picnic affairs 2011
picnic affairs 2011
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picnic affairs 2011
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picnic affairs 2011
picnic affairs 2011
picnic affairs 2011
picnic affairs 2011
Do you live in the Charlotte, NC area? Are you trying to save some money this summer by staying close to home for your vacation? You'll love going on a picnic in one of Mecklenburg County's great parks! The Mecklenburg County Parks and Recreation Department has broken the County into five Park Regions. In this series of articles we'll feature at least one park from each of these regions. In this article we'll start with Reedy Creek Park from the East Park Region.
Reedy Creek Park at 2900 Rocky River Road has something for everyone from the adventurer to the laid back soul to the kids to the family dog. It features one indoor and nine outdoor pavilions that can be reserved for your family reunion or corporate event. Each of these pavilions has grills and plenty of picnic tables for your event. There are also plenty of individual picnic tables spread around the park for your convenience.
If you're looking to work up a sweat, there are several options for you at Reedy Creek Park. My favorite is the 18 hole disc golf course. This course takes playing frisbee to a whole new level. The object is to throw your disc through a chain link "hole" several hundred feet away. The hilly course winds through the woods and crosses water to challenge even the most skilled disc golfer. You'll be surprised at the workout this game will give you. If disc golf isn't your game, there are volleyball courts, softball fields, a basketball court and soccer fields to keep you busy. One of the soccer fields can be configured into a regulation cricket pitch. Did you know that anyone even plays cricket in the United States?
The park borders on the Reedy Creek Nature Center and Preserve. The Preserve has 10 miles of well marked hiking trails that will offer you the opportunity to get back to nature with a great variety of wildlife. The trails will take you up and down hills, across streams and through meadows as you see a variety of birds, mammals and assorted plant life. The trails vary in difficulty from easy to quite strenuous so make sure you stop at the Nature Center and check out the map before you start hiking. Dogs are allowed on the trails as long as they're kept on leashes no more than six feet in length. Please clean up after your dog.
The Nature Center itself is open Monday - Saturday from 9:00 to 5:00 and Sunday from 1:00 to 5:00. The Nature Center features live animals, an exhibit hall and a gift shop. Perhaps the best thing about the Nature Center are the educational programs they offer. During the summer season they have almost daily programs that range from "Hovering Hummingbirds" to "P.L.A.N.T. Club" (Preschoolers Learning About Nature Together). For more information, search for Reedy Creek Park's Facebook page.
For those of us who like to take things a bit slower, Reedy Creek Park has horseshoe pits, fishing in two different ponds and plenty of space to just kick back and relax. If you're going to fish, you'll need a license if you're aged 16 or over. There are also playgrounds for the kids.
Remember I said there was even something for the family dog? Barkingham Park is a four acre fenced in dog park where you can let your best friend off his leash and let him run around. Dogs have to be fully documented and current in their vaccinations to be allowed in the park and children under 12 have to remain outside the dog park.
In our next article, we'll pay a visit to Freedom Park in the Central Park Region. Freedom Park is thought of as Charlotte's version of New York's Central Park. Stay tuned.
Decorative picnic baskets come in many sizes, styles, and artistic flares. They can be packed with some basic cheeses and cracker varieties with a couple of napkins, or they can be full-on feasts for four to eight people, stocked richly with salmon, caviar, fruit, vegetables, sweets, wine, water jugs, dinnerware, silverware, glassware, corkscrews, and cutting boards.
Decorative picnic baskets tend to display their contents openly, with no lid. Sometimes, they are so full that they pop out of the basket for display purposes. For this reason, they make perfect gifts.
Everybody recognizes the classic rattan-woven picnic basket with the wooden handle and two flaps. You can almost smell the fresh bread wrapped in kitchen cloth, the cheeses and crackers, the freshly opened bottle of wine emanating from under the lids. These are often called vintage picnic baskets.
