Peak leaf season is just around the corner. In about a month the North Carolina mountains will transform into a rainbow sea of red, yellow, orange, and green. Those of us that live here are fortunate enough to experience the change from our own homes. And those of you who live in other areas of our magnificent state are fortunate to be able to drive an hour or two to witness the magic!

If you’d like to stay for a weekend there or longer are plenty of options for lodging.  The mountains are full hotels, resorts, inns, and private home on sites like AirBnB and VRBO.

There are a few moments in my life I will always remember. One of the most vivid was sitting at a friend’s house watching footage of Hurricane Katrina. I remember seeing desperate families on rooftops begging to be saved from the rising water and feeling completely helpless.  Three years later I visited New Orleans and wandered around the 9th Ward. The marks on homes showing that the homes had been searched and bodies had been found was surreal and heartbreaking. Here we are now, 12 years later, watching footage of Hurricane Harvey’s havoc on Houston. I know most of us want to do something, but feel helpless.

I feel the urge to get in the car and drive to Texas with supplies and bring as many people and animals home with me.  The truth is that would serve me more than the people of Houston. Donating money is truly the effective way to help. Here are some organizations that are assisting along with links with specific information…

Local Organizations

Houston Food Bank

Food Bank of Corpus Christi

Houston Humane Society

Houston SPCA

San Antonio Humane Society

Austin Pets Alive!

Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund

SPCA of Texas 

United Way of Houston

National Organizations

American Red Cross

Salvation Army

GlobalGiving

Corporate Donors with donation campaigns

GoFundMe

Lowe’s

Starbucks

Tito’s Vodka

United Airlines

Organizations Assisting Marginalized Communities (list provided by Colorlines)

Research shows that marginalized communities, especially communities of color, are disproportionately vulnerable. Many of these organizations are smaller and can not be found on Charity Navigator. Like always, do your own research and please consider donating to organizations that support marginalized communities.

The Black Women’s Defense League

RAICES

ICNA Relief

BlackAmericaWeb.com Relief Fund

Living Hope Wheelchair Association

SHAPE Community Center

South Texas Human Rights Center

Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund

The Way Home

The Transgender Foundation of America

Texas Diaper Bank

The Homeless Period Project of Austin

This is just short list of organizations in the trenches. Do you know of any others?

There are so many people coming together for good, but remember that there are a few that will take advantage of this tragedy. Before you give please do your research. Charity Navigator is a great website to that will help you make informed decisions about donations. All of us, whether we’re able to give or not, can help by contact our legislators and encouraging them to release funds for relief quickly.

This week I’ve come face to face with my toughest opponent. Every year I walk away defeated, hanging my head in shame. I’m talking about school lunches, people. Feeding my picky child is always a chore and sadly his school has no cafeteria.  My goal this year is to be as hands off as possible when packing up the midday meal.  I’ve read some tips on how to make this process go as smoothly as possible. Please let me know if you have any other ideas!

What to pack

It’s easy to get in a rut when packing lunch, especially if you’re kid doesn’t complain about having PB & J every day. A good tip I read is to pack what your kid will eat (within reason), not what you want them to eat. Here are some ideas to keep things interesting.

Main course

Turkey sandwich
Pasta salad
Bagel
Pizza
Tortilla with Cheese
Lunch meat roll-up
Hard boiled eggs
Tuna sandwich
Pita and Hummus
Pizza muffin
Homemade lunchable
Leftovers

Fruits and Veggies

Cucumbers
Carrots
Celery
Salad
Snap Peas
Edamame
Strawberries
Blueberries
Apples
Raspberries
Cherries
Cantaloupe
Watermelon
Pineapple
Oranges
Bananas
Grapes
Plums
Apricots
Raisins
Kiwi

Snacks

Granola bar
Pretzels
String cheese
Yogurt
Fish crackers
Popcorn
Nuts
Trail mix
Fig bar

How to organize and pack

I saw a genius post this summer that made me dream of organizing my life. I’m still a hot mess. Let me know if you take this next idea for spin and how it goes. Label bins number 1-5 in the fridge and in the cabinet. On Sunday nights fill bin 1 with main courses for the week, bin 2 with fruit, bin 3 with veggies, bin 4 with dairy, and bin 5 with a snack. Give your kid the freedom to pack their own lunch by chosing one item from each bin every day.

