Monday, November 1, 2021

Gobbler Chocolate Cookies

Gobbler Chocolate Cookie or Two

Just in time to plan for the fall holidays.  Send a Gobbler Chocolate Cookie Kit to someone who would enjoy making the treats - or make up the batch and share with friends.
Keep young cooks busy making plates of gobblers for family treats.
Prepare a Gobbler Chocolate Cookies Kit.
Inspiring Ways to Reuse Shoebox - 15 Things to Make

Each kit should contain:
25 Oreo® double stuff cookies
100 pieces of candy corn

Butterscotch Chips - 5 pounds - Bulk Discount
Package of 50 eyeballs
25 butterscotch chips
1 small tube of frosting (Recommend Wilton Decorating icing 4.5 ounces.)
And a copy of the "recipe" card for Gobbler Chocolate Cookies.

And when the new year begins check out making Cool Chicks for all those Cool Chicks you know.  Check out the plans at https://greenfroggifts.blogspot.com/2021/03/cool-chick-cookies-and-gobbler-or-two.html

-----------------------------
Green Frog Gifts -- unique gifts -- sewing and cooking

 

Sunday, July 4, 2021

Baseball Greats by the Number

A Collective Baseball Biography for Readers in Grades 2-5 and more.

This book is dedicated to the Cedar Rapids Reds 8U Red (2021) who wear the numbers of these baseball greats. But especially for #1 – a kid who will change the world with his energy, curiosity, talent, and kindness.


  

Baseball Greats by the Number

Introduction
In baseball, the uniform number is a number worn on the uniform of a specific player. No two players on the same team can wear the same number.  Numbers were not generally used until 1929 when the New York Yankees and the Cincinnati Reds made the use of numbers standard for their team. In the beginning the number indicated the batting order, hence Babe Ruth at #3 and Lou Gehrig #4. Numbers began to be synonymous with the player’s persona. And over time the significance of the number changed. Batting order changed – but numbers did not. There were no real rules however. 

 In the beginning single-digit numbers were worn by position players, except pitchers. They did not wear single digits. But in 2018, pitcher Blake Snell, wearing #4, pitched in that year’s All-Star Game. Regular players seldom wore a number above 60. But when Carlton Fisk moved from the Boston Red Sox to the Chicago White Sox, his Red Sox number 27 was not available with the White Sox so he opted to wear the reverse of that number, #72.
    Today the number on a player’s uniform has become a source of superstition, emotional attachment, and in the case of young players a number chosen is often chosen in honor of someone to be admired. If you are reading this, and you are a baseball player – just as there is a story behind your given name, perhaps there is a story behind your chosen uniform number. What’s your story?

~~~~

The Book:  Baseball Greats by the Number

Eleven great baseball players are profiled in this collective biography which focuses on the career of individuals who made the number they wore on their uniform one to remember. The number an athlete wears can become iconic if the player becomes a legend in the sport they play. In 1929, the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians led the way in putting numbers on their baseball teams' uniforms. 
    Some numbers hold a special place in the history of the game. Numbers of specific athletes are retired from use and placed in the rafters to be an inspiration to others. Young aspiring players in the game of baseball often select their number to emulate the success of the iconic player who made the number synonymous with personal success. 
    A player's public image is often inseparable from their on-field persona and the uniform that they wear. The numbers in this book highlight a successful player that has made their number iconic. Included in this book are the numbers/players: 1 Ozzie Smith, 3 Babe Ruth, 4 Lou Gehrig, 5 Hank Greenberg, 8 Cal Ripken, Jr., 9 Ted Williams, 10 Chipper Jones, 18 Ted Kluszewski, 19 Bob Feller, 22 Clayton Kershaw, and 44 Hank Aaron. 
    The book contains a brief introductory chapter for each player, highlighting the players career and their association with a specific number, abbreviations and terms used, and a brief discussion of why the players were selected to represent individual numbers

Order the book from Amazon - https://bit.ly/baseballgreats


Baseball Card for Ozzie SmithBaseball Card for Ozzie Smith

Baseball Card for Babe RuthBaseball Card for Babe Ruth

Baseball Card for Lou GehrigBaseball Card for Lou Gehrig

Baseball Card for Hank GreenbergBaseball Card for Hank Greenberg

Baseball Card for Cal Ripken, Jr.Baseball Card for Cal Ripken, Jr.

Baseball Card for Ted WilliamsBaseball Card for Ted Williams

Baseball Card for Chipper JonesBaseball Card for Chipper Jones

Baseball Card for Ted KluszewskiBaseball Card for Ted Kluszewski

Baseball Card for Bob FellerBaseball Card for Bob Feller

Baseball Card for Clayton KershawBaseball Card for Clayton Kershaw

Baseball Card for Hank AaronBaseball Card for Hank Aaron

Cover of Baseball Greats by the NumberBack cover of Baseball Greats by the Number


++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Cite this blog post:
McElmeel, Sharron. (2021, July 5). Baseball Greats by the Number.  Green Frog Gifts (Blog). https://bit.ly/GFG-baseballgreats

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Monday, May 24, 2021

Rhubarb News

Rhubarb Stalks

If you haven't ever enjoyed rhubarb - growing it (its easy), harvesting (pull don't cut), freezing (actually works better than fresh in many recipes simply cut in 1/4-1/2 inch slices, bag and put in the freezer), start now.

This article summaries it all: 

Editors of The Old Farmer's Almanac. (n.d.) Growing Rhubarb: Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Rhubarb. https://www.almanac.com/plant/rhubarb 


Or other treats - simple to make:

See these articles for more rhubarb treats -- 

McElmeel, Sharron. (2018, May 17). Rhubarb Time.Green Frog Gifts (Blog). http://bit.ly/rhubarbtime


McElmeel, Sharron (2014, April 2) Green Frog Gifts: Rhubarb- ’Tis the Season. Green Frog Gifts (Blog).  http://bit.ly/rhubarbtime2



===================================================

Cite this article: 
McElmeel, Sharron.  (2021, May 24).  Rhubarb News  Green Frog Gifts (Blog).   http://bit.ly/rhubarbnews



Monday, May 10, 2021

Using a Passion as Sewing Inspiration


Each person who sews and creates often finds that the creativity for what they sew comes from their own passions, or the passion of a friend or family member.  The following pictures share some passions and loves of some friends and family members - and hopefully will suggest some inspirations to other sewists to create some unique and meaningful items for themselves or others.


Gifts do not need to be elaborate - it is the connections and meaning embodied in each gift that make it special.  The detail of the monogram was the key in making this simple cover for a diary.

Nothing consumes this young athlete's time more than playing baseball.  This quilt recognized his love.  The quilt was a substantial investment in time and $$; but well worth the delight it brought to him.

A simple gift, but the fabric acknowledges the familiarity and attention to detail to show that you really did create the gift with the individual in mind.

The fabrics here make for an entirely different focus and acknowledges a family joke (the flamingoes) that will bring a smile to the two who share the joke throughout the year.

Sometimes a gift can honor a professional passion and serve a very practical use.  This tote not only recognizes this professional's passion for sharing information about Laura Ingalls Wilder but gives her a thematic way to carry her handouts, and small demonstration items used in her presentations.

The parents of this young child are passionate about documenting the experiences in his life.  An annual photo album includes pictorial representations for experiences he has during the year.  And throughout the year  the memories continue to be meaningful as items such as the pillowcase (and book) are shared and used over and over.

This gift for a new baby honored both the father's passion and the mother's side gig.  Many other themes could have been used, if one had known the nursery theme, and so forth but without that knowledge this theme seemed to have a fun connection.


Choosing to make a meaningful connection can bring both a fun search for fabric and a way to connect it to a friend's passion.  Rose is known for her cooking and her hospitality so the apron and tea cups were just the connection to make to her name.

Using a panel highlighting a special character, object, or motif is a quick way to share a passion.  One does not always need to use the fabric as someone else dictates.  These book panels can be used as stand-alone quilted pictures.

