Dear Faithful Followers...

Hello!

Thanks for sticking with me. I do plan to take up blogging on this blog again. I am anticipating beginning again in a couple more months (hopefully we will be through with major life whammies by then). If you want to know what will be coming, you can read through older posts to get an idea of what kinds of things to expect in the future.

If you need something in particular, you can get my email address by clicking on "view my complete profile" link on the right side bar.

Cherish each hour!

Mama Rika

Mama Rika's Family FUNdraiser!

Lots of crazy things going on around here. Therefore, you get benefits! All proceeds go towards our college kids, missionary, moving and surprise baby. Thanks for passing the word along. :)

We have lots of stuff for sale. All online products listed below are 10% off with code. Anyone from anywhere can order these products. In order to obtain any of the rest of the items you would need to live close by so that you can pick the items up.

To receive 10% off any of the following new items, follow these instructions:

1. Go to my page on Lulu.com (or click the item link)
2. Click "Buy" and enter code ' IDES ' at checkout.
3. You will save 10% off your purchase!
4. Offer expires March 31, 2010 at 11:59 PM EDT

NEW:

Out of the Mouth of Babes (book)

Childbirth: Preparing for the Miracle (book)
Mama Rika’s Travel Kit Sheet music: Peruse the pages of my lulu store to look at all these, or go here to see a list of all my songs (minus the ones I haven't had time to get updated). A lot of the songs on the list are free to download.

~~Holiday
~~Educational
~~Inspirational
~~Silly
~~1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 part Vocal
~~Piano arrangements
~~(Any of my music)

If you want Angels Round About Us or others you don't see on the list, email me to get a copy.

Marika Lee “He’s the One” (CD’s) {This one isn't on lulu. Order directly from me and receive the great price of $5 + S/H}

Storyoni on CD (game) {Not on lulu yet, but should be soon, will update link}
Storyoni in binder (game) {Not on lulu}
Fairy Tales (audio books) {Not on lulu yet, but should be soon, will update link}

Collegiate Sportswear {Not on lulu, at the sale only.}

Baked Goods:
Bread

Cinnamon Rolls
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Snickerdoodles

Holiday Pretzels Peanutbutter Cookies
Rice Krispie Treats Cobbler
& More

Services:
Kids for hire:
~~Babysitting
~~Yard work
~~Odd jobs-painting, house cleaning, etc.
~~Animal care
Bring your grain and we will grind it for you

Used:
Furniture
Bookcases/shelves (2 like first pic) Also, black garage shelves.

Dining table (with 2 leaves)
Benches (2 identical)
Chairs (2 white back, 2 design back)
Granite coffee table (black. This matches the granite topped thingy below.)
Large granite topped “thingy” (We used it to hold videos, dvds, misc. in drawers. Matches the coffee table above.)
Large computer desk
Bunk bed (Wooden with ladder)
Entertainment center (tv & stuff not included)
Dresser

Clothing
Boys
Girls
Many different sizes

Baskets
Varying sizes and shapes and styles

Books
Educational
LDS
Children’s

Fiction

Nonfiction

Misc.
Knick Knacks

Educational items
Random other items

MORE...............

Games:
The only game you can participate in online would be the "Name that baby contest". If you want to share a baby boy name that you think would fit one of our clan, please email me with your entry.

Free stuff:

Weights set (bench with the round weights to add on)

Desk

Golf Magazines

Miscellaneous

I will add more pictures and links as they become available. Thanks for checking out this page. Feel free to share the link to this page with others.

Mama Rika's Christmas Story, Scripture & Song Countdown!

Like every year, we read a Christmas story and scripture and sing a Christmas song. Since I posted this for you all daily last year, I am just going to link to those posts for you here. If you click on the link, you will be able to see the scripture, story and song for the day. Come back to get each new day's advent readings!

We get to start this warm and fuzzy tradition with a scripture from Isaiah 7:14, sing Angels We Have Heard on High, and read the beloved story The Gift of the Magi. That is for December 1. Click on consecutive days to see what each day's reading holds.

December 1
December 2
December 3
December 4
December 5
December 6
December 7
December 8
December 9
December 10
December 11
December 12
December 13
December 14
December 15
December 16
December 17
December 18
December 19
December 20
December 21
December 22
December 23
December 24

Merry, Merry Christmas!

Sigh! says Mama Rika and the Rest of 'em.