Another style of picnic basket has a body that almost resembles a wooden fence around a cottage. The handles splay out from the sides, and the goodies practically overflow from the edges of the basket. It makes a wonderful gift upon arrival at a reunion, or a great gift of thanks upon departure.
Still, other decorative picnic baskets can be more functional, as well as gorgeous. A wicker basket might have a lid that, when you open it, unveils a stack of plates held in place by a red ribbon, a lovely warm picnic blanket on the bottom that also acts as a cushion, the beautiful inlaid woodwork on the enclosed silverware -- the possibilities go on and on and on.
We all have had a crush at one time or another in our lives. Sometimes, a crush is something that lives only within our hearts, bound never to see the light of day. Other times, having a crush on someone leads eventually to asking them out, dating, and even marriage.
The trickiest time in a crush situation is right when things are in that in-between stage. This is that awkward time when you have let the other person know (either directly or through lots of flirting) that you like them, but you are not yet sure where things are headed.
If your "in-between" crush has a birthday coming up, this could be a great time to show your feelings for him or her with a well-chosen gift. Of course, choosing the right gift for a crush is not always easy. You will want to give him or her something that is not over-the-top romantic, but at the same time that expresses that you care.
For someone choosing a birthday gift for a crush, here are 3 ideas for guy and girl crushes.
3 Birthday Gift Ideas For Guy Crushes
For when your crush is a guy, here are 3 birthday gift ideas:
1. Food gift basket:
There are two kinds of food gift baskets: gourmet and snack. For the majority of guys, go with a snack food gift basket. You can find them with themes like golf or football. They are a great to give to the guy who wants to hang out with his friends - or with you - in a social atmosphere.
2. Multi-tool:
There probably is not a guy on the planet who does not like multi-tools. As you will recall, these are the little tools that used to be more commonly known as pocket knives. Nowadays, you can get multi-tools that have an amazing array of functions he will love - all in a portable little tool he can take with him anywhere.
3. DVD of guy movie:
Men love movies. A safe bet is a DVD featuring a guy movie classic like Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson, or Jet Li.
3 Birthday Gift Ideas For Girl Crushes
Here are 3 birthday gift ideas for the girl crush in your life:
1. Gardening kit:
Not every girl gardens, but for those who have an apartment or home with a yard, gardening is a wonderful hobby. If your girl crush has never even picked up a shovel or a spade, don't worry: this kit will get her started.
2. Coffee and tea basket:
For career women, students and homemakers alike, coffee and tea are favorite beverages to pass the time. A coffee and tea gift basket usually comes with some cookies or other goodies to munch on, making your gift extra-special for them. Maybe you can even arrange to "drop by" sometime when they are having a cup of coffee from your basket.
3. Gift card:
Still not sure what to get her? Women love gift cards. You can either buy her the type that is dedicated to a particular website or brand, or you can get her one with a major credit card symbol like Visa or American Express that she can use for any type of goods or services.
Try any of these ideas when choosing just the right birthday gift for a guy or girl crush.
Gift baskets will always be popular and a great idea to give as a gift. People love to receive gift baskets. Making your own chocolate lover's gift basket is cheap and easy.
You can fill it with a variety of inexpensive items and there are lots of choices.ou can easily customize each chocolate theme gift basket to your recipient.
I've put together a few great ideas for making a chocolate lover's gift basket, complete with instructions on how to make them. You can make inexpensive gift baskets or expensive gift baskets depending on your budget.
First make a list of your recipient's hobbies and interests. List everything you can think of.
Suggestions: sports, books, television shows, in-house hobbies, outdoor recreation, camping, workshop, enjoy working with tools, golf, fishing, computer-related, environment friendly, golf, and tennis.
Also relaxation, food, wine, spa, bath and body, fruit, cookie, crafts, gardening, etc. You can tie in any interests into your chocolate theme. These are just a few ideas.