One lady posted about her family’s lunch cabinet. It has storage containers, lunch boxes, and snacks all in one place. She also meal plans one to two weeks in advance. She is pretty much one of those people I love to hate.

Reusable bento boxes are the thing right now! Everything has it’s own individual section and only one container to wash.  We don’t have any bento boxes so we pack lunches in reusable plastic and glass containers.

When

All of the ultra organized families I read about had a couple of things in common. They planned and prepped for the week over the weekend.  They also packed lunches the night before instead of in the morning. One person recommended packing lunch right after dinner. You can pack leftovers for the next day and have only one clean up for both meals.

Have you heard that there’s a solar eclipse on Monday? A few weeks ago I wrote about the eclipse and what to expect. Click here if you missed it!  Here is a list of eclipse events from Charlotte to the High Country. Click the links for additional details. Keep in mind traffic is going to be a little crazy.  Plan accordingly!  What are you doing for the eclipse?

Photo credit: NASA

Charlotte

The Schiele Museum of Natural History Solar Eclipse Weekend
1500 E. Garrison Blvd, Gastonia
Saturday, August 19th, through Monday, August 21st
Saturday: 9am to 5pm
Sunday: 1pm to 5pm
Monday: 9am to 5pm
Regular admission price applies. ($4-5 for Gastonia residents, $6-7 for non-residents, free for members)

Wingate University Ballantyne’s Great American Eclipse Viewing Party
Monday, August 21st, 1:30pm to 3:30pm
Audubon Amphitheater, 13139 Ballantyne Corporate Place, Charlotte
Free

Eclipse Viewing Party at Camp North End
Monday, August 21st, 12pm to 4pm
Camp North End, 1776 Statesville Avenue
Free

Solar Eclipse Viewing Party at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden
Monday, August 21st, 1pm to 4pm
Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, 6500 South New Hope Road, Belmont
Regular admission applies: $6.95 for kids 2-12 and $12.95 for adults

Eclipse viewing on Matthews Town Green
230 Matthews Station St,, Matthews
Monday, August 21st, 1:00pm to 2:30pm
Free

Eclipse Celebration at the Hyatt
Rooftop bar of Hyatt Place, 222 South Caldwell Street
Monday, August 21st, 1pm to 4pm

Solar Eclipse Event at Plaza Midwood
Monday, August 21st, 2017, 1pm to 4:30pm
1623 Central Avenue
Free

Solar Eclipse Celebration at ImaginOn
Monday, August 21st, 10am to 4pm
Free

Solar Eclipse Party at Harrisburg Library
Monday, August 21st, 12pm to 4pm
201 Sims Pkwy, Harrisburg
Free

Solar Eclipse Party at Sycamore Brewing
Monday, August 21st, 12pm to 4pm
Free

Solar Eclipse Viewing at University City Regional Library
Monday, August 21st, 1:30pm to 4pm
301 E W.T. Harris Blvd
Free

Solar Eclipse Tailgate Party at Discovery Place Nature
Monday, August 21st, 12pm to 4pm
Discovery Place Nature, 1658 Sterling Road
Free

Solar Eclipse viewing at Sugar Creek Library
Monday, August 21st, 2pm to 3:15pm
Free

Solar Eclipse Party Mt. Pleasant
Monday, August 21st, 12pm to 4pm
Mt. Pleasant Library, 8556 Cook St, Mt. Pleasant
Free

Eclipse Party at Mooresville Public Library
2pm to 3pm
304 S Main St, Mooresville
Free

Hickory Area

Catawba Science Center
1pm-3pm
On North Lawn of the Salt Block, Hickory
Free

High Country

Summer is almost over! Many kids are preparing to go back to school. That means it’s time to get them excited for the upcoming school year and fill their backpacks with school supplies. Gone are the days of a pencil pouch and a few spiral notebooks. Supply lists are long and financially overwhelming for some families.  There are some supply drives to help relieve the pressure.  They are always looking for donations and volunteers and are open to those who need a little bit of help.  Check out some of the events in your area. Click the links for details!

