Tag: 30 Things I Love

30 Things I Love: Strong Coffee and Strong Hairspray

Vintage Strong Coffee

I love coffee. Most of my friends and family know that by now. I also love a good, strong hairspray – one that will keep my spiked hair spiked. When I saw a vintage inspired tray on Pinterest with this saying, I knew I had to make something similar! It fits me perfectly!

Mornings are not my thing. I married a happy morning person. I have learned to cope after 26 years…by consuming espresso first thing in the morning. The other thing that makes me happy? A shower and looking decent for the day. Trust me, having spiked hair may seem like bed head wouldn’t be an issue, but it is. And it’s bad.

While strong coffee and strong hairspray sometimes make me feel like I can conquer the world…especially if I have an extra shot of espresso…it’s not the only thing that makes me strong. My family and friends are a great support system for when I’m feeling weak or vulnerable. They are my cheerleaders. Being an extrovert, that is important to me. My other source of non-caffeinated strength would be my faith. I don’t know anyone who has the “perfect” life. I’m no different. My faith has sustained me through Anna and Jonathan’s MS diagnoses, the death of family members, and, to be honest, in parenting our girls and our current foster child.

Have you ever noticed how good you feel when a meeting goes well and you were able to contribute in a positive way, or when you were able to lift someone’s spirits after a tough day? What about the feelings accomplishment when an event went really well, because you empowered other members of the group in the planning of that event? Those are instances when we are the coffee and the hairspray. We can energize a group with our participation and engagement. As the leader of a group, we can hold our members together while we give them the ability to use their strengths for the planning of the event. That makes the group stronger overall. Part of the reason that I am running for our Farm Bureau state board of directors is to be the coffee in the room. I hope to energize others for the good of the organization.

How have you been the coffee or hairspray for your friends, your job, or volunteer organizations?

 

Day 1: Pizza

Day 2: Shoes

Day 3: Shout Stain Remover

Day 4: The Ability to Vote

Day 5: My Heritage

Day 6: NASCAR

Day 7: Black Velvet for Photography

Day 8: Strong Coffee and Strong Hairspray

Click here to go to Holly Spangler’s blog, and see the link for other 30 Day Challenge Bloggers

 

 

30 Things I Love: Black Velvet for Photography

A few years ago, when I started taking photos of more than family and sunsets, I read a tip about using black velvet for a back drop. The next time I was in a fabric store, I purchased 1 yard of black velvet. I love how it makes objects pop when they are placed on it.

So, why black velvet? The way the fibers lay on the fabric prevents velvet from reflecting light back at the camera. The background then becomes a nice, solid color. In the photo below, you can see how the fabric absorbs the light. Black Velvet for Photography

When I’m taking a photo of a smaller object, I usually throw the velvet on one of my counter height kitchen chairs. This becomes a mini mobile photography studio. I can move the chair around to get the best light, and it is super quick to set up. All things that make an impromptu photo session at midnight go quite smoothly…which may or may not have happened in the making of this post.

This next photo shows how I am using the back of the chair as the back drop, but left enough fabric on the seat so that I could have the same solid color all around my porcelain creamer. The contrast is good, and the lines around the creamer are crisp. If you plan on taking photos of larger items, or a number of items at the same time, I would go with a larger piece of velvet.

Mini Mobile Photography Studio

I use this technique when I am taking photos of something with a busy pattern, or something I want to isolate, making the subject the only thing you see. When I took the photo of the Shout Stain Remover a few days ago, I used the black velvet because the can was pretty busy visually. Here, I took a tighter shot of my creamer. I like how clean everything looks, and how you are focusing on the details of the creamer instead being distracted by a busy or dirty background.

Using Black Velvet for Photoraphy

What are some of your favorite photography hints? Do you have a DSLR, or a point and shoot? What are some of your favorite things to take photos of?

Day 1: Pizza

Day 2: Shoes

Day 3: Shout Stain Remover

Day 4: The Ability to Vote

Day 5: NASCAR

Day 6: Black Velvet for Photography

Click here to go to Holly Spangler’s blog, and see the link for other 30 Day Challenge Bloggers

30 Things I Love: NASCAR

I Love NASCAR

I love Nascar. So far, I have been to the Daytona 500, Phoenix International Raceway, and Kansas Speedway. Watching the race on television is okay, but when you’re at the track…nothing compares. The sights, the sounds, the mullets. It’s all there, adding to the experience of race day.