You can find many inexpensive items for use in making your gift baskets or filling your gift baskets, at 'dollar' stores, craft stores, party stores, discount outlets, flea markets, close-out stores, etc.
For gift containers you can use: any type of basket, wicker basket, straw basket, bucket, laundry basket, plastic container, toy dump truck or other large toy truck, purse, tin, Christmas tin, seasonal container, large tea pot, large upside-down hat, or plastic storage container-put lid underneath.
Other items might be: extra-large coffee mug, boot, potted plant holder, wire basket, large pasta bowl, large popcorn bowl, cooking pot, clay pot, tackle box, colander, small wagon, skillet, antique trunk, champagne bucket, hamper, Asian-style trunk or picnic basket.
For gift basket liner you can use: tissue paper, shredded paper, shredded newspaper, tea towels, dish towels, hand towels, kitchen towels, colored towels, colored napkins, placemats, diapers, baby blankets or fabric pieces.
For gift basket filler you can use: shredded colored paper, straw, Easter basket grass, crumpled newspaper comics, a bed of wrapped chocolates or other wrapped candy.
For items in the container it'll depend on the specialty or theme of the gift basket - in this case Chocolate! With chocolate it's best not to include any fragrant items, unless they are wrapped in such a way that they don't give off any fragrance. Here's a small random sampling to give you some good ideas:
Gift certificate for massage or spa visit, gift certificate to favorite store, gift certificate for restaurant, loofah, CD of nature sounds, favorite artist CD, DVD of newer release movie, how-to video or CD, handwritten poem, watch, framed photo, inspirational book, spa pillows, bath pillows, spa supplies, or a small fluffy towel.
Also flavored teas, green tea, specialty tea, herbal tea, biscotti, tea infuser, healthy snacks, fancy chocolates, boxed chocolates, chocolate bars, hot chocolate mix, specialty coffee mix, homemade chocolate chip cookies, homemade brownies, chocolate fudge, and Ghirardelli chocolates.
Or chocolate covered raisins, chocolate covered strawberries, Hershey chocolates, dark chocolates, white chocolates, chocolate bars, chocolate covered cherries, Belgian chocolates, chocolate mints, and chocolate covered pretzels.
How about miniature or giant-size chocolate animals, gourmet chocolate candies, Tootsie Rolls, nuts, homemade chocolate-based cookies, pre-packaged chocolate food items, brownie mixes,and chocolate chip cookie mixes.
And wooden spoons, your best chocolate chip cookie recipe, your favorite hand-written chocolate recipes, chocolate dessert recipes, chocolate fudge recipes, hot chocolate or cocoa mixes in fancy packets, coffee mug for cocoa, movie tickets and cinnamon sticks.
You can use as many chocolate items as you like. You can make your basket with all chocolate items or mix in a few non-chocolate items.
For gift basket wrapping you can use tulle netting or I like to use cellophane wrap. You can buy it in large rolls. Look for specialty packaging outlets where you can buy it wholesale.
Tie off the wrapped basket with ribbon. Wired fabric ribbon is best if you have it. For bows: You can use pre-packaged bows but making your own bows is easy and the best if you can do it. Use a large or huge bow.
Assemble all your gift basket items, tools you need, etc. Now line your selected gift container. Now stuff the selected filler into the gift basket to give added height to your items. Place, layer and arrange your selected items on the filler in the gift container. Put the larger items in the back, the smaller items in front.
Fill in the holes or prop up with more filler (shredded paper, Easter basket grass, wrapped chocolates, napkins or holiday napkins etc. Also you can use 'picks' of artificial flowers to fill in space.
Place your cellophane or other wrap under the gift basket. Center the gift basket on the wrap. Bring the cellophane or other wrap over the top of the gift basket and tie it with ribbon and or a beautiful bow! Use ribbon and bows to match your theme colors. Tuck a card in the ribbon and that's it!
