Monday, July 23, 2012

Socks for Smiles

i have a friend whom i've known since high school. she and her husband adopted a very awesome, very sweet girl a few years ago. this little girl has just THRIVED living with her forever family and has just become a very amazing young lady. but to get to where she is now, she had to go through so much that a young child should never go through. this family has its good days and of course bad days. but their bad days can be very different from others "normal bad days" and their good days can be just as different as well. but they work everything out as a family and take one moment at a time.

her daughter has started, on her own, a very special program. one that i feel can be something anyone can contribute to very simply and see such a great positive change with something so simple: socks.

before she met her forever family, she lived in foster care for years. during that time she was given basic white socks and underpants. while yes they were helpful and needed, seeing all the other girls with their fun funky socks, it pointed out to her another way to felt different. having socks with designs and cartoon characters was a way for her to fit in. now....she wears nothing but loud, colorful, bright, cheerful, happy socks. and i think it's awesome!

she has started Socks for Smiles, a way to collect all kinds of fun, funky, colorful socks to help children still in foster care, not feel so different. it is still very much in its early stages, but i can see this becoming a very awesome thing! just as grown up women feel good with a certain lipstick, matching bra/panty set, shoes, hair style.....these kids can feel just a bit extra special when they look down at their brightly colored feet. please stop by, "like" the page on Facebook and see what you can do to help out a child. I know Target sells great fun socks for about $1.50, Dollar Tree, 99cent store, and Walmart all do as well.

also if you're thinking about adoption or have adopted, please swing by her mom's blog Last Mom. her mom is a great writer and she gives you a great insight into their daily lives and shares her adoption journey.

xoxo,
amanda

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Amanda's Sweet Tea

in my house growing up tea was a major drink. hot. cold. anyway you could get it. blackberry, mint, apple cinnamon, plain, a combo of flavors....any would hit the spot and could make any day better. come summer time my parents both would make pitcher after pitcher after pitcher of sweet iced tea. the sweeter the better. now living in SoCal finding sweet tea is like finding a unicorn. people would look at us funny whenever hubby or i ordered it. even in BBQ places!!!! GASP!!! NO SWEET TEA!?!?!? WTH!?!?! so....i had to make my own. now when we have friends over or go to friends bbq's my tea is always asked for. so with the temps in the grossness and just plain yuck i wanted to share my extremely simple "who knew!?!" sweet tea. super crazy, no brainer easy .




4 tea bags ( i generally use Lipton, but will mix it up with 2 Liption, 2 Earl Grey)
water (i use about almost a full gallon depending on your pitcher size)
2 cup measuring cup
sugar to taste
a pitcher
ice

fill up your 2 cup measuring cup with water and add 4 tea bags (5 if you like your tea stronger) and stick all the in the microwave for 4mins. while that's brewing dump the sugar in your pitcher. i used about what looks like 3/4? of a cup. when i mix flavors of tea i back off the sugar and let the flavors take over.


ding! microwave is done! it'll be hot (duh lol) so be careful. pour the hot tea OVER the sugar in the waiting pitcher. the hotness will melt the sugar and let it all blend together better then pouring the sugar straight in after the tea is already mixed with the water. give it quick little swirl around with a spoon then pour the rest of the water into the tea/sugar mix.

TADA!!!! awesomely yummy, refreshing sweet tea! stick the pitcher in the fridge to chill for awhile but before you do, grab your fav glass, fill it with ice and pour that yummy sweetness over it and go find a shady spot and go chill yourself!

Enjoy!!


what are some of your favorite summer time drinks?

xoxo
-amanda