Sorry to my ever-so-patient, loving and loyal readers. Don't give up on me. I'll be back in full swing again sometime. We are going through several major life changes right now and I just haven't seemed to have the time/energy/creativity/excuse, excuse, excuse...to keep up with my blog. I'll pop in from time to time here through the holidays, but my posts may seem a little sparse compared to what they were. Anyway, thanks for sticking with me. Here are a few pictures just for fun.


Perhaps I am crazy for letting a 22 month old help knead the bread dough. He was so cute, though. How could I resist?
This is AWESOME! (At least I think that is what he is thinking.)


Tree climbing--not for sissies!

Baby flop!

How do you like this fashion statement?
Have a FANTASTIC day! Don't forget to be thankful! :) SMILES :)

If at First You Don't Succeed...Try an Alternative (Mama Rika)

Feeling stressed and overwhelmed, I didn't answer Princess in a very nice manner when she asked if she could do something. I told her, "No. And I don't want to hear any whining or bugging me about it."


Surprisingly her reception of my comments seemd rather compliant. That is until she turned back around with a grin and asked, "Well, can I bug Dad about it then?"

What a Fun Day! (Mama Rika)

Not only did our favorite football team win on Saturday, but we were able to have wonderful weather for a barbecue and tree climbing! How many monkeys do you see?

Hmmm. I think he can reach the top.

Judging by the expression on both of their faces, you would think they aren't having any fun. However, both the oldest and the youngest had a blast. How could you not when lots of your favorite things are happening...lots of food, football, etc. In fact, Chubby sat on my lap for most of the game munching ice, chips and other things while watching ball! Ball! BALL!

Before the sun was completely down, Peanut had success in getting to the tippy top! :) You would never have known that was his hand had I not pointed it out, huh?

How nice it is to have a few hours of relaxation in the middle of the chaos of life. Sometimes ya just gotta get some, huh?!

p.s. there aren't pics of Nan simply because she chose the mall over football. (Imagine that.)

Mama Rika's Baby Sings Star Wars

A month or two ago, Chubby became fascinated with listening to the Imperial March with his brother. Now he sings it off and on all day. He also likes to sing along to songs by Journey. Without a doubt, his favorite thing to sing is the Star Wars Imperial March! Enjoy!



Here's my youtube channel in case you are interested in watching more. http://www.youtube.com/user/CompleteLeeVideo

You can always go to www.completelee.com to find links to all these sorts of things. (FYI, we are revamping the website for easier use. Hopefully that will be completed sooner rather than later!)

Mama Rika Takes a Break

Whew! I need a break! So, I am authorizing one. I just thought I would let you know that there may or may not be blog posts for another week or two as I attempt to organize my life and catch a breath and all that stuff. Thanks for sticking with me. I'll try to have updates on what we are doing for school, our family vacation, wisdom teeth removal survival tips, mission prep updates, more hymn scripture and stories, more recipes, a new monthly challenge, and ideas & tips on all sorts of topics! It'll be fun! See ya soon. :)

Sad, But True...Mama Rika

It is. It is sad, but truly unavoidable. Those sweet little chubby babies turn into toddlers. Don't get me wrong. I absolutely love toddlers. Toddlers are wonderful and cute and precious and silly and curious and more. But, as soon as I notice one of my babies has turned into a toddler, I realize again how quickly they grow up and it tugs my heartstrings. Today marked one of these milestones for me.

After months of listening to 14 year old Sticky harping relentlessly about the length of his little brother's hair, I finally succumbed to the pressure and gave Chubby his first hair cut. He's 18 months old. His hair refused to grow at the front, but got quite long at the back, so I kept leaving it uncut so that he would at least look like he had hair. His biggest brother teased that he sported a mullet hairdo. Various siblings proclaimed we could braid and/or put a ponytail in his hair.

As you can see from this shot, it really wasn't that bad. It was long enough to curl under, so it didn't look as long as it was.

I stuck him in the tub and pulled out a comb and scissors. He likes to have his hair combed, so that helped him be a little less wiggly. It was still difficult to cut a straight line. I'm sure you can relate if you have ever tried to trim a little person's hair!

And, here is my handsome little Chubby admiring his new look in the mirror. He's definitely into toddlerhood now. Next, we are working on potty training. He is off to a good start in the learning process.

Now, tell me truthfully, do you cry when your babies grow up?

5 Minutes for Patriotism & Family Fun with Mama Rika

This month's 5 minute series is two-fold. I want to make sure that I am fully appreciative of this great land in which I live and I want to make sure my family knows it too! Also, summer should be a time for family fun. Besides all that, I am feeling stressed and need to make sure to put a few little fun things in my day!

