Camping with my Girl Scouts

As I have shared with you before, I have a troop of Girl Scouts from Daisy to Cadette. What I may not have shared is that though I LOVE being outside, camping terrifies me. I think what terrifies me is the food preparation. My girls and I have figured out how to put up a tent and I actually enjoy waking up in the morning to the sounds of nature. Also, thanks to the Earth Native Wilderness Camp my daughters attend monthly and then for a week in the summer, they are champs at building fires, using knives, and other fun skills. 

During the Bronze award planning process, the girls choose the Outdoor Journey as their journey requirement. Happily my service unit had already scheduled a Tent or Treat at a local park, so we decided to jump on that train. My co-leader and I felt the Agent of Change journey was most appropriate for preparing for the Bronze Award (see previous posts) so that is what we did to fulfill that requirement.

Anyhoo, so we ended up after 7 girls and 2 dads (registered and CBC approved) and myself attend the camping trip.

We arrived on Friday and set up our tents and immediately started the fire so we could cook up our S'mores, because, its camping and you HAVE to have smores. Side note - if you have ThanksAlots Girl Scout cookies available to you, they make the BEST smores! So instead of graham crackers and hershey bars and marshmallow, its just two Thankslots and the marshmallow! They are amazing!! Plus, you are supporting the Girl Scouts so double awesome!

For breakfast Saturday, one of the dad's cook up bacon and scrambled eggs using his cool camping stove. We also baked? grilled? made? biscuits and cinnamon rolls using sticks which was a test in patience but oh so good. Afterwards, we explored the park. For lunch, the awesome dad cooked up ground beef for frito pie and walking tacos. After a bit of a break, we explored the park some more.

There are many, many amazing outdoor skills and camping patches for Girl Scouts. The one I used and will continue to use is from the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. This document is AWESOME!! I love that it has clearly defined skill sets for the different levels of Girl Scouts (page 5). I am most excited about exploring the different progression skills regarding cooking methods (page 9). The recipes are fun and unique. I cannot wait to try out the recipe that includes a Pringles can!! Who would have thought? The suggestions for nature crafts, songs, and games are wonderful! It's all just so creative and inspiring and happily, makes me want to schedule another campout in the Spring!

http://www.girlscoutsem.org/content/dam/girlscouts-girlscoutsem/documents/PEP_Fun_In_The_Outdoors.pdf

We stayed at Jim Hogg Park on Lake Georgetown which was great! The covered patio was HUGE! The electrical outlet and water spigot was a pleasant surprise. The bathrooms were readily available and clean and included showers. My only complaint is that they were not clearly defined hiking trails to explore. Humph.

Me and Caroline with my SUPER cool WOLF hat!

Caroline collecting tender for the fire!

Grace and girls working on building the fire!

 

Heating up cinnamon rolls with the stick.

My girls!

Jon and Caroline working on the campfire!

Girl Scouts Meeting -Games and Learning about Juliette Gordon Low

As a Girl Scout Leader to 20 girls ranging from kindergarten to 6th grade, planning and preparing for a meeting can be a bit daunting. When said meeting is at 645PM and the girls have varying degrees of tiredness and hunger, it can be even more daunting. Not to include my own tiredness of the day. 

Grace provided some excellent feedback that we needed to get up and move more. In fact, she was the one who planted the seed that the girls were likely to be hungry and tired. Such a wise 10 year old she is. 

At this week's troop meeting, we did a lot of movement. For one reason or another about half the trop didn't attend so we had a more intimate group. There is definitely pros and cons to the varying troop sizes. 

After the Promise, Law, Pledge, and newest addition of  the "be the nice kid", we played the Gratitude Alphabet Game. I found this game from Big Life Journal.com They have amazing printables. This game was from "Learning through Movement Activities". Essentially you name something with the letter A that you are grateful for and then roll a ball to the next person to say something they are grateful for using the letter B. So on and so forth. I was concerned my older girls were going to be bored but they seemed to enjoy themselves.

https://biglifejournal.com/

Caroline thinking of a grateful word. 

Grace is enjoying herself with the Gratitude Alphabet Game

And again!

We then played a game that was called Crazy Chairs that I got from “Getting to Know You” Games, Page 4. I'll definitely be pulling more games from this document. Also, I'll be playing this game again. The girls were unsure at first on sitting on each others laps but the laughter was AWESOME!!

http://www.bc-girlguides.org/WEB/Documents/BC/gtkygames.pdf

Caroline was being silly sharing her seat with other sisters!