~~~

These sewing projects were all inspired by a passion or love for a particular activity or motif that someone special possesses.  While these examples tend toward the home decor or accessory line; inspiration for clothing can be built on interests as well.  Consider a garment in a recipient's favorite color, or showcasing an interest - perhaps a cover-up apron for a chemistry teacher (using fabric with the table of elements); or recycle a thrift store item to contribute to the conservation efforts of your community.   Look forward to a special occasion and zero in on a special dress to be worn and make a coordinating accessory to go with that special dress - perhaps a faux fur cape with a lining to match the dress, or an evening purse to accent the dress; or a tie or vest for a companion.  

What's the passion (or love) that inspires you?

~~~

Cite this article: 
McElmeel, Sharron.  (2021, May 15).  Using a Passion as Sewing Inspiration.  Green Frog Gifts (Blog).   http://bit.ly/inspiration-sewing.




Wednesday, March 24, 2021

The Gift of Books

Looking for "book" related gifts to give for new babies or for toddler birthdays - and here are two "new" ideas.
First of all - Jennifer Black Reinhardt's Always by My Side is a great book to share the love of a stuffie.  In this book it is a polka-dot dino but it could be any favorite stuffie that goes with a cuddly blanket.  Try these giraffe blankets and this plush giraffe.  And you have a stuffie package to go with Always by My Side.

Find the giraffe blanket and such at  https://www.etsy.com/listing/714199664/blankets-books-purple-giraffe-blanket.  And the book Always by My Side at your local bookstore.
Reinhardt, Jennifer Black. Always By My Side. Random House Books for Young Readers, 2021. ISBN: 9780593173824.  The second package is for all lover of nature.  Package Elizabeth Rusch's and Will Hillenbrand's newest title, Zee Grows a Tree with a sapling (or perhaps a plant) to grow side-by-side the new baby or from a baby's first (or subsequent) birthday.
Rusch, Elizabeth and Hillenbrand, Will.  Zee Grows a Tree. Penguin/Random House, 2021.
View the book trailer at https://spark.adobe.com/page/GcJNFVmdtqWkk/

And perhaps package with a blanket in a favorite tree/floral pattern. 
----------------------------------------------







Cite this blog:  McElmeel, Sharron. (2021, March 24). The Gift of Books (blog). http://bit.ly/giftofbooks-1