.

Reasons to Garden with Your Kids.....

We're not saying you "should" garden with your kids, and we're not jumping on the "expert" bandwagon either. 

We've just got some wisdom to share with you..... ready?

Wisecrack #1. Vitamin D au naturale! That's right get right out there with the sunshine and soak up nature's own vitamin D. Of course, one should slather on the sunscreen, wear a hat and sunglasses. Yeah and don't forget the fresh air and exercise that sneaks in to garden activity.
#2. Teaches About Nature … and More! We're talkin hands-on skills that broadens awareness of the world around you. You can teach the kids why butterflies and bees help pollinate plants,  why the right amounts of water and sun are needed to get gardens to grow. You can also share many teachable moments in your garden. Opportunities abound to teach kids about biology, math, history, nutrition, entomology (the study of bugs), weather and more.
#3. Get the kids actively involved in nutrition! Not only does a vegetable garden provide fresh produce for the table, it  teaches the importance of fruits and vegetables in the diet and encourages your kids to actually eat the darn things. Your kids would love the chance to pluck sugar snaps,  cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and green beans right from the plant and eat them fresh from their garden. Vegetables that might be looked at with resistance when they come from the supermarket are suddenly favorites when they come from your own garden.
#4. Raising children is about preparing them for life. There’s something magical about gardening. The tiny seeds that grow into healthy edible plants.  The bird that swoops down to capture a juicy worm. The deer and rabbits that find your garden tastes better than your neighbors. The end of the growing season when the plants start to die back for winter. All these lessons can be a wonderful reminder to be patient while things grow, and to keep the faith the seasons are changing when some things die away. Besides, as human beings our brains are wired to be out in nature. Perhaps that’s why it’s feels so natural to be out there.
#5. Foster a sense of responsibility. Being invested and involved in a garden means that the associated weeding and watering chores are shared and the kids can learn that they are responsible for the care of what is in the garden.
#6. Promote Self- Confidence. Set a goal with the kids like growing a patch of sunflowers and carrots, for example  and set about achieving it. When the kids can see the tangible results of their efforts, it creates a sense of achievement and pride in their work. Being able to sit at the dinner table and say “I grew this” boosts self esteem.
#7. Build a family bond and teach cooperation. When the whole family works together in the garden, you share time, knowledge, effort, and ultimately success, much like a sporting team. Go team go!
#8. Racing Vegetables! It's true! When you plant the garden, what will sprout first? What will mature first? What veggies will mature last? Do you have any cold season crops?
#9. Get some dirt under your fingernails! Smell the earth, Feel the soil, ground yourself! Feel each step as you walk to the garden and back to the house.
#10.UNPLUG. Oh yes, unplug, walk away from electronics and find your happy place in the garden sanctuary. If for no other reason than to have a few minutes  of "me" time or spend a few minutes with one of the kids learning about their day......

What's New from Klutz?

 What's new from our friends at Klutz? 
We just couldn't resist giving this Klutz classic a little polish . . . Nail Art is getting a fresh look with all- new photography, layout, and design - plus new polish colors, an exclusive fine-tipped detail brush, and gorgeous new designs.
This time-tested favorite is a fully-photographic instruction book packed with tips, techniques, and over 35 designs to paint on fingernails (and toenails, too). With 6 colors of water-based, non- toxic, peel-off nail paints, you can try every design idea on (and off - and on - and off) with no nail polish remover required.
From apples to zigzags, there's something here to please even the most finicky fingertips!

 There's a reason Klutz's magic books have sold like, well, magic, with more than 3.5 million books in print. We think it's because the pure joy of wowing a roomful of onlookers with some deft, old-school magic is still the greatest thrill around for a kid (and, ahem, some adults).
That's why we've created Prankster Magic, a fool-your- friends book of tricks that combines all-new material with the best from out-of-print books such as Coin Magic, No-Practice Magic, and Card Trickery. Written in the notorious Klutz Immaturity voice, this book includes sections on coin tricks, card tricks, and (how did you know?) mind reading. These are easy pranks and quick tricks - no hokey hocus-pocus, no need to borrow someone's rabbit - just the sweet spot between mischief and amazement!

Chain Reactions is packed full of ideas, instructions, and inspiration for 10 LEGO machines that spin, swing, pivot, roll, lift, and drop. Each machine alone is awesome, but put them together and you get incredible chain reactions. Then, combine the machines in any order you like to create your own chain reactions. Our team of experts worked with educators and 11-year-olds to invent the machines, then wrote a book that teaches the skills (and some of the physics behind the fun) kids need to create their own amazing chain reaction machines.
Our book includes 33 special LEGO elements that combine with basic bricks from your collection to make your machines go. But don't worry that you won't have the right bricks; we worked with the folks at LEGO to make sure you'll need only the most common bricks, and that there are plenty of substitutes. The result is a chain reaction of fun, as one thing leads to another and another and another.....
Check out these and many more Klutz books at: Durango Toy Depot

What Can I say to my worried child?

Worries look different for every child. Not every one of these strategies will work for your kids. You are the expert on your child. If you try something and it makes their worries worse, don’t panic. Just pick something else from the list to try next time. Eventually, you will find a few phrases that are effective for sending a calm, encouraging and empowering message to your child.

