Sweet Tooth Sweet Life

A Love of Food, Fitness, & Fashion

Twenty Years From Now…

By 53 Comments

Alright, I have seriously reached my quota for weed pulling this season…

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I don’t know what has gotten into me. Maybe I’m subconsciously trying to earn some “Wifey Points,” seeing as how my contribution to the yard work up until yesterday has been pretty slim.

Either way, I was so happy to see that Jay came home for lunch. This meant, a) he could empty the wheelbarrow for me, and b) he could witness firsthand that I was out doing dirty work without him asking.

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If you ask me, that should be like, Rock Star Wife Status or something? Winking smile

*****

I will say though, as much as I despise doing yard work, I was blown away with how just the simple smell of fresh dirt brought me straight back to my childhood.

Days of playing in the yard…

Picking acorns to try to sell to my neighbors for a penny…

Building tree forts in the woods down the road from my parents’ house…

As long as it wasn’t storming, I feel like there was nothing keeping me, my brother, and my friends from playing outside.

Which got me thinking a bit more of kids today; twenty years from now, what things are they going to remember from their childhood? Are they going to be able to associate the smell of fresh dirt to playing outside? Or are they going to remember their PlayStation games? Facebook? Texting their friends back and forth from within the same room?

It both amazes and saddens me, the way that times have changed, but it also makes me appreciate my own childhood that much more. I know that when I have kids, I’m going to make sure that they still get outside, play around in the dirt…and then make sure they go ask “Dad” to help clean them up. Mwahaha…

Hey now, how was that for a little trip down Memory Lane? Winking smile

*****

Ok, let’s talk lunch. I came in from finishing those damn weeds and I was starving. For really only wanting to whip out the peanut butter jar and a spoon, I’d say I ended up with a pretty decent, possibly new favorite.

A couple Wasa crackers topped with a wedge of The Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese and some fruit salsa.

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Plus this amazing tropical bowl of delicious. Ladies, Gents, I’m tellin’ you…if you love coconut as much as me (hellooo Malibu) then you’ve got to give this a try.

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Taste of the Tropics Cottage Cheese Bowl

  • 2/3 cup low-fat cottage cheese
  • 1-2 drops coconut extract
  • cinnamon
  • sweetener, to taste (optional)
  • 4-5 strawberries, sliced
  • 1 kiwi, sliced
  • 3 roasted pecans, chopped

Mix the cottage cheese, coconut extract, cinnamon, and sweetener (if desired). Top with sliced strawberries, kiwi, and pecans. ENJOY! Island with a palm tree

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This bowl was amazing; light, refreshing, with a subtle hint of coconut, which paired so well with the fruit and pecans.

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I will most definitely be making this again!

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Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go and take a shower because I’m 110% sure that the reason Jay didn’t come within 10 feet of me when he left at lunch is because I smell horrendous. Woops.

Question for the Afternoon:

What smells do you associate with your childhood?

What do you think of the way children play today, compared to when you were younger?

Comments

  1. I can't believe you don't have your pool uncovered!! I'd give my right arm for my own pool. I wouldn't have to go to the Y every morning to use the pool.
    Reply

    • I KNOW...this week it will be! It's been so hard with being away and crappy weather when we ARE here!
      Reply

