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Sea Horse The Shyest Fish in the Sea: The WINNER

Jeannine — Fri, 24 May 2013 13:22:23 +0000

We Have a WINNER selected by Rafflecopter and random.org

You can view results on our original Post: Ocean Water Color Canvas Art by Children

Congratulations Jamie!

Jamie May 23, 2013 at 2:39 pm: I like to sing but not too loud as I’m tone deaf. I especially love singing in the shower! I also like to take a long walk whenever I can.

(Prize must be claimed by Friday, May 31, 2013.)

Original Post: Ocean Water Color Canvas Art by Children

Planning an Affordable Family Friendly Vacation to South Padre Island

Jeannine — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:12:06 +0000

Warm, more accurately HOT, weather has hit South Central Texas. That means one thing to my family . . . it’s time to hit the water! We will spend much of our time this summer at Aunt Joyce’s River and then it will be time for our annual family beach vacation. Hallelujah!

How does a beach vacation to South Padre Island sound? Alrighty then, let’s get busy planning . . .

South Padre Island is located off the southernmost Gulf Coast of Texas. The wide, expansive beaches and the warm gulf water are the main attractions. The beach is FREE so grab a chair, sit back, relax and watch the kiddos play in the surf.

There are sea creatures to catch . . .

And hours of observation . . .

The kid’s fishing nets and large buckets are some of the best purchases we’ve ever made! Day after day, hours upon hours of fun!

There are trenches and damns and tide pools to engineer . . .

There are waves to ride . . .

And fish to catch!

Each relaxing day ends with the boys fishing right on the beach. But let it be known to all that MacGyver runs a strict catch-and-release operation!

More Budget Friendly Activities for Kids on South Padre Island

Resort towns often mean budget busting activities. What is nice about South Padre Island is there are amazing low-cost activities for families beyond the beach. (And don’t tell the kids, they’re also educational!)

Sea Turtle Inc, Nonprofit Rescue and Education Center

Up close interactions with rescued sea turtles!
Location: 6617 Padre Blvd. South Padre Island, TX 78597

Phone: (956) 761-4511

Hours: Open from 10 am-4 pm Tuesdays through Sundays (Closed Mondays). In the summer months, hours are extended from 10 am-5 pm.

A donation of $3.00 for adults and $2.00 for children over the age of 4.

Sea Turtle Inc. is an operational rescue center. The $3.00 donation is well worth the educational value. Our kiddos did not want to leave. Miss Enigma continues to talk about returning to visit the sea turtles. I’ll do a more in-depth post on Sea Turtle Inc. in the next couple of weeks.

South Padre Island Dolphin Research and Sealife Nature Center

Touch tanks allow children hands-on experiences with ocean life from local waters.
Location: 110 N Garcia, South Padre Island, TX 78578
Phone: 956-299-1957
Open Daily : 10:00am to 4:00pm
Donation – $3.00 per person

The Sealife Nature Center exhibits rescued sea creatures from the local waters and educates the public on how to be an eco-friendly tourist. We visited the center on our way out of town. Big mistake! While the center is small the children could have spent hours touching and observing the sea animals. The volunteers were very helpful in answering the children’s questions. I’ll do a more in-depth post on The Sealife Nature Center in the next couple of weeks.

I wish I had known about the Dolphin Research Tours. $25.00 a person and only 6 quests on a tour. Rave reviews about these educational dolphin tours on Trip Advisor. I usually shy away from these types of activities but this one sounds fabulous.

Andy Bowie Park to the North and Isla Blanca Park to the South

If you want to get away from the hotels try one of the beach parks. The dunes are quite pretty (and very peaceful during the off season). Sadly, you may find a bit of trash washed-up at each location.
To the north, Andy Bowie Park offers beach access to cars. Drive right along the ocean. Pick a spot by the waves and unpack your chairs. No hotels, just the natural coastline.
There is a small fee per vehicle for both parks.

Planning all of the Details

Where to Stay

VBRO (Vacation Rental By Owner) is always my first stop when planning an extended vacation!
A condo rental is always your best bet for a budget friendly family vacation.
Tips for finding the perfect condo rental for your family.

Trip Advisor is my go to site when planning a short trip. I read reviews like crazy. Just because a hotel is popular doesn’t mean it is what I am looking for. The reviews help me find a clean, quiet, affordable hotel.
Hilton Garden Inn South Padre Island is located at the north end. If you want to get away from the crowds give this hotel a try. Rooms include mini-fridge and microwave. You can easily pick-up groceries for a quick lunch in the room.

Money Saving Tip: Vacation during the off-season! Rates drop dramatically after Labor Day.