A month ago, Jonathan and I were guests of Brandt Professional Agriculture at the Kansas Speedway. We had the privilege of meeting Rookie of the Year contender, Justin Allgaier at a Saturday evening reception, and again on Sunday morning before the race. Let me just say, after meeting him, having a conversation with him, and listening to his in-car audio during the race, he has a couple of new fans! Thank you, Brandt Professional Agriculture for the opportunity to meet Justin!

Because we were there with an agriculture company, I was a little more aware of other ag related sponsors there were at this race. The Brandt hospitality tent was right next to the Fastenal tent (where I was able to snap a quick photo of Carl Edwards). Down a little further, there was a Farmland Foods golf cart, complete with a curly tail. I noticed the Farmer’s Insurance car out on the race track, as well as the Farmland car.

As I looked around at the crowd there in Kansas, I thought about how perfect the pairing of Nascar and agriculture is. The spectators are pretty much as diverse as any gathering, but there tends to be more hunting and agriculture decals on their pickups in the parking lot than you would see at most events, making it a great place to advertise Farmland, Fastenal, and Brandt Professional Agriculture, to name a few.

As I mentioned earlier, we had the opportunity to meet the driver sponsored by the agriculture company we were guest of. We also had pit and garage passes, so we were able to go down and see everything up close and personal before the race. That part was awesome! When we arrived at the hauler for the 51 car, Jeff Gordon’s car was going through inspection. Jimmy Johnson’s and Dale Earnhardt Jr’s cars also went through inspection while we were down there. After our garage tour, we were able to go to the pit boxes for a bit. The Brandt crew has Alumacraft seats in their box, which is cool, since Alumacraft boats are made in Minnesota.

The race itself was exciting, even though our drivers were involved in wrecks. When you are watching the race on television, it seems like the races drag on for so long. However, watching the race at the track, time flies by! There are so many things to look at, and you aren’t limited to just what the broadcasters are showing. We had so much fun, that I am looking forward to checking another track off the list soon!

What are some of your hobbies, or events outside of agriculture that you like to attend? Do you have a goal of seeing every baseball diamond, or attending races at certain tracks? Let me know in the comments below!

Day 1: Pizza

Day 2: Shoes

Day 3: Shout Stain Remover

Day 4: The Ability to Vote

Day 5: My Heritage

Day 6: NASCAR

Click here to see other 30 Day Challenge blogs!

 

 

30 Things I Love: My Heritage

Stroopwafel and Coffee traditional Dutch treats

I love my heritage. Last Christmas, my side of the family decided that we would research and prepare foods from the countries where our ancestors were born. The list of countries is quite long, especially when you add those of your spouse. We each brought a main dish and a dessert from one (or both) of the countries we were assigned to. The food was delicious, and we all ate way too much!

Part of the planning for our meal was researching the traditions, the foods, and the culture of the different countries. I was given the task of researching and making foods from Germany and the Netherlands. German and Dutch food is quite filling, and great for cold winter days. The cultures are very different, yet the Christmas traditions are very similar. When I was trying to find cookie recipes, I came upon the Stroopwafel, and wanted to try it. I haven’t attempted making them yet, but I have found them at a few stores nearby. They are delicious! I learned that they are eaten either warmed by placing them on a cup filled with a warm beverage like coffee, or eaten cold. They are good either way. 🙂

My mom and sisters shared about their countries: Norway, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, England, and Poland. (I hope I didn’t forget any major ones!) One of the things I really appreciated, was realizing what parts of our traditions may be related to our heritage, and what parts are the result of wanting to blend in with other Americans my ancestors arrived in the United States. When we asked our Dutch relatives what traditions their mother had at Christmas time, there weren’t any distinctly Dutch traditions regarding food.  They did, however, keep up with Dutch tradition on being frugal, and acting properly.

Call it nature or nurture, or whatever kind of influence you want…but I find myself loving cheese, coffee, and pickled herring…although not together. Thanks, Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Dykstra!