 Charlotte

WSOC 9 School Tools Kick-Off Party with Classroom Central
August 9th, 2017
Hours: 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
400 E Martin Luther King Blvd, Charlotte, NC
704-654-4400
guestservices@nascarhall.com

Saved by the Bell School Fundraiser
Aug 11th, 2017
Hours: 7:00 p.m. – 2:00 a.m.
Lucky’s Bar and Arcade 300 N College Street, Charlotte, NC, 28202
Free Cupcake for 3+ New School Supplies at SAS Cupcakes-Blakeney
August 22nd – August 25th, 2017
Hours: Aug 22nd at 9:30 a.m. to Aug 25th at 9:00 p.m.
SAS Cupcakes-Blakeney 9941 Rea Rd, Ste C, Charlotte, NC, 28277

Social Ape School Supplies Drive Benefiting Classroom Central
August 24th, 2017
Hours: 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
VBGB Beer Hall & Garden 920 Hamilton St, Charlotte, NC, 28206

The Block Back to School Bash (Summer Break Finale)
August 24th, 2017
Hours: 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
300 East Seventh Street, Charlotte, NC, 28202
704-416-4630
dsmalls@cmlibrary.org

High Country

My personal favorite back to school event is Watauga County’s Back2School Festival. This year they expect to serve 1,200 area children. They offer school supplies, backpacks, shoes and socks, lunch, and haircuts.

Catawba County has their Stuff the Bus event in July. If you know of any other events in Charlotte, Hickory, or the High Country please comment below!

I love cooking…nine months of the year. I absolutely despise it in the summer. My family frequently eats scrambled eggs with whatever vegetables I have sitting around for dinner. There are too many fun things to do outside to hole up in the kitchen.  I’ve decided to look up summer crockpot recipes to try out. Recipes that feel light and fresh and require very little effort.  Do you have any tried and true recipes to share for the hotter months of the year?

Crockpot Low County Boil from familyfreshmeals.com

Ingredients

1.5 lbs small red potatoes (cut in half)

5 cups of water

1 bottle (12 oz)  beer (you can also sub in broth)

1/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning

2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 onion, cut into quarters

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

2 lemons, cut in half

1 lb cooked kielbasa sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 fresh cobs of corn, cut into 3-inch chunks

2 lb fresh,  uncooked large shrimp in shells

Optional : Cocktail sauce, fresh lemon slices, Cajun seasoning

Directions

1. Start by spraying a  6 or 7 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Add in water, beer, Old Bay Seasoning, and garlic.  Stir until well combined.
2. Place potatoes, onion  and celery in slow cooker and squeeze lemons over mixture in slow cooker.
3. Place lemon halves to slow cooker.
4. Cover the crockpot and  cook on Low heat setting 4-5 hours.
5. Add sausage and corn, cover and cook 2 hours longer.
6. Increase heat setting to HIGH and add  in your shrimp. Your crockpot will be very full, so do your best to stir a little and squeeze your shrimp in ?  Cover and cook 30-40 minutes or until shrimp are pink.

Coconut Lime Chicken by slowcookergourmet.net

Ingredients

3 pounds chicken (bone-in, skin-on, I mixed thighs and drumsticks)

13.5 oz can coconut milk or lite coconut milk

½ cup pineapple juice

2 tablespoons lime juice

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon curry powder

⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions

1. Place chicken in crock
2. In a mixing bowl whisk remaining ingredients
3. Pour over chicken
4. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8
5. Optional (but recommended) place cooked chicken on foil lined broiler pan and broil for 3-8 minutes. Keep an eye on it and take it out as soon as it starts to brown up.

Slow-Cooker Buffalo Chicken by delish.com

My family and I just made our annual trek to Ontario to visit my Grandparents. It’s my favorite trip of the year, but it’s looonnngggg! We pass the time by playing road trip games and singing obnoxiously at the top of our lungs. My grandmother, cousin, 9 year old son are helping me create a great playlist for all ages. Here they are in no particular order, no judgement please!  What are your favorite tunes for long adventures?

