Keep America Beautiful: Brewster, Ohio

Big things come in small packages. Like the quaint little town I live in. 

Brewster, Ohio, is a rural community in a suburban area also known as the "Gateway to Amish Country", & home to an estimated 2,500 people. Although there are a few traffic lights, there is only one chain restaurant - Subway. And only because it's connected to the only gas station in town. 

Wheeling and Lake Erie Rail Yard, Brewster, 1910
Photo credit: Wikipedia

But what Brewster does have is a thriving economy. Brewster was built in 1910 for the purpose of the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway, the main offices were actually moved here in 1913. The rail yard still thrives to this day & basically everyone in town either knows someone, or is related to someone, who works there. Actually, if you've ever seen the movie, Unstoppable, starring Denzel Washington & Chris Pine, then you've seen the rail yard. Yep, Brewster, Ohio's claim to Hollywood fame! 

WANDLE House
Photo credit: Village of Brewster, Ohio

Brewster is also home to the WANDLE House (Wheeling AND Lake Erie House), which was originally called the Brewster Railroad YMCA, a dormitory for workers away from home. The WANDLE House is now owned by the Brewster-Sugarcreek Township Historical Society & home to the historical society museum & "The Station" restaurant - a delicious diner that should be on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives (my opinion anyways).

But it's not just the railway that Brewster is known for. 

Brewster Dairy
Photo credit: Brewster Cheese

Brewster Cheese (Brewster Dairy) is the largest manufacturer of Swiss cheese in the US! At just about any hour of the day, you can see a number of tankers waiting to empty their loads of fresh milk from local farms. 

Shearer's Foods, Inc.
Photo credit: Village of Brewster, Ohio

Shearer's Foods Corporate Headquarters turn up delicious snacks like potato chips, pretzels, butter puffs & more. All of which can be purchased at their outlet store right next door! (Anyone that knows me knows I love a good outlet store.) Sometimes you can even tell what they're cooking up that day by the scent in the air, like BBQ & jalapeno flavored chips!

But my favorite thing about Brewster, is Bimeler Park. A 20+ acre park, with two pavilions, picnic facilities, a basketball court, a tennis court, several playgrounds, baseball & softball fields, a skatepark, a walking path & is used for soccer as well. The kids love to go there & play, have a picnic (Swiss cheese & chips included of course) & watch the train cars be moved.

Thank you to the folks at Dropcam for recognizing April as Keep America Beautiful month! 

Simple Sunday: Easter Sunday

Paige, Hayden & Damien.

My loves, in their Sunday best, ready for Easter dinner at Grandma & Grandpa's house.

Snacktastic Saturday: Frosted Almond Milk

I have a huge weakness when it comes to anything involving ice cream. Especially when it comes to milkshakes. I could live off of them. Seriously. But one day I wanted a really healthy milkshake. Yea, I know. But...I got it. Technically speaking of course. 

•almond milk (Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almond Coconut Blend is my fave!)

•ice cubes

•all natural sweetener, if desired (but not needed)

- Combine all ingredients in a blender, adjusting almond milk & ice until desired consistency is reached.

*Oh no, did you make too much? No worries, just place it in a freezer safe container & freeze. Then just pull it out about 15 min. before hand, scrape away however much you'd like & you have an Almond Milk Italian Ice... technically speaking of course. 

Fun Friday: Milk Carton Easter Bunny

This is another one of those post-Easter posts...sorry about that.

This was such a fun craft to do with the kids! Even if I couldn't find my googly eyes at the time. 

•empty milk jug

•scissors

•pink construction paper

•white printer paper (or other white paper)

•glue

•tape

•permanent marker

•googly eyes, if desired

•2 white pipe cleaners

- To prepare the milk jug, simply rinse it out & cut the top off while still leaving the handle intact. Allow to dry. 

- Use one sheet of pink construction paper & one sheet of white printer paper to cut the ears (be sure the pink is slightly smaller than the white). Use glue to hold them together & then tape to secure them to the jug.

- Use a permanent marker or googly eyes (if you can find them in your multiple totes of craft supplies) for the eyes & permanent marker for the mouth.

- Use two white pipe cleaners for the whiskers by twisting them together to form an "X", curl the ends & secure them by cutting a small slit at the mouth & taping them on the inside.

Already my kids are thinking of different animals & even monsters to make from milk jugs. (Which is fine with me since they're drinking more milk.) Although I'm not too sure how I'm going to pull off making a horse...

Think It Thursday: Making Up Calamity Days

Now that the polar cortex of a winter is far behind us...wait, is it? Sure the bitter cold, ice & snow are long gone, but there's still one part of winter hanging around. School calamity days.

Our school had quite a bit of snow days, double the allotted amount I believe. To help make up some of the days, the school issued "blizzard bags", which were assignments for an entire day, that could be accessed on the school website. After three "blizzard bags" & one of the snow days not needing to be made up for some reason or another, the school year was only extended by a day. But since the original last day was on a Thursday, ending on a Friday isn't so bad. Unlike my niece who goes to a different school...their last day was scheduled on a Monday, but after no "blizzard bags", it's now on a Friday. That is practically a whole extra week! So I'm pretty sure my kids are OK with one day after they heard about that. (Parental note: I'm pretty sure the school budget will be much more forgiving with 1 day vs. 1 week.)

Work It Wednesday: Spring Polish Trends for 2014

Whether you go all out with detailed nail art, or keep it simple with a few plain coats (that's me), painted nails can complete any look. But just like your clothes, polish trends come & go with the seasons. 

Here's what's hot this Spring!

Nude Shimmers - Always a classic.

Tropical Melons - Think oranges, corals & yellows.

Blue Hues - Shades of aqua, deep & baby blues are huge!

Think Pink - Especially fuchsias & baby pinks. 

Minty Fresh - Mint, that's it!

L-R: Jamaica Me Crazy, Imagination (an old favorite in case you couldn't tell) & Penny Talk.

Well, it looks like I have some serious polish shopping to do! But until I build up my Spring colors, I can at least have some stylish nails with the few that I do have. Maybe even a nude shimmer with a fuchsia & glitter tip? 

Tasty Tuesday: Nachos Supreme

Every now & then, I love to over indulge myself in a huge plate of nachos. Supreme, of course, just like Taco Bell. But better!

•tortilla chips

•1lb. hamburger

•jarred salsa

•refried beans with green chiles

•shredded lettuce

•pico de gallo (homemade salsa of diced tomatoes, peppers, onions & cilantro)

•guacamole 

•sour cream

•queso dip

•green onions, diced

•black pepper

- In a nonstick skillet, cook hamburger until browned. Drain grease & add salsa to flavor.

- Place tortilla chips on a baking sheet & place in a 350º oven until heated. (Roughly 5-7 min., but as soon as you can smell them, they're done.

- In a small saucepan, heat refried beans.

- To assemble, place warm chips on a large plate. Top with refried beans, hamburger mixture, lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, queso dip, green onions & black pepper.

- Grab a napkin or three & enjoy!