Do you keep up with any of your ancestor’s traditions? Do you find yourself gravitating towards the foods associated with your heritage?

 

Day 1: Pizza

Day 2: Shoes

Day 3: Shout Stain Remover

Day 4: The Ability to Vote

Day 5: My Heritage

Want to read more 30 Day Blog Challenge posts? Click here!

 

30 Things I Love: The Ability to Vote

Vote

It’s election day in the United States. It’s a day many look forward to, not only because this means the end of political ads on television and radio, but it is a chance for them to be a participant in deciding the future of our country.

I love that I have the ability to vote. I am thankful that we don’t need an armed escort or the military called in to guard those who dare to vote. I am thankful that, as a woman, I can walk into a polling place and cast my vote without being arrested. I am thankful for the men and women in uniform who put their necks on the line every day to preserve my freedom to vote.

I hear it said many times that “my vote doesn’t count”. In Minnesota, we’ve had a few races in the last 10 years that came down to just a few votes. Your vote DOES count! If you are on the fence about whether or not to vote, think Nike…Just Do It!

Your Vote Today is Not the End of the Story

As my friend, Michael, who blogs at Minnesota Farmer, said, “The most important thing you can do is visiting elected officials after they take office.  There you can influence the future.”

We often complain that our elected officials are only working within party lines, but are we any better? How can we expect our representatives to work with us, if we refuse to work with them just because we may not have voted for them? It’s time to put our words into action! Building trust and a mutual respect is valuable when you need to work with your senators or representatives on agricultural issues. Yes, need. Take the example of writing to our congressmen about the proposed EPA rule. If I have blasted my congressman all over social media, and have been insulting to him to his face, do you think he would take my request seriously when I ask him to vote against the EPA’s rule? If I were him, I wouldn’t!

Jonathan and I are members of the Minnesota Farm Bureau. We have had many opportunities to travel to the State Capitol, and to Washington DC to discuss agricultural issues with our senators and representatives. Farm Bureau has a great reputation of working with all parties to achieve their goal. I love Farm Bureau’s model! I really believe we can disagree on issues, and be respectful at the same time.

Are you ready to put into action your beliefs? Get out and vote today, then follow your elected officials on social media, visit them in their offices, be available to answer questions they may have, and become a trusted voice of agriculture.

 

Day  1: Pizza

Day 2: Shoes

Day 3: Shout Stain Remover

Day 4: The Ability to Vote

Other blogs in the 30 Day Blog Challenge

 

30 Things I Love: Shout Stain Remover

Shout Stain Remover

One of the things I learned quickly after becoming a farm wife, was how dirty the guys can get in a day. More than once I was told it would be just a quick stop to check something, only to have motor oil, hydraulic oil, diesel, or grease all over the good clothes. As a newlywed, I felt some pressure to figure out how to get those stains out, so Jonathan would have clean clothes for church and going to town. Coming to the farm from the city, I felt a little judged by other farm women on how clean our clothes were. My mother-in-law gave me a few tips, but I tried many products to see what ones could handle farm oils and grease.

To begin with, I created a few set-in stains, so I used WD-40 to reactivate the stain, then used Dawn dishsoap to get the WD-40 out. I don’t recommend doing this on the good clothes. It is more acceptable to be wearing Eau de WD in the barn than in the pew. I have since developed an allergy to Dawn, so I try to do a better job at pre-treating now.

Back in the day, we had stain sticks that looked a little like glue sticks. They worked ok on food stains, but never quite got all the farm stains out. I tried gels, pre-treating with laundry detergent, and using laundry boosters with varying degrees of success. I pretty much gave up on trying to get the farm stains out of farm shirts. The polyester/cotton blend t-shirts are grease stain magnets!

A few years ago I purchased an advanced formula of a stain remover, and thought it did a decent job, but it was time consuming. It required a 2 hour soak before laundering. I don’t know about you, but when I head in to do laundry, I don’t have the time or patience to wait 2 hours for a pre-treater to work. So, I kept looking for a good stain remover, and decided to try the Shout Advanced. In a nutshell, my search was over.