  2. When we were little, we basically got kicked out of our house during the day in the summer. We had to go outside and play. There was no such thing as just sitting around. I think it depends on the parents - because my sister's kids still are outside each and every day playing with their friends! I know my kids will not be allowed to just sit around!
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  4. I always remember the smell of honeysuckles! My friends and I would always try to suck the sweetness from those beautiful smelling blossoms :) I'm going to make sure that my future kids love the outdoors as much as I did! And wow that meal sounds so refreshing for a hot day like today.
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  6. The smell of woods (or trees) always makes me think of my childhood. We had a bunch of trees in my backyard that I loved to climb (there was a cherry tree that I pretended was my spaceship) and at my babysitter's house they had woods behind their house that my sister and I and a bunch of other kids would play in. I hope my kids get the same opportunities and definitely will be pushing them outside to play.
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  7. The smell of baking! My Mom loved to bake! I agree and think it is sad that kids don't spend near as much time outside "playing" as we did. I know I was outside from 8am-10pm very summer day that I could be! I think kids now spend too much time inside on the computer or playing video games!
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  8. Love this post...I too think it's a shame that our society is so infiltrated with technology and when you see kids nowadays they got their heads down glued to their smart phones! Like you I'd like to pry my children away from the gadgets and have playtime outside with their daddy...it's so important for them to be active too. I can't remember if tan bark has a smell, but the sight of it alone reminds me of my childhood as we had that tan bark all over our playgrounds and elementary school...although the smell of Elmer's glue brings me back to my childhood art and crafts days ;)
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  10. That Taste of the Tropics bowl is so up my alley!! Such pretty colors too :) I think it's so sad that kids don't get outside and play more. I remember as a kid my mom gave us a time limit on computers and games. I hated it then, but now I really appreciate it. She encouraged us to always be outside. I think that is why now I love being outdoors and can't stand being cooped up on a gorgeous day!!
    Reply

  11. Nice pool! I agree.... get that bad boy uncovered and get to lounging! hehe Smells from childhood... backyard fires ( we went camping a lot as a kid) and cotton candy! Sometimes our movie theater has it, and I ALWAYS love that smell. Makes me feel like a kid again :) mmmmm
    Reply

  13. I feel like kids today are so overscheduled. Playdates, camps, sports games, practices, etc. I remember as a kid we never had a schedule or an agenda and we would just spend all summer with the neighbors playing whatever games we felt like that day. We have passed our busy, overscheduled, overconnected lives onto younger generations. It worries me that this will take a major toll on their imaginations and ability to entertain themselves. Sure, kids love camp and sports, but we need to let them have some time to just go outside and play with their friends without having to set a date or a time or an agenda.
    Reply

  15. Considering my little brother probably spends most of his time at the tv playing video games, that's a huge difference to when I was younger and spent mine down by the creek building "forts" and "dams" (read: Piles of sticks and rocks). I would have to say the one smell that always brings me back is chlorine, as I used to spend hours upon hours in the pool. Even though I don't chew my hair after swimming anymore (much...), chlorine makes me grin like a 10 year old every time!
    Reply

  16. i feel like kids have less social interaction...much more internet/video games/etc. and i feel...after talking to my teacher friends that there is much more emphasis on academics than when we were younger (not that that's a bad thing...) . less arts and crafts, less creative activities. :(
    Reply

  18. I feel like children play so differently now than when we were young but they also grow up a lot faster! I see the way my younger cousins dress and act and it blows me away! I used to think it was just that I was super naive at their age but it definitely is not that...kids these days are waaaaay too mature for their own good!
    Reply

    • Haha, well here's a link to my recipe: https://www.sweettoothsweetlife.com/2010/07/18/capital-district-ny-eat-drink-blog/ Really, you can do any mix of fruits that you like! The batch I've been eating has been around for almost 2 weeks and is still kickin'! ;)
      Reply

  20. We had a pool growing up that we were in nonstop from April - October, so my childhood smells are chlorine and sunscreen! I don't really think its a bad thing that kids today are a little different. Sure, they are more technilogical than we are, but I think they still play outside plenty too!
    Reply

  21. Lilacs. My parents have lilac bushes in their backyard where I spent many hours playing as a child. My mom would kick us out of the house all day during the summer - not that we would want to be inside anyway. I think outside play is so important, one reason I can't say for sure that I'll stay living in the city when I have kids.
    Reply

  22. On rainy days my mom would have freshly baked cookies ready when we got home from school. So anytime it rains I feel like baking cookies (or having my mom bake them for me ;)), if just for that comforting smell. The smell of Coppertone also reminds of my childhood!
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  23. -the smell of freshly cut grass -drinking out of a water hose -hearing kids play at the pool (I lived next to the pool) There was no playing in the house in the summer-this season is only here for 3-4 months as I live in MN;)
    Reply

