. So, don't forget to come back every month and grab the free template.
Saturday, March 1, 2025
March's Free Digital Scrapbooking Template Page Inspiration and Beautiful Layouts
. So, don't forget to come back every month and grab the free template.
Friday, February 28, 2025
You've Got to Check Out Friesland in The Netherlands, Travel Scrapbook Layouts and Traveling Europe with a Dog
Another amazing part of the trip was the birds. If you're like me and ya dig our feathered friends, boy oh boy will you enjoy this area. It could possibly have been a time when mass migration was in action. We went in January. There were thousands of swans, geese, cranes, gorgeous white egrets and more. As you travel down the world's most perfect roads free of cameras and flitz polls issuing tickets, most enjoyable, indeed, you pass through unending, green fields full of traveling birds hunting and resting in the ditches and canals that flank the roads.
Click on my preview for this fun, free design. When I wrap up the Netherlands travel blogs, I'll have this little digital scrapbooking kit available for ya, for free. So, come on back and get to know The Netherlands.
Thanks for visiting the travel blogs. I'll be talking about Amsterdam next and this darling of a freebie should be up and waiting for ya.
Friday, February 21, 2025
Free Digital Scrapbooking Kit, Page Layout Inspiration, a Look at My Book, The Walking Stick and Travel Tips for Catalonia France
Welcome to The Cherry On Top.
Finally! The last installment of the free digital collection, Catalonia or The Walking Stick, named after my book. I've got some lovely page inspiration for ya, too. You'll see an excerpt from the very first page of my book along with its partnering page full of imagery. I've written many books, but none like this one. If you know me, you won't be surprised at my ever present attempts at something new or outside of the box.
Sunday, February 16, 2025
You Need Aloe In Your Life and Here's Why
I put the freshly harvested aloe in small ziplock bags and put them in the freezer. Every time I need to nourish my hair (twice a week or if I need to look acceptable), I take the pack out and let it thaw. You'll get a bunch of juice that you can put in your hair either wet or dry. Yes! Isn't that so mega fab?! I love that I can put it in my hair when it's dry and not have to blow dry. It is not sticky at all which is even more great. If you do the freezer method and even if ya don't you'll have meat left over as well. This you can put in a small blender or chopper and zap it into a juice which you can also put in your hair.
I put the pure juice in a reused spray bottle and man did that work great, but it got clogged and stopped spraying. No other bottle worked. If you know of one that might, hit me up. It was by far the easiest way to get the stuff in your hair. It was ideal when ya just need to tame it a bit before leaving the house.
Apparently, aloe is excellent for slowing down the aging process. Say, what?! You can find out more about that at one of my favorite sites.
Read more about how aloe can help with diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer and much more.
You can put it in smoothies, too. Make sure you read more about that before you drink. I haven't dared it myself, but perhaps it could help you with a chronic problem you have where nothing else has worked. There are some precautionary measures you'll want to address.
In this blog, I share our lice story. Ugh! We suffered for years with lice and finally found the natural trick to not only get rid of our lice, but keep it away. This is another blog on hair care that I highly recommend. Again, they are all natural ideas and big, big time money saving techniques for dry, curly and or frizzy hair.
I didn't touch much on how easy it is to grow aloe. If you live where it is chilly, you'll have to keep them inside when the temperatures start dipping. I leave mine in year round until that last one that out grew the house. I put it in my new green house where it is doing just great. Despite how mutilated it got after it fell over and I harvest several of the leaves.
Aloe doesn't need a lot water. Honestly, I only ever give it rain water and that's it. It even grows well in areas of the house with little light. I just can't kill this plant and that says a lot. Maybe there is some symbolism there? If you use aloe, maybe you'll live longer, too? Wink, wink...
Friday, February 14, 2025
Visiting Haarlem in The Netherlands A Charming Old Town Full of Wonderful Shopping and Cafes
Welcome to another travel edition of The Cherry On Top.
Since I'm only just designing for fun these days, I wanted to add a little twist via means of blogging about travel and showing off pictures through scrapbooking pages. Change is good, right? Another reason I want to start writing about travel is to help future travelers. I often read reviews and do research on places I want to visit. Sometimes I just can't find good information and or pictures. I want to try and fix that through my travels.
My first few travel blogs covers my trip to Monschau, Germany and the latest one is about Zandvoort, The Netherlands. Zandvoort is very, very close to Haarlem. A 15 minute bus ride and you're there. If you think you may want to add Zandvoort to your trip list, check out the blog and see what you think after reading.
Haarlem was absolutely beautiful. If you love old architecture, it's the place for you. In a previous travel blog, I mentioned that we went to Amsterdam. I will be blogging in detail about Amsterdam, soon. Haarlem was such a breath of fresh air after spending a very rushed and busy day in Amsterdam. It's a fraction of the size of Amsterdam and holy wow, a fraction of the people. We did go in the middle of November. The streets had a small trickle of people which you could find the bulk of in the many unique shops and cafes.
Honestly, I cannot say enough about the shops in Haarlem. All of the unique little guy shops in my neck of the woods are all but gone. Not so in Haarlem. It seemed to me that more than half of the shops were not large chain store shops. How refreshing? If you're looking for a special gift, it's a great place to go. There are upscale shops as well as a fantastic thrift store (kringloop winkel). The thrift store had a sweet, little English book section and I stacked up.
I also mentioned in a past blog about the high tech in The Netherlands. If an Orwellian experience is what you're looking for, The Netherlands is the place for you. Public transport is with a card only, as far as we could see and some cafes have a QR code for the menu. Make sure ya have your card with you, but be double sure to hit up those shops where they do take cash. We can't let cash die. Ever.
My friend and I hung out at a few cozy cafes on the main square, across from the church. It was really cold and very peaceful. No cars are allowed anywhere near the main square. I absolutely love that! Little kids could run all around, free as a bird, but ya do have to keep those pesky bikes in mind. Hehehe...As The Netherlands is well noted for bikes everywhere. We were nearly run down at least half a dozen times and I'm kind'a use to bike culture.
The menu choices were interesting. Previously, I spoke of my opinion in regards to The Netherland's cuisine. Personally, it is one of my least favorite foods of the world. It's often unimaginative and like Belgium, nearly every restaurant serves the same damn thing! I just don't get it! Hehehe...Insert that crying laughing emoji. It is true! Nearly every standard priced restaurant and cafe has the same menu. So if you just can't get enough of fried food like fish, potatoes, krokketjes or bitterballen and toastis which is a grilled cheese sandwich, then The Netherlands will be great for ya. There are places that sell soups and more original dishes, but ya have to look for them. Many places offer vegetarian items.
You can visit museums, take a canal cruise or soak up the sun in an outside cafe on the river bank. I was very pleased at the prices for food and drink and if you do go visit Haarlem, put a limit on your bank card so you don't crazy with all of that amazing shopping.
I've got your next Dutchie freebie for ya.
Thanks for visiting The Cherry. Let me know in the comments if you've been to Haarlem or if you think it looks like a great place to visit.
Happy travels!
Friday, February 7, 2025
Adorable Valentine's Day Mailbox Printable, Step By Step Tutorial and Free Lovable Gnome Scrapbooking Mini
Sunday, February 2, 2025
Waste Management At Home Saves You Money and is Better for the Environment Here Are Some Hot Tips
Welcome to The Cherry On Top,
A lovely fan had a question about jalapeños on a previous blog and also mentioned that she too does not like waste. So, I'll address both. It goes perfect with what I was just doing which was cleaning out our little compost bin we've got in the kitchen, next to the sink. Fun!