We then played the "Help your Brain Grown by Taking a Break" also from Big Life Journal printables. We'll be doing this one again as well.

We reviewed Manners as I feel this is very important to do every meeting. I did this worksheet verbally with the girls.

Our strong and courageous woman was Juliette Gordon Low and we Played the JGL Kim's Game (referenced in previous posts). I printed out the different items to show the girls as I didn't have a lot of them on hand. I told them next week we'll be celebrating JGL's birthday and they'll be going trick or treating with the parents. The girls have to correctly answer JGL questions to receive a treat!

There are some meetings when I really struggle accommodating all of the girls. It's a challenge not to repeat activities but still cover the same badges and patches. Thankfully there is a plethora of ideas available on the internets. I felt like this meeting I knocked it out of the park!

Essential Oils 101: Cilantro

Cilantro Coriandrum sativum

The fresh, herbal aroma of Cilantro essential oil makes it useful for cooking, while also providing powerful cleansing and detoxifying properties.

Popular Uses of Cilantro Essential Oil

• Take daily during a body cleansing regimen.
• Add to stir fries, salads, and dips to experience Cilantro’s distinct flavor and internal health benefits.
• Diffuse with citrus essential oils for a fresh, herbal aroma.
• Apply one to two drops to minor skin irritations.
• Dilute with fractionated coconut oil and apply to the bottoms of the feet to aid the body in detoxification.

Description

The culinary uses and additional benefits of Cilantro have been documented for centuries. Internal use of Cilantro promotes healthy digestion and supports healthy immune and nervous system functions. Applied topically, Cilantro is very soothing and cooling to the skin, and it adds a fresh, herbal aroma to any essential oil blend when diffused. Cilantro’s culinary uses are endless, adding a flavorful twist to meats, salads, dips, and guacamole.

Uses

• Place two drops in a doTERRA veggie cap to support healthy digestion and immune system function.*
• Add to stir fries, salads, and dips to experience Cilantro’s distinct flavor.
• Diffuse with citrus essential oils for a fresh, herbal aroma.

Directions for Use

Diffusion: Use three to four drops in the diffuser of your choice.
Internal use: Dilute one drop in 4 fl. oz. of liquid.
Topical use: Apply one to two drops to desired area. Dilute with doTERRA Fractionated Coconut Oil to minimize any skin sensitivity.

Cautions

Possible skin sensitivity. Keep out of reach of children. If you are pregnant, nursing, or under a doctor’s care, consult your physician. Avoid contact with eyes, inner ears, and sensitive areas.

Interested in learning more and watching training videos? Check out my Facebook Page!

https://www.facebook.com/Livingwellwithliz1/

Girl Scouts: Heimlich Heroes

"According to Injury Facts 2017, choking is the fourth leading cause of unintentional injury death. Of the 5,051 people who died from choking in 2015, 2,848 were older than 74. Food is often responsible for choking incidents in the elderly. Living alone, and having dentures or difficulty swallowing can increase risk".Sep 6, 2018

https://www.nsc.org/home-safety/safety-topics/choking-suffocation

One of the many amazing programs we have done with our Girl Scout troop is Heimlich Heroes!
https://heimlichheroes.com/

I discovered this program from one of the Girl Scout Facebook groups I participate in. We've used the program twice as part of our Brownie and Junior First Aid Badge badges.

The program is absolutely amazing and comes with a plethora of materials! It appears, the program may have changed a smidge since we used them. The first time, the program was free and the second time, there was a donation requested to cover the expense.Now there is a free digital option or for a small fee, printed material. Swag and patches are available for a fee as well. The dolls can be purchased or rented.

Either way, the materials provided was through and age-appropriate. For a fee, Heimlich Heroes offers a 3 foot doll with a mouth opening and foam to use as a piece of food. The dolls are internally designed so that will you administer the Heimlich maneuver correctly, the piece of food pops out. The dolls are designed to be as challenging to use as it would be for a real-life adult or child, and they were. It did indeed take a fair amount of effort and even as an adult, I was not successful every time. My co-leader, who is an ER nurse, struggled as well.

While the practice of the Heimlich maneuver was important, my co-leader and I felt teaching our younger girls to look for signs of choking and to call for help was the most vital lesson.