  25. The laughing cow and fruit salad combo looks amazing! I'm going to have to give that a try. As for smells that remind me of childhood.. cake batter and things fried with Crisco!:) I stayed at my grandparents a lot while my parents worked. My grandma and I baked cakes for any and every occasion. My favorite snack/meal after school was fried potatoes. Those things were great! Yum! No wonder I was a little chubby as a child.. ;)
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  27. That lunch looks awesome! I was outside all the time growing up, and I loved it. I'm not sure what smells I associate with it though. But playing tag, riding bikes, pretending that we were horses (yes, my bro and I did that haha), and just making up games in our backyard was so.much.fun :). When I have children they will absolutely be outside a lot. I don't want them glued to the tv- I want them to be as sweet and naive as possible, for as long as possible haha.
    Reply

  28. I love your lunchtime creations! I look forward to them every day :-) You've also given me a sudden craving for Wasa crackers. Childhood smells? ummm grass stains and dirt? haha I was such a want-to-be tomboy. Only problem was that I didn't have the athletic chops to back it up!
    Reply

  29. It makes me so sad to think about kids today. Social skills and simple interactions are so far-gone. I remember my friends and I having sleep overs and prank calling the boys in our class that we had crushes on. Now what do kids do? Text?
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  30. Ha! I just snorted reading this post. lol. Isn't the playstation really old? I know the Xbox and the Wii are used alot. I still have a playstation though...I should really hook it up so I can play some Tomb Raider... :D
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  31. I did so much outside when I was growing up. Woke up, walked outside to play on our farm and didn't come in till it was time to take a bath and go to bed. LOVE coconut! It makes me feel like I'm on a beach! :) I just kissed my computer screen to thank you for the recipe! I'm super pumped to try this!!!!!!! :) THANK YOU for the AMAZING idea!
    Reply

  32. I think everything is moving so quickly now :( Sex, drugs... it's sad. On a happier note, fresh grass and honeysuckle remind me of the summer while crunchy leaves make me think of fall :) Peonies are ALWAYS a spring time scent.. cookies make me think of winter.
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  34. Me and my brother were always outside during the summer - sunrise to sunset. Dirt, trees, bicycles, oh it was so fun. I can't imagine being a kid these days. We were allowed to play Nintendo for an hour, only on bad days. I'm glad I grew up when I did, I love being outdoors now. All the time!
    Reply

  36. I can't say I've ever pulled a week before but it looks like hard work! The smell of roses and grass remind me a lot of summers spent out by the pool growing up. OH! and the taste of otter pops always takes me back!
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  37. The smell of a storm blowing in at the end of a summer day and the hot asphalt from the road as the first drops hit it always reminds me of being a kid and sitting out on the front porch with Dad eating ice cream and watching the lightening play across the night sky. Or the smell of laundry powder as you hang out washing on the line on a blue sky day reminds me of my Mum.
    Reply

  38. Weeding is my favorite chore! My fondest memories are of climbing trees and hunting for golf balls in the woods! Also, there is a book called The Last Child in the Woods. It's about how this generation's kids are spending so much time indoors that they're not likely to value nature and the outdoors. Totally sad! Hate to think that today's kids are hanging out on Facebook and in front of the t.v. instead of engaging in character/memory building activities with friends!
    Reply

  39. That tropical bowl looks fantastic- love the tanginess of cottage cheese alongside fruit! I really think that earlier generations had a more appealing childhood! It saddens me when I see 8 year olds on their cell phones/iPads! If they’re doing all this now, what do they have to look forward to?! More than that, I find the idea of playing outside/board games so much more natural. Call me a granny but to an extent I do think technology does have a negative impact on youth, especially as it turns kids into spoiled brats who never stop wanting.
    Reply

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