Please feel free to join me in making this month a special one!

So, here you have a dozen ideas on being patriotic this month. All of which can take about 5 minutes.
1. Plan (and then do) something to support our troops. It doesn't take long to send a card. Here's a website that lists a bunch of ideas on how we can support our troops.
2. Write or call a public official on an issue that is of interest to you.
3. Make or buy a patriotic dessert--if it isn't obvious, explain to the family why it is patriotic. (For example, an apple pie could be considered patriotic with an explanation.)
4. Do a patriotic crossword puzzle with your kids. Here's a rather easy one. Here's a constitution one. Here's one on the U.S. Presidents.
5. Write a journal entry starting with "I am proud to be an American because..." Really put some thought into it.
6. Read stories about great Americans. George Washington gets bullet holes in coat. Ben Franklin. Abraham Lincoln's beliefs.
7. Learn the stories behind great American songs. God Bless America (There will be a blog post on The Star Spangled Banner this week.)
8. Decorate your home with your family with simple patriotic crafts. Construction paper stars in red, white & blue. Make Uncle Sam hats for everyone to wear to dinner.
9. Have dinner table discussions on U.S. symbols, freedoms we have that are not found in other countries, famous Patriots, what is going on in the country right now.
10. Locate patriotic scriptures. Try this one. Or this one. Or, look for scriptures that include freedom symbols, like this one. Discuss with family members or a friend.


11. Read about what it meant when our Founding Fathers pledged their lives, fortune & sacred honor.
12. Sing great songs about America. America the Beautiful, My Country 'Tis of Thee, America (round), The Star Spangled Banner, I Believe in America, etc.

And, here you have one dozen things to do with the family that can take just 5 minutes, but will put a smile on your face.
1. Read a story together.
2. Tell silly jokes.
3. Play charades.
4. Color a page in a coloring book together. (Never too old for this!)
5. Put socks on and slip and slide around up and down the hall together.
6. Trifold a paper. One person draw a head, fold and pass to the next person who draws the body and then pass again for the final person to draw the legs. Open it up and you have a silly creature!
7. Sing a couple of songs.
8. Play Boggle (Only takes 3 minutes per game!)
9. Do dot to dots, mazes or a word search.
10. Have a tickle fight.
11. String cheerios for a necklace and give to a little kid.
12. Have a paper airplane throwing contest.

When you have completed your Fun for 5 venture for the day, come back here and leave a comment for a chance to win a prize. To easily get back here, click the picture of the “America map” on the top right sidebar.

FAQ's
Why are you putting this on your blog? I thought of doing each month mostly so that I can make myself do this. By putting it on my blog, I give myself some accountability. Besides that, I thought someone else might want to join me in doing this. :)

What do I do? Aha! Good question! My idea for you is this:
**Decide to join me.

**Do it.
**Report back here and leave a comment (or email me at blog@completelee.com) letting me know “I did it!”
** Repeat the process!
**Yes, you can repeat an idea that you have already done!

What about prizes? If you follow those steps, I will willingly lavish praise upon you as well as enter you in to a drawing to win one of these items: {If you win, you choose the item you want.}

~~My “Storyoni” game (The hilarious imagination game that our family hates to quit playing.)~~My “Out of the Mouths of Babes” book (digital version only)
~~$5.00 worth of digital publications (See what you might want here)

{If you have a prize you would like to donate to the cause, let me know!}

How many times can I be entered in to the drawing? For this series, you can be entered as many times as there are days in the month. My goal is to do one of these things every day. If you really, really, really, really want to win a prize, you can also refer your friends and family members to this contest. If you can get them to leave a comment on my blog stating your name (or blog name) as the person who referred them, you will be entered in again 5 more times!

Why 5 minutes? This is an easy question. I am busy! I don’t have time for more stuff, but 5 minutes out of my day seems do-able.

Any questions? Please ask away!

"How to Raise a Non Picky Eater" by Mama Rika

Getting kids to eat healthily is easiest when you make it a focus from their earliest years. Here are some tips that have worked for me in getting my children to be good eaters. {Truth be told, I may have done too good of a job! They eat just about anything and everything in sight and do so constantly!}


Step 1

I suppose it is perfectly obvious that the first step should be to set a good example of healthy eating yourself!