The Shout is made to take out grease stains, and has worked on some pretty nasty stuff. It occasionally takes two treat and wash cycles to get grease out, but I was impressed at how well it removed hydraulic oil. Now that we have a toddler foster son, I am appreciating how well it takes out food stains, too! I usually keep a spare can on hand in case there’s a hydraulic hose that breaks or comes loose and decides to cover us in oil, or with the toddler, it would be in case we eat spaghetti or lasagna. 🙂  The bonus is, the Shout works well with my HE washing machine.

Do you have any suggestions for farm laundry? Leave them in the comments!

*Just a little note: I am not sponsored by any of the products that I may write about, and I am not seeking compensation for any reviews or opinions. I am simply writing about those things I love and/or use regularly.

Day 1: Pizza

Day 2: Shoes

Day 3: Shout Stain Remover

Other 30 Day Blogs

 

 

 

30 Things I Love: Shoes

I love my Brooks Pure Connects

I love shoes. I won’t even begin to count how many pairs I own. Let’s just say it’s way more than the number that Jonathan owns!

My current favorite shoes are my Brooks running shoes. Looking at me, you wouldn’t automatically think, “oh, she’s a runner”. I try to be, but I’ve got a ways to go before I will look like one. I wear my Brooks pretty much every day. I have a couple pairs in rotation, so that I have a “good” pair for wearing around town, and a pair that I wear while working on the farm. I don’t know how easy it is for you to find work boots or shoes in your area, but here it isn’t always easy. For awhile, I had to buy men’s boots that mostly fit, but by the end of planting or harvest, I hated them. There are times when I need to walk from one end of the field to another, and my work boots would cause flare-ups of my plantar fasciitis.  The selection for women’s work wear has improved a little, but after wearing my Brooks the past two seasons, I think I’ll stick with them. My feet are happier at the end of the season!

Now, I realize that for some, wearing running shoes while working around the farm is a recipe for disaster. After all, nobody would want to wear a well ventilated running shoe in a place where manure happens.  In a perfect world, someone would come up with a work boot that fit and felt like my running shoes.

When my Brooks are not the appropriate footwear, I prefer to wear shoes with a little bit of detail or fun colors. I have a few issues with my feet, so I’ve become a little pickier about my shoes than I was when I was working in the Twin Cities. I’ve pretty much given up on wearing heels except for the occasional wedge sandal that I’ll wear to church in the summer. This past summer, when Anna got married, I needed a cute shoe with low heels to wear with my sparkly mother-of-the-bride dress. I found a pair of beautiful metallic gray pumps with a kitten heel on clearance at Nordstrom Rack. They were very retro looking, which is one of the types of detail I love about shoes. Now I just need a few more special occasions to wear them to!

Are you a shoe lover? Where is your favorite place to purchase shoes? What do you wear for work boots?

 

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Day 1: Pizza

Be sure to check out Holly Spangler’s blog, and the list of bloggers who are participating in this month’s 30 Day Challenge.

30 Things I Love – A New 30 Day Blog Challenge!

30 Things I Love

I can’t believe it is the end of October already! A year ago, I participated in a 30 Day Blog Challenge at the encouragement of Holly Spangler at Farm Progress. Last year’s theme was 30 Days of Thanksgiving. I loved the challenge of writing every day, and of seeking out those things for which I am truly thankful. This year, I decided to jump in as soon as Holly mentioned it. I just couldn’t decide on a theme. I knew I wanted it to be something positive, something that gave me wiggle room to write about random things, and something that would push me to look at my surroundings in a different way. That is when I settled on 30 Things I Love. The photo above may look all sweet and romantic, but don’t be fooled! The things I love are pretty random!

My goal for this series is to introduce you to the things I love, and to give you a little positive thought to start your day. But let’s be honest. I am not a huge planner when it comes to blogging, so some things that I write about may be discovered the day before (like a great coffee shop or bakery), some may be things I have loved for many years (like my family). Part of the fun for me – and I hope for you – are the things I will come up with throughout the month. If something I post reminds you of something you love, please share it in the comments!

If you would like to follow other 30 Day Challenge blogs, all my posts will include a link back to Holly’s post that contains a full list of every participating blogger and a link to their blog. There are many great bloggers participating this year, with a wide variety of themes. I encourage you to check them out!