George Michael Freedom

Willie Nelson On the Road Again

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough The Supremes

Talking Heads This Must Be the Place

Tina Turner Proud Mary

Grateful Dead Truckin’

The Band The Weight

Alicia Keyes This Girl is on Fire

Paul Simon Graceland

Elton John Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me

Michael Jackson Man in the Mirror

Van Morrison Into the Mystic

Prince Purple Rain

Ray Charles Georgia on My Mind

Frank Sinatra Fly me to the Moon

Garth Brooks Friends in low Places

Tom Cochran Life is a Highway

Jake Owen Anywhere with You

Mark Ronson Uptown Funk

Lynyrd Skynard Sweet Home Alabama

Kenny Loggins Footloose

Glenn Miller Chattanooga Choo Choo

Johnny Cash I’ve Been Everywhere

Tracy Chapman Fast Car

Tom Petty Time to Move On

Meghan Trainor All about that bass

Little Big Town Where the Pavement Ends

Louis Armstrong On the Sunny Side of Street

Jason Aldean Dirt Road Anthem

Tony Bennett Left My Heart in San Francisco

As I was preparing for our summer family vacation I picked up a bottle of sunscreen to throw in the bag. I noticed two things right away: the bottle was empty and the list of ingredients was a mile long. I couldn’t pronounce most of them. Why am I spending so much money on organic food and making homemade cleaners just to slather chemicals all over myself and my family? I started reading up on homemade sunscreen recipes. I’m not ready to venture down that road yet, but the one thing I noticed is the recipes all had few ingredients and zinc was always top of the list.

Sunscreen and your body

Sunscreen can use chemicals to filter the sun or minerals. The most alarming issues with chemical sunblock is the potential of for hormone disruption, penetration of the chemicals into the skin, and skin reactions. Some traditional companies are hopping on the all natural marketing train, but just because minerals are on the list doesn’t mean the sunblock is chemical free. While natural sunblock tends to feel like spreading thick white toothpaste on your body it’s worth it. Zinc oxide shows no negative side affect to the user and is known the block the sun more effectively.

Sunscreen and the environment

Whether you’re swimming in the ocean or a pool, or showering your sunblock off it will end up in the water supply. According to NPR, 14,000 tons of sunscreen end up in the ocean each year. Oxybenzone, the hormone disrupting ingredient, is devastating to coral reefs. The fragile reefs are left bleached and depleted of nutrients.

What you can do

The good news is you can make a big impact! Research what natural sunscreens will work for your lifestyle. If you’re vacationing at the beach research reef safe sunblock. The video below describes the differences in sunblock a little better and lists some favorites. I just ordered ThinkSport sunblock because I’ve used it before, it works well, and it’s not too pasty. It’s more expensive than traditional sunblock, but your family and the environment is worth the cost!

Every now and then I get a little bit lonely so my family is coming ’round…for the eclipse. Seriously, my awesome family is coming to visit for the solar eclipse on August 21st.  I’ve ordered the glasses, looked at the maps, and read everything I can get my hands on in preparation. We’re outside the path of totality, but I’m hoping we’ll be close enough to experience the excitement.

The path of totality includes a small portion of North Carolina. Those in Bryson City, Brevard, and west will get the best view.  Michael Zeiler, an eclipse cartographer, has estimated 1.85 million and 7.4 million people will travel to view the event. Brace yourself for traffic and crowds.

Are you within the path of totality? Check out this map from eclipse2017.org and start making plans!

Watch this! Great explanation of the science behind the event and how to enjoy the entire process.

Now that you know what all of the hype is about, it’s time to start planning! What will you be doing on August 21st?

I need you on that night, and I need you more than ever to post your pictures on the Chaney Group Facebook page or blog and include your location!

It’s time to celebrate the July 4th with your family and friends!  This means cookouts and picnics, potato chips and cookies, and leaving ashamed of yourself and the choices you made.  Or is that just me?  Here are some healthy and different alternatives that can make you as proud of yourself as you are of the good ol’ U.S. of A!  Also, I clearly have an unhealthy relationship with avocados.

Grilled Corn Guacamole from The Pioneer Woman

Why are all of her recipes so good?! It’s just not right.

Ingredients

• 3 ears Corn, Shucked
• 6 whole Avocados, Diced
• 1 whole Large Tomato, Diced
• 1/3 cup Onion, Finely Diced
• 2 cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
• 2 Tablespoons Diced Fresh Jalapeno
• 1 whole Lime, Juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1/2 cup Cilantro Leaves