Doing It In The Park: THE SONG

The past few posts have been about doing it in the dark, doing it in the park. Here's the song that inspires outdoor evening fun (naughty and nice). Enjoy the funky, jazzy beat.

Rock Creek Park - The Black Byrds

Idea of grilling burgers outdoors sounds yummy but is not always practical. For example, if you follow my suggestion of going to the city park to watch a movie or listen to a concert, there most likely will not be a set up there for you to fire up the grill. No problem. You can still have the taste of yummy cheeseburgers. The solution is cheeseburger bread.

I researched recipes, experimented and came up with a winner. Not only will friends and family love the taste, but it is very portable and taste great room temperature-- making it a great picnic food. Enjoy!

Cheeseburger Bread

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef or turkey
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced (or 1/4 garlic powder)
• 1/4 cup yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tube of refrigerated pizza dough
  
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  

1. Heat the oven to 375° F.
2. Brown turkey in large skillet over medium high heat. Drain off the meat (you can skip this step if your meat is very lean). Stir in onion, garlic, salt, pepper, and heat until onion is transparent (about 4 minutes.

3. Stir in ketchup, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce into the turkey mixture then bring up to a bubble and simmer until thickened (about 4-5 minutes). Allow the meat mixture to cool.
4. Lightly grease a 10- by 15-inch cookie sheet or use an un-greased baking stone the same size.

5. Unroll the pizza dough onto the cookie sheet. Extend the dough to the edges of the cookie sheet, and be careful to keep the thickness of the dough even. Slice the pizza dough lengthwise to create two 5- by 15-inch rectangles.

6. Sprinkle the turkey mixture over the two doughs. Top with the shredded cheddar cheese.

7. Fold over about 1 inch of the short ends, then roll up each rectangle the long way to create 2 loaves. Pinch the ends closed.

8. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let the loaves cool for about 5 minutes before slicing.

Makes 8 servings.

Doing It In The Park: GLOW BABY GLOW

Here's a cool idea to help make evenings at the park more fun and save a little money too...
glow-in-the-dark jewelry.

As mentioned in my last post, parks across the country are sponsoring evening music concerts as well as summer movie series. This is a great opportunity to spend quality time with friends and family. The glaring sun is gone and you may catch a few breezes, plus there's the free entertainment (free is good).

Don't be surprised to see vendors selling glow-in-the-dark sticks or necklaces when outdoor entertainment takes place at your city park. I love the idea of the glow sticks & jewelry for everyone (young & grown), whether it's a single family or a big group of friends. Not only are they fun, but these glowing novelty items make it easier to keep an eye on the kids in the dark.

If glow-in-the-dark novelty items are sold at the park, you can expect for the prices to be relatively high. High prices can be problematic if there are many children in your group. I suggest ordering your own supply from Oriental Trading Company. Check out below my top picks.

Glow Necklace Party Pack. Make your party glow! This rainbow of radiant plastic 22" necklaces will shed light and safety on any nighttime event. $12.99 per dozen.

Glow Bracelet Assortment. (pictured above) In a rainbow of playful colors, this glowing jewelry is a fun and safe way for kids to be seen in the dark. (50 pcs. per unit) Assortment may vary. $24.99/50 pieces

Doing It In The Park: MOVIES UNDER THE STARS

Doing it in the park, doing it after dark, oh yeah...

No, not that. I'm talking about watching movies in the park! During the summer months, city parks across the nation are turning their grassy lawns into outdoor movie theaters. If offered in your city, I encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities for free outdoor entertainment. Here's a list of things to bring to help take full advantage of this good ol' family-friendly fun.

Essentials
1) Blankets &/or Folding Chairs
2) Bug Repellent Spray
3) Drinks --- Avoid sodas with caffeine for the kids
4) Snacks --- The movies start at nightfall (usually after 8pm). This time of evening does not call for heavy food.

Nice Touches
5) Pillows
6) Themed Invitation --- Think you may want to invite some friends to join you? Consider emailing invitations from www.Pnigg.com. Here are some of the graphics they have available.


Check back tomorrow for even more ideas for doing in the park, doing it after dark.

Summer Break

Change is in the air.
Moving on up.
Best is yet to come.

All of those phrases come to mind because of recent developments going on the behind the scene for Sweet Life Magazine. I'm working on making this ezine even better. You can look forward to improved navigation, loads of video, plenty of give-aways, free down-loads and plenty of inspiring articles-- all designed to help you be fabulous.

I look forward to sharing with you soon Sweet Life's new "fabulosity". Because of the time commitment and technical challenges involved with this growth phase, I will halt new articles here until August. In the mean time, explore all cool finds & tips already here.

-- Michele Dugar, Sweet Life Magazine Editor

PS: Be sure to join the mailing list so that I can email you when the new edition comes out

PSS: Thanks for the positive feedback. Warms my heart to know folk like what they find here.