Step 2

Starting from when your child is introduced to solid foods, make it a habit to feed him or her healthy things. Don't feed babies and toddlers sugar laden, artificially flavored cereals to snack on. Choose toasted O's, puffed rice, puffed corn and similar products as finger foods.

Step 3

As the child grows, encourage him/her to try a variety of foods. In fact, the rule at our house is that everyone must try new foods. Our world has a rich supply of delicious & healthy foods to tempt our palates. Don't limit the things you serve. If you don't like peas, your child might anyway!

Step 4

If a child eats something and claims to not like it, simply say, "Thank you for trying. Your taste buds aren't grown up enough yet. Maybe next time you will like it." This becomes true as a child that continues to try foods over and over, they will discover that they actually do like something that they originally thought they didn't like. We have proven this time and time again at my house.

Step 5

We have a rule at our house that applies to those that understand it. Everyone can choose one item to put on their "list". If that item is on your list, you don't have to eat it. Mom and Dad both have something on their list too. You have to guard against people trying to change the item on their list every time something new is served. If you notice a child claiming different foods are on their list each time they come to the dinner table, remind them they have to stick with what they chose. If they chose spinach, but then decide that they hate cabbage instead, then the next time spinach is served, they must eat the spinach! This rule allows a little leeway so that the try everything rule is not so strict!

Step 6

Allow snacks between meals, only if the child ate his/her regular meal. If the regular meal didn't get eaten, cover it and put it in the fridge. When snack time rolls around, pull out the covered plate and allow the child to eat that before eating anything else. Explain that we don't want to waste food.

Step 7

In our home, the kids can eat as much fresh fruit and vegetables as snacks. If they want something else, they should ask first.

Step 8

Bring home unusual foods on occasion. Scope out the exotic fruit, try cashew butter, find a way to cook acorn squash, etc. Be excited yourself about trying the new item. Ask everyone's opinion of the new food and discuss what was liked and not liked about the item. Was the texture funny but the flavor good? Do you think it would be good served in a different way?

Step 9

Have fun with food! Create cute snacks. Have a dinner with a theme. Try eating food from a foreign country after reading about it. Pretend to eat as if you were a royal princess or some other character.

Step 10

Always eat together as a family as much as possible! Not only does this promote healthy family relationships, it allows younger family members to mimic the older ones healthy eating habits. It is a great way to be able to encourage your children in choosing good foods. Making time to eat together implies sitting around the kitchen table, rather than grabbing food and rushing out the door. Sitting down and eating in a relaxed and fun environment helps allow your body to properly digest food.

This post is obviously not all inclusive. You will need to tweak things to work for your family. I believe by implementing the steps I outlined, children will eat better, but it isn't a completely fool proof plan!

So, that's some things I do. What do you do?

Mama Rika's Family Travel Kit FREE for 24 Hours Only!

I am a planner. I organize, plan and prepare, probably excessively. This can work to your advantage, though! You can get the benefits of all my planning without going through the hassle of doing it yourself!

Since I have kids that run the whole range from adult to baby, and I am a very frugal person, I modestly consider myself an expert in the field of family travel--fun & cheap. The travel kit I am offering is surely the most comprehensive one around.

Sitting in the car for long periods of time can drive a person crazy, but it can also offer many memorable experiences. I remember road trips growing up where Mom provided coveted snacks and Dad sang along with us in stirring renditions of "You Are My Sunshine". I recall trips with my kids where we got started on something silly and everyone couldn't stop laughing--like when we experienced the "road that never ends", or the tiny tot who kept making us "smile for the camera".

Included in my Family Travel Kit are:

1. A complete packing list for the whole gang that can be tailored to your individual family.

2. A snack food suggestions page for things that are good to eat and entertain in the car.

3. A comprehensive what-to-do-before-you-leave list.

4. Entertainment lists for babies & toddlers, young children, and older children & adults. These are NOT just ordinary ideas that are found on other websites that supposedly offers ideas to entertain kids in the car. Bring along the right toys, games, and objects that will entertain. These are tested and tried ideas that work!

5. A scavenger hunt template for your road trip.

6. Suggestions and tips on how to save money on meals while traveling, including what you can make and bring with you and making the most of eating out.

7. More than 60 fun songs for the road that you can load onto your .mp3 player, zune, ipod, laptop, or burn to CD.

8. An audio recording made especially to entertain babies & toddlers.

9. A couple of dramatic readings of stories for the kids to enjoy.

Caution!!--these paragraphs are going to sound like one of those obnoxious used car sales ad. Hmmm. Maybe not quite that bad. Skip ahead if you want, read on, if you dare!

