My niece, Karen just had a baby boy. I designed and sewed this diaper bag before I knew the sex of the baby.There are 2 pockets in the front and one on each side of the bag. I used wool felt to make the roses on the sides.

© 2012 by Debbie Glade, Smart Poodle Publishing. All rights reserved.

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The following is one of our most read blog posts of all time. With summer approaching, I thought I’d share it again with all those parents out there who may find themselves on a plane, flying solo with their children.

If your summer plans include flying with your children without another adult, careful planning is the key to making your flights as pleasant an experience as possible. Here are some tips:

1. Book direct flights to your destination. Avoid connecting flights whenever possible.
2. If you can fly on JetBlue, your child will have his own TV to watch! (No I do not work for JetBlue. I just love that airline!)
3. Book your tickets online and choose your seats way in advance Let your children ages 2 and up sit near a window so they can look out. Don’t reserve seats in an Emergency Exit row!
4. Check your airline’s website for baggage and carry on rules.
5. Check your luggage and make your carry on is as light as possible.
6. Bring toys that hold your child’s attention depending on age (crayons or colored pencils and a new coloring book, blank paper, book, Magna Doodle, small electronic game) Pack at least one new item  to surprise your child while in the air.
7. Don’t forget a security blanky, favorite stuffed animal or doll.
8. Avoid toys that will make a lot of noise and disturb other passengers.
9. Pack small bags of snacks. Avoid food that will make them hyper like mega sugar and chocolate. Baby formula, breast milk and baby food are allowed on board in “reasonable quantities” but must be displayed at security for inspection.
10. Give yourself plenty of extra time at the airport. Arrive at least 1 and 1/2 hours before flight time so you do not have to rush.
11. If possible have another adult help you in the terminal with checking your luggage and watching the children.
12. Insist that young children stay in the stroller until you get to the security line.
13. Have your ID and boarding passes ready in hand while approaching the security line so you do not have to dig through your luggage to find them.
14. Buy drinks and more snacks in the terminal if need be for your children to bring on board. Once your flight takes off, it may be a while before the beverage cart comes down the aisle.
15. Tell the airline representative at the gate if you’ll need assistance boarding.
16. Check your stroller at the end of the gangplank just before entering the plane. Don’t forget it on your way out!
17. Don’t let your children run down the aisle of the plane. Get them seated as soon as possible.
18. Don’t give them every toy you’ve packed at once. Spread them out along with snacks over the duration of the flight.
19. When the flight has landed, wait for other passengers to get off first. It will be less stressful for you.
20. Keep young children in the stroller on the way to and at the baggage claim.
21. Ask someone for help getting your luggage off the belt. Surely other passengers will be happy to assist you, since they will see you have your hands full with your children.
22. If family members or friends are meeting you at the airport, arrange for someone to run in and help you with the kids or take them to the car while you bring the luggage out.

The way air travel is these days, be prepared for the unexpected – bad weather, delays, cancellations, overbooked flights and more. Leave home with the mindset that you will go with the flow and the “inconvenience” of getting there and back is well worth the journey.

We’re finishing the end of the harvest with a bang. I think I’m turning into a tomato!

The worlds smallest ripe tomato? Not even 1/2 inch across.

My daughter is finishing up her sophomore year of college, feeling the quintessential end of the year burnout – studying for exams, finishing assignments, packing, moving out, securing summer research. She’s got the staying power, and she’ll pull it off as she always does. But her situation has inspired me to reflect about the many times in my life when I found it difficult to finish projects with the same enthusiasm as I started. We’ve all experienced that.

Failure is inevitably the result of losing steam. I like to think of it like this – If I do a project well 90% of the way, and then slack off during the last leg, I somewhat wasted my 90% effort. The best example I have that comes to mind involves a woman who used to work with me at a bank. She felt trapped in her administrative assistant position, and after talking to her about it, I learned something very interesting. She went to college at night for 6 years and got burnt out, so she took a semester off before finishing the very last class she needed to earn a BS degree in Business. One semester turned into 2, then 3 and 4, so two years passed since her last class and she still had not finished her degree. After contacting the university to re-enroll, she discovered that the program’s requirements had significantly changed, and she would have to go back to school for 2 more years at night to meet those requirements and earn that degree. She couldn’t bear to do it. Ah, if only she had stayed on course . . .

She never finished.

How would it look if she put on her resume that she almost had that degree? It’s better if she never mentions that she attended the university. Would you hire someone who completed 98% of her degree and never went back? I wouldn’t.

Every time I feel sluggish about reaching a goal, I recall her decision to not finish what she started. I like to look at projects as time well spent or time wasted. Being a successful finisher means refusing to settle for incomplete, unfinished or mediocre. Refusing to waste time doing a project part way is the best motivator.

It’s fine to take a break, regroup, stretch a bit. But finish what you started as well as you can. And save the celebrating for after the job is done well.

“Winners never quit and quitters never win.”

- Vince Lombardi

While I admit the name doesn’t sound all that appetizing, you will love Garbage Soup! Make this soup when you have plenty of leftover rice, lentils and veggies on hand. It’s called “Garbage” because of the recycled leftovers and the pile of other ingredients. The smoked sun-dried tomatoes really add a depth of flavor. The best thing about this recipe is that your amounts and ingredients don’t have to be exact. It’s delicious, low in fat and healthy – a great way to get fiber into your diet!

• Saute one chopped onion and one chopped stalk of celery for about 5 minutes until softened
• Lower heat and add 4-5 cloves chopped garlic, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes
• Add 4 cups organic chicken stock
• Add 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Add your leftovers (about 1 cup rice, 1/4 cup lentils, cup and half of veggies)
• Add some fresh chopped kale
• Add about 8 smoked sun-dried tomatoes
• Add one large chopped tomato
• Cook for about 10 minutes just enough for leftovers to soften
• Put chunky soup in blender to puree in batches and then return to heat until bubbling hot
• Taste and add more salt if needed
• If you like thinner soup, you can add more chicken stock

I made a fabric jewelry case for my sister to use for transporting some of the jewelry she sells for her business, Bonheur Maison. Check out her gorgeous website!

I eat at least 4 tomatoes every day and give at least 4 away. I cut them up in my salads, salt them and eat them over the sink, put them in soups, sauces, dip them in hummus and cook and can them. The deep red color is indicative of the deep, complex flavor. I will be sad in a few weeks when the Florida tomato growing season is over. But the good news is that I will plant the seeds for next season on September 1 – not that far away!