Spiritual Connections -Books That Help Us Connect to God & Our Divine Power

I celebrated a birthday this week (Woo Hoo!). I can confidently say that with age, I have grown wiser. However, I am actively seeking more wisdom and spiritual guidance. If like me you desire stronger and clearer connections to our spiritual selves and God, I believe these books will benefit you.

Tapping the Power Within: A Path to Self-Empowerment for Women by Iyanla Vanzant

The revised and expanded 20th-anniversary edition of Iyanla Vanzant’s first published work offers a powerful path to self-empowerment through the revitalization of one’s spiritual and ancestral roots. Written with Iyanla’s signature healing stories, this classic guide to uniting the will with the spirit teaches that only you have the power to make a change for the better. With chapters on basic breathing and meditation techniques, setting up a home altar, connecting with ancestors and guardian spirits, and the extraordinary power of forgiveness, this book is a great companion on the way toward the real you.

Known for teaching by principle and example, this exclusive edition also contains Iyanla’s special “What I Know Now” commentaries and an original CD. These tools will challenge you to stop struggling and start recognizing that it is possible to reconcile your humanity with your divinity. Whether you are a beginner on the path or a veteran in need of refreshment, Iyanla’s prescriptions can support your growth from the comfort of spiritual adolescence to the wisdom of spiritual maturity. You no longer need to settle for the way things are . . . you can open up to the way things can be—if you dare to tap the power within!

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How to Hear from God: Learn to Know His Voice and Make Right Decisions by Joyce Meyer

In the introduction to this book, author Joyce Meyer says, "Learning to hear from God and be led by the Holy Spirit is very exciting. God wants to speak to us about the plan He has for our lives. His plan is a good plan, but we are in danger of missing it if we don't learn how to listen to and obey God's voice." This book is Meyer's way of helping the reader learn how to do both.

In describing ways of listening to God, Meyer lists many ways in which God speaks to us. Many are ways that we might think of readily, such as through the Bible and prayer. But she has a much longer list of ways that God makes God's desires known to us, from dreams and visions to the wise counsel of others, and does not fail to mention the world around us as a communicator of God's will.

When Can You Meet? Free website to help coordinate schedules for your next event

Get-togethers with friends can be great. Even a simple meeting over coffee can lead to great laughs and fond memories. While the occasion may be simple, the task of coordinating busy schedules for a mutually convenient meet up time, can be challenging. The more people there are, the more difficult it is to nail down a particular time. Fortunately, there is a website that can really help.

When Is Good is a free and easy way to get those get-togethers or meetings scheduled. There’s nothing to sign up for, and no password to remember. There are only three simple steps to schedule your event:
1. Click the grid for all the times that are good for you. You get a link to email to your invitees.
2. They see your proposed times and click on when they are free.
3. You visit your results page and see when everyone can get together.

Here is the welcome page at WhenIsGood.net.

Below is the response page from when I used WhenIsGood.net to coordinate a time day and time for a Mom's Night Out. The responses from the ladies conclude that 7pm on June 23 is best, with no conflicts. The red dots next to a time, indicate the number of people who had conflicts with that specific time. Holding the mouse over person's name will highlight her available times. Pretty cool!

No Haters Allowed --How to attract positive people

Do you have friends or even associates where their presence puts you in a good mood?
Who encourages you to dream big and go for your goals?
Know anyone who freely shares information and leads by example?

The people that come to mind as you consider those questions are valuable gems. We can all use more people like that in our lives. Not only do they help us enjoy our current situations but they also help us progress forward to a brighter future.

On the flip side, most of us have seen or have experienced the affects from negative people. I'm talking about people who would rather complain than compliment, discourage instead of encourage, settle for less instead of shoot for more, or taunt instead of teach.

Perhaps it is because of low self esteem, fear or lack that these "haters" are not more giving, positive and progressive. Regardless of the reason, we don't need them. Instead let's focus on those wonderful gems.

A lot is said about surrounding one's self with positive, progressive people. Many millionaires credit their success with the fact that during their humble beginnings, they purposely associated with people who knew and had more they did. Biblical principles caution us to be careful of the company we keep . Biblical principles also guide us to only speak positive words as well as guard our ears (and hearts) from less than positive words.

OK, so how do we attract positive people into our lives? I believe one way is by treating others how we want to be treated. The second way is by focusing on the type of people we want in our life. Laws of attraction say that what we focus on and give attention to is what we will attract. Instead of fretting on 1) any "haters" or 2) a lack of positive people in your life, think about how nice it would be to have some B.A.S.I.C folk in your life and look for them.

What are B.A.S.I.C folk? Well, B.A.S.I.C is an acronym I came up with (at the urging of some Disney African American Mom Bloggers) to help us remember the characteristics I'm looking for in others and aspire to be myself. B.A.S.I.C folk are people who will...

Be there to
Assist,
Support,
Inspire &
Celebrate others.

Here's to B.A.S.I.C folk!