Do you and your kids get bored on long road trips? Are you tired of hearing fighting in the car? Ever wonder what to do to entertain a baby who is tired of being strapped in a carseat? Want to get the kids doing something other than video games in the car? Do you want to travel and create fun family memories at the same time? These questions and concerns can all be resolved by obtaining Mama Rika's Family Travel Kit!

This travel kit is priceless, but I'm going to say it has a retail value of JUST $99.99! {Pretend that all these words that are presented in a different colors are actually flashing annoyingly.}Not only that, it is yours for FREE!!

Did you hear me? Yes, I said

FREE!

FREE!!

FREE!!!!! {again, think flashing neon sign here}

So, what are you waiting for? HURRY! Go get it now!!

And, here is the fine print: This offer is good for a limited time only. After the expiration date of this offer, the product can be had for a low price, still a signifcant savings and incredible value! If for some reason you don't get anything good out of this kit, the sole cause for fault is completely and utterly yours. I am not liable in any fashion, way, shape or form for your misuse/disuse of the kit. Failure to obtain Mama Rika's Travel Kit could result in hairloss due to travel stress, extreme noise levels within the vehicle, sick children, fighting, weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. Driver's licenses are required by law to operate the family vehicle.

Click here to get your Mama Rika's Family Travel Kit now. Don't delay downloading it, because it is only available for free for this limited time. The free link will disappear 24 hours after this blog post has posted! Send your family and friends here to get their own too. They'll thank you for it. In the trial versions I have given out, I've gotten back feedback like, "Terrific!" "Awesome!" "Wow!" and "Great!"


HAPPY TRAILS TO YOU!

Please feel free to share your awesome ideas for travel in the comments section!

Mama Rika--Funny Stuff

This is what happens to your face when you try to drink a smoothie that is realllllly thick, without using a straw!
This is what happens when there is a princess in the house...

This is what happens when the princess tries to gain converts.

This is what happens when one of your best buddies has a horse. (And it isn't funny, but it sure is cute.) ;)

A Mama Rika Story: When Life Hands You Lemons...

Every year, Bub's birthday passes by right in the middle of Scout camp. On this particular birthday, some of the other boys decided to lock him in the port-a-joh (portable outhouse). This was, of course, not exactly the best of presents. His brother, Sticky, tried his best to dissuade the tormenters. When the mischievious deed had been done, Sticky attempted, albeit unsuccessfully, to unlock the john immediately.

In this predicament, Bub had choices. It didn't take him long to decide upon a course of action. He promptly retrieved his harmonica from his side pocket and began playing a lively tune! This unusual response prompted laughter from his captors. As they chuckled, they let him out of his prison.

Lesson learned: This was an awesome example to me of the well-known advice, "When life hands you lemons...make lemonade." I wish I could be as positive in my attitude and as quick in my thinking as is Bub. What a cool kid. :)

"Why Don't You Eat Chocolate?" Mama Rika Answers the Question

It is a funny thing. People seem almost horrified when they discover I don't eat chocolate. Nearly always it is assumed that I don't like the taste of chocolate. Au contrair (or however you spell that)! To do the question justice, I have to tell the story. I find myself explaining the why of it frequently. I figure maybe next time, I'll just send the questioner to this post. ;)

Once upon a time, about 20 years ago {yikes!} I was expecting my firstborn. I was so thrilled at the thought of being a mom. This was one of my lifelong dreams! I pondered about the kind of mom I would be. I thought of what I would do with my child, what I would say, how I would act, what I would teach him or her and more. As I was thus thinking, my thoughts turned to what I could do now, right now, for my child.

One of the things that came to my mind was that I could choose to eat healthily. This would give my baby the best possible environment to grow and have a strong and healthy body. I thought about things that were good for me and things that were not. {Drinking, smoking or drugs were not something I had ever done, so that didn't factor in as something to improve on.} Chocolate, on the other hand, was something I quite enjoyed, yet I knew it wasn't healthy.

Chocolate has caffeine, which is the same drug that is in coffee and many soft drinks. I refused to eat those products, so I had to ask myself why would I consume caffeine via chocolate? This was a bit of a tough issue, because chocolate is yummy and you find it everywhere! At church, at parties, restaurants, grocery stores, as prizes, on holidays, etc. People serve this treat all the time!