We hope these phrases help... from http://lemonlimeadventures.com

• “I am here; you are safe.” Anxiety has a way of making things look worse and feel scarier than when we are not feeling worried. These words can offer comfort and safety when your child is feeling out of control, especially if they are at the height of their worry. If you’re not sure what to say, this is an excellent go-to phrase!

• “Tell me about it.” Give your child room to talk about their fears without interrupting. Some children need to have time to process through their thoughts. Do not offer solutions or try to fix it. Children sometimes do better with a set amount of time: “Let’s talk about your worries for 10 minutes.”

• “How big is your worry?” Help your child verbalize the size of their worry and give you an accurate picture of how it feels to them. They can represent their worry by using arm length (hands close together or arms stretched wide apart) or by drawing three circles on a paper (small, medium and large) and choosing the one that applies.

• “What do you want to tell your worry?” Explain to your child that worry is like an annoying “worry bug” that hangs around telling them to be worried. Create a few phrases, then give them permission to talk back to this “worry bug.” They can even try to be bossy: “Go away!” or “I don’t have to listen to you!” Use silly voices, and try it loud and quiet.

• “Can you draw it?” Encourage your child to draw, paint or create their worries on paper. When they are finished, make observations, and give them a chance to explain the significance: “That’s a lot of blue!”You can even have them create a worry monster that will eat their worries.

• “Let’s change the ending.” Anxious children often feel stuck in the same pattern without a way out. Help them see different options by telling their story, but leaving off the ending. Then, create a few ones. Some can be silly, but at least one should be realistic for your child. Focus on your child conquering their fears with confidence!

• “What other things do you know about (fill in the blank)?” Some children feel empowered when they have more information about their fear (especially things like tornadoes, bees, elevators, etc.). Grab a book from the library, do a science experiment, research the fear together.
• For more on this article check out the article here:: anxious child

Road Trip Boredom Busters

She'sTOUCHING me!!! 

She's LOOKING at me!!!!

Have you ever heard those cries from the back seat as your driving along to get away for the weekend?  Ever hear those words when you're just going into town to run some errands?

That’s right!! Travel is not always exciting. There will be dull times when the kids aren't always able to read a book,  play road trip bingo, color, or doodle in their journals.
That’s when you need a good repertoire of games to spontaneously play with your kids and family. Some will be popular games that you can find online and long-forgotten games from your childhood, and you might be surprised just how necessary they’ll be  and how much fun you’ll have  when you want to fill some of those inevitably empty hours on the road.
Here's three to get you started.
Game #1 I SPY.... “I spy, with my little eye, something beginning with A”, and the other players have to guess what object you can see. It would make sense to limit the number of guesses so everything in sight doesn't get named and everyone gets stumped or just plain gives up because this is far too difficult. Try to limit the "I SPY" objects to items in the vehicle or motel room or restaurant or wherever you decide to play.

#2 The Alphabet Game... The Alphabet Game starts with A. Be the first person to spot the letter “A” in a sign and yell out the word: “A is in motorwAy!” Continue with B and get right through to Z. It sounds easy, but there will be a few tricky letters, and if you’re playing in a non-English speaking country then pronouncing the words will be a lot of fun, too. There’s no winner because anybody can scream out the next letter when they see it — but natural competitiveness spurs everybody on anyway.

#3 City, Country, River ... Choose three or four categories like the names of a city, country, river or lake. To be honest, I’m terrible with rivers so I always change the river category to something completely different  like food, because I like to talk about food. Take a letter in turns to challenge another player to think of a city, country and river all starting with a particular letter. If your mom challenges you with “D”, for example, you can win by getting out Dubai, Denmark and Danube in under sixty seconds  or whatever time limit you and your family has decided on.

How to Make A Fun Lunch!

Who says lunch and snack time can't be fun?

Everyone remembers comfort food when they're a grown up. The term comfort food has been traced back at least to 1966, when a Florida newspaper used it in a story: “Adults, when under severe emotional stress, turn to what could be called ‘comfort food’—food associated with the security of childhood, like mother’s poached egg or famous chicken soup.

Comfort food is traditional food which often provides a nostalgic or sentimental feeling to the diner, and is often characterized by a high carbohydrate level and simple preparation. The nostalgic element most comfort food has may be specific to either the individual , a couple of my of my comfort foods are ghoulash, cinnamon rolls, vegetable beef soup and a BLT (bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich). 

It seems as though as hard as I try,  still cannot get these comfort foods to taste as good as when my mom used to make them! There's plenty of TLC in my kitchen and sometimes it really takes all day to make some of these comfort foods. I love the chemical reactions that take place making cinnamon rolls, watching the flour and yeast rise to a great big lump in a bowl on the counter then punching it down to watch it rise again. It's so hard to wait when they come out of the oven to cool enough to taste!

The beef soup comes from My Grandma's house. Oxtail actually. simmering on the stove all day while the vegetables cook together in the rich beef broth. Oxtails are interesting as they add great flavor, meat, and just enough yum! It's very relaxing to me to chop and slice fresh vegetable to add to the soup pot. They're pretty too, carrots, celery, onion, a little of this, a little of that till it's just right!

When I was growing up it seemed as though the first snow of the year was a special day as my mom would make oxtail soup and cinnamon rolls for supper that day! I try to relive those days every year....