Knowing choking is such a high cause of death, it is vitally important to recognize the signs of choking and how to administer the Heimlich maneuver is beneficial to everyone. The cost of renting the dolls may be too high for one troop, but certainly would be appropriate for a service unit badge day or a school or after-school program. This tool would also be valuable in the workplace as well. One can never learn or practice too much first aid.

Essential Oils 101: Cedarwood

The go to essential oil for relaxing your body and mind, especially for sleep is Lavender, but I encourage you to try Cedarwood as well! As with OTC and RX, sometimes what is recommended doesn't always work. The same can be said for essential oils. So if Lavender or Serenity doesn't work to help ease your body and brain for sleep, try another essential oil or two. Cedar wood definitely worked for me as does other woodsy oils, such as arborvitae and siberian fir.

Cedarwood Juniperus virginiana

With properties that help to soothe the mind and body, the warm, woody scent of Cedarwood essential oil promotes a relaxing environment when used topically or aromatically.

Description

Known for its rich hue and warm, woody scent, Cedarwood essential oil provides a myriad of benefits. It is native to cold climates, thriving in high altitudes and growing up to 100 feet. Reminiscent of its size and strength, Cedarwood has a grounding aroma that evokes feelings of wellness and vitality. When applied topically, Cedarwood has clarifying properties. Additionally, Cedarwood is frequently used in massage therapy to relax and soothe the mind and body.

Uses

• After a difficult day, diffuse to create a relaxing environment.
• During your facial routine, add one to two drops to your facial toner or moisturizer to promote clear, healthy looking skin.
• Place a drop on a cotton ball and place in closet to keep moths at bay.

Directions for Use

Diffusion: Use three to four drops in the diffuser of your choice.
Topical use: Apply one to two drops to desired area. Dilute with doTERRA Fractionated Coconut Oil to minimize any skin sensitivity.

Cautions

Possible skin sensitivity. Keep out of reach of children. If you are pregnant, nursing, or under a doctor’s care, consult your physician. Avoid contact with eyes, inner ears, and sensitive areas.

Interested in learning more and watching training videos? Check out my Facebook Page!

https://www.facebook.com/Livingwellwithliz1/

Girl Scouts: Because of Her: Rosa Parks

I have been hankering to start this amazing patch program for at least a year or so and was thrilled to have started it with my troop last night! The Because of Her patch program showcases 12 different strong and courageous women over 12 months. You know strong and courageous women are my jam so of course I LOVE this patch program!

For whatever reason, unbeknownst to me, the patch program document itself is not available on the site but you can order the patch set for $14, which is actually quite reasonable. Since I am not smart enough to upload the PDF file to my blog, if you want a copy, please send me an email and I will happily send it to you! My email is lizphelanatx@gmail.com or you can follow us along throughout the year. The doc appears to be a 15MB file - holy moly!

http://www.bdgsc.org/patchprograms

Of course, I read about Rosa Parks from the super amazing Good Night Rebel Girls book. Rosa is on Page 166.

The patch program document does provide amazing suggestions to teach the girls about Rosa Parks and segregation, but with my girls aging from 5-12, I decided to take another approach. After reading the story of Rosa Parks, and happily almost ALL my girls were familiar with her story, I gave the girls a set of printouts to complete.

https://www.woojr.com/rosa-parks-day-printables/

I also printed out a Rosa Parks stand up bus from the below site.

https://daniellesplacestore.com/downloads/rosa-parks-stand-up-bus-craft/

The history channel also has additional information as well.

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/rosa-parks

Happy Monday!

Happy Monday and 1st day of the new month! After a very restful Sunday, I decided I'd start my day off with a walk in the neighborhood park with Cosmo and I am so glad I did. My soul NEEDS to be surrounded by trees. I yearn for to be outside and around the trees. 

My body was not meant to be stuck inside all day. I remember when I first started working at my corporate gig and my first cube wasn't by any windows and I would have no earthly idea what the weather was like. I would start the day and end the day sometimes in the dark. It was an adjustment and horribly depressing. My prior job was as a drive thru bank teller. I wasn't outside but at least I could see outside. 

Part of the trail that the city has been working on for 2 years or so has been completed so I was able to go on a part of the trail that I hadn't been able to for quite some time.

The recent rains has the creek flowing quite nicely.

Cosmo is at high alert with the deer close by!

I hope you are able to enjoy some outside time as well today!

Happy Fall!