It didn't take me too long to decide, however, that I could do without it for the benefit of my children. I decided to completely refrain from eating chocolate because that would actually be easier than just trying to go for limiting chocolate! I decided it would probably be easy to be a chocoholic. I did cut myself some slack, however. I decided that white chocolate would not be off limits. That way, I could still have a bit of a vice without it being such a readily available one since white chocolate treats are not nearly as common as regular chocolate treats.

I found myself turning down quite a few desserts over the years. {That in and of itself is not a bad thing!} Most of the time that I would give my refusal, people would offer a second or third time. Rather than continually saying "no", it was easier to say, "no thanks, I don't eat chocolate." Letting people know that I don't eat chocolate makes it easier to abide by. People that know me would be sure to tease/taunt if they saw a chocolate morsel on its way to my lips. {Peer pressure can be a good tool.}

After I gave up chocolate, Kevin followed suit a couple of years later. If you ask him, it wasn't a big deal because he isn't overly fond of it anyway. The thing he misses the most is hot cocoa on cold days. I wouldn't mind a Reeses peanut butter cup on occasion. But, there are enough other yummy things in this world to eat that it all works out okay. :)

Most of our children have also followed suit on the no-chocolate thing. Some claiming they don't like the taste either.

So, that is the story. Do I abstain from chocolate because I have great willpower? No, I abstain because I don't!

Did you Journal for 5 today?

Boy Scouts of America "Poster Child" Possibility? Mama Rika Loves Scouts!

Start 'em early to get them excited about obtaining their Eagle Scout!

Did you Journal for 5 today?

My Baseball Players & My Garden--Mama Rika

Sticky took a gardening class this past semester. We decided to build planter box type things to hold our garden. We had some plyboard in the garage just laying around being useless. We cut it to size. Then, Sticky coated the boards with spare paint and stain to weather proof it a bit. After assembling the box (pink side in, of course), we attached chicken wire to the bottom of it to keep the gophers out. (Good idea, huh? Can't remember who to give the credit to for that one.) Then, we layered a piece of that black papery stuff that keeps weeds out. (Can't ever remember what that is called either!)
Then, we flipped the boxes over and filled with dirt which was a combination of our yard dirt and the stuff in sacks that you can pick up in the gardening department. (Don't you love my technical terminology?) We also planted some things in 5 gallon buckets that we drilled a few holes in the bottom to allow water drainage.

All in all, it worked out pretty well. There has been hardly any weeding to do. I don't recommend the soaker hose method--ours snagged twice and sprung leaks and it was hard to get it to reach all the plants!

In the picture below you can see a bit of the garden. I was actually taking a picture of the kids playing baseball in the cool of the evening, but you can probably at least identify the tomato plants sticking up! In the pic, Sticky is getting ready for the pitch.

Peanut has the nerf ball in hand, ready for the wind-up. Chubby is looking on and learning, as always. Learning, learning, learning!
Oh, and here are my lovely chives, that are now about 4 times more plentiful. Chubby actually enjoys picking and eating them. You can also see a few cute little toes and a stroller wheel if you are observant. :)

So, how does your garden grow?

Mama Rika: "My Sweet Life"

Mama Rika Asks, "To Date, or Not to Date..."

Teenagers. I've written about them before. (See it here.) I have four teens. And, since I have four, a lot of things that go on around here involve them. I love hearing about their night's out. I love talking to them about their plans for the weekend.

We like to be creative. Creative costs less money. I like helping them brainstorm fun and silly ideas of things to do, or ways to ask someone out on a date. (Here are some of our ideas.)

Here is a recent event. Bub asked a cheerful chickadee to a formal dance by attaching a very large, long roll of paper with a message on it to the side of the girl's house. Under the sign was a silly little rhyme to ask her out. In return, the cheerful chickadee came to our house when Bub was gone for the evening and did this. (Yes, we knew she was coming.)

She had a little help from Nan. Those two giggled like crazy as they sprayed the confetti in every direction.
When Bub arrived home, he found the TP and a poetic note answering in the affirmative. His main concern was how in the world he was supposed to get to bed. Obviously, he made it. Getting back up in the morning, however, proved to be too much. (He was turning off the alarm on his phone and his eyes just didn't seem to be able to open.)
Okay, so that didn't really answer the question in the title, but oh well!

Share with us--what are some fun ways you have asked people out on dates? What have you done on a date that is totally a hoot, yet costs little to nothing?

What would a post be without a little friendly nagging to do your Spring Clean for 5?? Come on, now!