You can find fabric or wired ribbon cheaply at Costco-- especially in the fall prior to Christmas but often throughout the year in some stores. You can shred paper in a paper shredder. If you're going to need a lot of cellophane you can purchase it wholesale through the packaging specialty stores throughout the U.S. but should be easily found in craft stores.
General tips: Try to use non-perishable items. Use freshly packaged food items, because even packaged crackers and cookies can go stale in a couple of months. You can find filler flower 'picks' at garage sales for pennies. If you buy wholesale they are usually around a dollar each.
Also there's nothing like learning how to make gift baskets from a video or DVD for making cheap and easy gift baskets. You can view it over and over again and share with your children, other family members and friends.
You can even charge for classes with your new-found knowledge and/or start a home based business if you so desire. In any event, making a chocolate lover's gift basket is cheap and easy and will be thoroughly appreciated by the chocolate lover recipient.
I really hope you love to pray. I'm sure that God hangs on your every word as the Lover of your soul. Our little ones can begin to love prayer and introducing them to the beloved Lord's Prayer is a perfect place to start. Here is a fun and creative way to help your preschoolers learn this prayer of Jesus. I call it "Praying the Lord's Prayer".
Here's what you do:
This activity really doesn't require any preparation. The only thing you, the teacher, needs to do is practice delivering the following story along with its actions.
Here's the story:
I can pray to God anytime I like. I can pray to God anywhere I go. Praying to God is just talking to God. So let's talk to God right now. We are going to pretend we are on an adventure going here and there. I will start praying "Our Father who art in Heaven" while jumping over this river. (Pretend you see a river and "jump" over it.) Now I stretch my hands up high to the sky and say, "Hallowed be Thy name." (Stretch your hands up high over your head.) Look! There's a tall tree up ahead. (Point to "the tree".) I love climbing trees! Here we go! As I wrap my hands around the trunk ("wrap" your hands around the "trunk" and pretend to climb during the following lines.) I say, "Thy kingdom come." I'm going to go a little higher and say, "Thy will be done". Let's climb a little higher and say, "on earth as it is in Heaven."
Look! We're up so high it feels like we can touch Heaven. (Reach one hand way up.) Whoa! I'm feeling a little dizzy. (Act like you're dizzy.) We better climb down out of this tree fast. (Quickly "climb down the tree".) I'm feeling kind of hungry. Look, there's a picnic basket! (Point to the "picnic basket".) Let's see what's inside and I will pray, "Give us this day our daily bread". Oooh! Yummy chicken. (Pretend to eat a chicken leg.) And cold milk. (Pretend to drink the milk.) Oh, dear! I'm feeling a little sleepy. (Give a pretend yawn.) I'm going to lay down and as I do I will pray, "forgive us our debts or sins...(Yawn again.)...as we forgive our debtors or those who sinned against us." OK. That's enough of a nap, (Sit up or stand up from your "nap".)
We need to get back to our adventure. Look! I see a cave up ahead. As we quietly tiptoe toward the cave I will pray, "lead us not into temptation". (Pretend to tiptoe to the "cave".) Shhh! I think I hear some snoring. (Put your hand to your ear.) I'm going to pray, "deliver us from evil". The snoring is getting louder (look scared) and louder and louder. I wonder who is inside. Let's peek inside. (Lean over as peeking inside.) Oh no! It's a bear! (Scream, "Ahhh!") As we run away, I will pray, "For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever". Ah! We're safe! We are back home and I will end my prayer with, "Amen!"
Before playing this Christian preschool activity, you might want to introduce the lesson in the following way:
Boys and girls, when we pray we are talking to God. God loves it when you talk or pray to Him. You can talk to God about anything you want. You can tell Him when you are happy. You can tell Him when you are sad. You can ask Him for things you would like to have or for things you need. You can ask Him to help your friends. There are so many things that you can pray about. Jesus loved to pray to God, His Father. Let's play a game to help us learn one of the prayers that Jesus prayed. It's called "The Lord's Prayer". Here we go!