#fridayfasttip

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Hi there and welcome to another Friday Fast Tip, Mom Appreciation Week edition!

I chose to feature the Inspiralized Blog because it was a site my Mama introduced me to, and I hated it at first.  Well, ok, I didn’t hate the food or even the idea of curly-q type food items.  I actually disliked it because it was all so delicious looking and I didn’t have the fancy machine to make the magic happen!  

That all changed recently when my mom bought a new (blog branded) spiralizer machine.  She gave me her old one.  Which, again, I hated!  It was clunky, messy, and had 16,000 parts. But, guess what? I got over that too!  I’ve learned to use the machine properly, with patience, and have had lots of twisty salads and zucchini noodles with marinara.

If you can get past the initial frustration, then you're golden!  Try it out if you get a chance. 

Have a good one! Noah, theramblingark

(Note: This is not a paid endorsement, especially because I had such animosity toward the danged machine in the beginning.)

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Friday Fast Poll: What Was Your First & Last Smartphone Game?

Hello there!  Friday Fast Tip Poll time!  We've talked a lot about games this week on Growing Up Last and it got me thinking: A smartphone wouldn't be complete without a little fun thrown in, right?  So, now is the time to share!

What is the first and last game you downloaded to your phone?

According to my Google Play All Apps history (click the your Play Store icon, swipe right in the app, open My Apps, and click the All Apps tab).  I see the first game I downloaded was Awesome Video Poker! and the last game was Monument Valley.  I played that poker game forever (through two different phones), but have not installed on my most recent device.  I have yet to open Monument Valley, but from what I hear it is addicting and beautiful.  If you have an iOS device you can search your apps downloaded/purchased via the iTunes App Store.

Shoot, who has time for games with kiddos in the house?  Nah!  Just kidding, there's always time for a little fun and games.

Happy Friday Night Game Night!

Noah, theramblingark

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Friday Fast Tip: Quick Driveway Cookies

Happy Friday Fast Tip day everyone!  In this edition I'll let you in on a secret.  I hate baking.

The end.

Bye.

- - - - -

Just kidding, but, no really I do.  So, when I am asked to bring something or my wife puts up her baking sheets I go to this quick recipe for saving!  It's from the recipe files of my grandma...

Driveway Cookies (because they're so quick you can do them when people pull in the driveway)

Servings, A Lot

1 box of graham crackers (any flavor you'd like)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter

Pecans (or other nuts, optional)

1 bag of candy chips (chocolate, peanut butter, white chocolate etc.)

Heat oven to 300 degrees.  Grease or use parchment paper on a baking sheet and line it with the graham crackers.  Bring to a boil one cup of brown sugar, packed, and one cup butter.  At this point you can add the pecans or other nuts.  Stir.  Pour this mixture over the crackers. Bake for 10 min.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle the candy chips over the top, let them melt, and then smooth them out over the crackers.  Cool in the fridge or on the counter.  Cut into squares.  

You can do countless combinations of crackers and candy toppings.  My favorite is cinnamon grahams with white chocolate chips and dried cranberries on top.  Try it out for New Year's Eve!  Live it up, but in a quick and easy way.

Enjoy!

Noah, theramblingark

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Friday Fast Tip: Remote Controlled Holidays

Hello!  Welcome to another Friday Fast Tip.  This week I'm going to let you in on a secret...I LOVE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!  The opportunity for bokeh in your pictures and the soft glow (or weird sterile light if you're an LED lover) they give is perfect for the cozy season.  The only thing I don't love is plugging/unplugging them all.  This is where this product has come in and changed my life/made me a tiny bit lazier...whichever way you look at it this tip is handy.

Check it out these handy gizmos!

These little gadgets turn your outlet into a remote controlled wondered. Turning all the lights on and off in the house is as easy as one click.  I purchased mine at Costco a few years back, and they have a current set in stores, but you can find them anywhere.  

Happy remote controlling!

Noah, theramblingark

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Friday Fast Tip: Photograph Redux

Hi!  Welcome to another Friday Fast Tip and this week it's about incorporating a little of last holiday season with this holiday season.  Mixing the old and the new.  Every year most major stores have huge clearance sales and you can almost always find a few of those themed picture frames laying around for pretty cheap.  You know the ones snowmen on them, or reindeer antlers protruding from the top.  So, here's what you do:

Buy one (or two or three) of those frames.

Put a photograph from the current holiday season in them.

Box 'em back up with all your decorations.

Pull 'em back out next year when you decorate.

Marvel at how times have changed and how you may or may not have less hair on your head than the previous year.

Reflect on the year you've had and how you got from there to here.

Repeat.

Basically, you're just getting some of those memories off of the memory card and into your memory bank.  We've been doing this since our little guy was born.  We have two frames, one for a picture of him and one for a picture of him and his cousin who tends to visit during the holidays.  We also do the same thing for Halloween.  We have yet to unpack these frames each year and NOT smile.  After all, who doesn't like a quick trip down memory lane?

Have a good one...

Noah, theramblingark 

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Friday Fast Tip: ENDLESS DEBATE Mayo vs. Miracle Whip?

Hello and MERRY CHRISTMAS!  Ha!  No, but really it’s coming soon. Happy Friday Fast Tip Day ya’ll.  In honor of the holiday that has just passed, riddle me this.

What do you top your leftover Turkey Day sandwiches with?

Mayonnaise - OR - Miracle Whip?

When Thanksgiving is celebrated at my in-laws home I smuggle in mayo. You can tell from this type of behavior which camp I fall into!  Where do your loyalties lie? 

Have a great weekend!

Noah, theramblingark

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Friday Fast Tip: Go Noodle!

Friday Fast Tip time once again friends!  This really would have been better posted during our Wellness Week but I didn't know this site existed until after that week, so there! 

Do you ever have a minute or two where you just need to get your kid moving and not in the same old fashion?  Do they need to do the Dinosaur Stomp?  Would the Rainbow Slide Dance transform their mood?  If you've answered yes to any of these questions please click right here and check out GoNoodle.com!  

They offer great, short, and fun exercise dances and other cool stuff.  You can even log all the stuff you complete.  The site is geared with teachers in mind, but parents can create an account easily as well.

Try it out!  Until next time.

Noah, theramblingark

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Friday Fast Tip: Memory Jar

When my wife and I got married we knew we wanted to give our parents something that was special and not just any old gift.  We decided to put together a memory jar.  What made this version of a memory jar special were the unique mini cards we had printed from Moo.com!*  Check out the website and "oooh" and "aaaah" over the tiniest little cards you've ever seen!  On the back of each we wrote a memory from our childhood.

Needless to say everyone balled their eyes our on the wedding day from this little gift alone.  My Mom has her's by her bedside and reads from it every now and then.  That makes this gift one of the best gifts I've ever given.  Make someone's day and give them a trip down memory lane.

Have a good one!

Noah, @theramblingark

*I love Moo.com.  They just don't love me back.  This is not a paid endorsement.