Family Friendly Dinning

Gabriella’s Italian Grill & Pizzeria: A restaurant serving absolutely fabulous Italian dishes would technically not be considered a kid’s restaurant. Here’s the great thing, grown-ups can enjoy delicious Italian plates such as Chicken Picatta or Shrimp fra Diava while the kiddos can order up a pizza. We shared an appetizer, ordered an extra house salad and actually shared our main dish. We had more than enough food and we loooooove to eat. The kiddos shared a pizza.
The pizza at Gabriella’s Italian Grill & Pizzeria was so good we ordered one for take-out one night and had a casual dinner in our hotel room.
Blanca Whites: Has a great casual, open air location right on the water. A new restaurant on South Padre Island brought to Texas from the original restaurant in Mexico. The Shrimp Tequila and Garlic Fish were plate-licking-good. One of the more inexpensive meals we enjoyed on the Island.
You can also find Grocery Stores and Fast Food restaurants.

What are your Family Friendly Vacation plans? I’m definitely dreaming of a little surf and sand!

Life with Jeannine

A few more Beach Getaways for You:

Planning an Affordable Family Beach Vacation (Florida / Alabama)
Planning an Affordable Family Beach Vacation: Part 2 (Florida / Alabama)

Come Win our Book of the Week GIVEAWAY: Sea Horse The Shyest Fish in the Sea by Chris Butterworth

Ocean Water Color Canvas Art by Children: Book of the Week GIVEAWAY

Jeannine — Mon, 20 May 2013 22:36:56 +0000

Week at a Glance:

Book of the Week GIVEAWAY: Sea Horse The Shyest Fish in the Sea by Chris Butterworth
Step-by-Step Ocean Canvas Painting by Children.

Book of the Week GIVEAWAY: Sea Horse The Shyest Fish in the Sea by Chris Butterworth

Why we love this book:

In the last few years, I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of nonfiction books available for children. Sea Horse The Shyest Fish in the Sea is a nonfiction book that has the look of beautifully illustrated children’s literature. When the artwork on the cover of this book first grabbed my attention, I was expecting a story book. The watery textured background is layered with vinyl engravings of delicate plants, coral, seahorses and other sea animals. The muted hues of ocean blues, greens, oranges and reds take you right down into the sea. Love, love, love these uniquely artistic illustrations!

I find sea horses to be one of the most enchanting animals in the ocean. They truly look like mythical creatures. We were lucky to observe these little guys at the South Padre Island Dolphin Research and Sealife Center. (I’ll share more about this great educational center in next few weeks!) Sea Horse The Shyest Fish in the Sea is a wonderful combination of engaging artwork and nonfiction information. The author, Chris Butterworth, writes a narrative that shares how the seahorse moves, eats and reproduces. I know reproduction stories sometimes send parents running in the other direction. Breathe deep, the sea horses are described as dancing until sunset. The illustrations do show the female putting the eggs into the male pouch. Actually, a very interesting fact! If you read this book, I bet you learn a few sea horse facts!

Ocean Canvas Art by Children

Supplies

Ocean Books with Watery Illustrations
- Sea Horse The Shyest Fish in the Sea by Chris Butterworth
- Swimmy by Leo Lionni
White Canvas: I bought 2 in a pack at Hobby Lobby ($6.99 minus 40% discount)
- 20″ x 16″, almost 1″ thick
Acrylic Paints hues of blue, green, purple
Paint Brushes

Painting Tip

We use the plastic lids off of yogurt and butter containers.
The kids use as many as they like and if too messy for clean-up, we simply toss them in the recycle.

Step 1: Mix the Paint

The trick is to water down the paints! Then add more water!

Step 2: Paint Canvas with Watery Designs

Track Painting Technique

The children created their own designs using coordinating colors.
MacGyver calls this painting technique Track Painting.
He begins by making a watery circle of paint.
Next, he tilts the canvas this way and that, running the paint all over the canvas.
Interesting, as he adds more watery colors and tilts the canvas, the paints find an existing “track” of paint to travel.
As the paint travels along a track, the paints mix, creating new watery colors.

Next, he tilts the canvas this way and that, running the paint all over the canvas.
Interesting, as he adds more watery colors and tilts the canvas, the paints find an existing “track” of paint to travel.
As the paint travels along a track, the paints mix creating new watery colors.

Ocean Canvas Track Painting by MacGyver, age 9

Viola, modern art painting of the ocean uniquely envisioned by a 9-year-old boy! Love, love, love!

Ocean Canvas Layer Painting by Miss Enigma, age 6

Layer Painting Technique

Miss Enigma began by painting a watery background.
Muted, very watery colors gently painted throughout the background with a large paint brush.
She also titled the canvas to spread the paint. However, a much more subtle look than her brother.

Let the first layer dry.

For the second layer, Miss Enigma used a bit of the Track Painting technique invented by her brother.
She also blew air on large circles of paint creating abstract jellyfish!

Children expressing themselves, making unique works of art . . . makes my heart smile!

My Mother’s Day Gift!

After the kiddos made their Hand Print Canvases for their Grandmas, I knew exactly what I wanted for Mother’s Day. I have a serious addiction . . . it’s called the beach. There is nothing more peaceful to me than the ocean. After reading our watery ocean books, I simply instructed the children that I wanted them to paint canvases of ocean water for my bedroom. No sea creatures, no embellishments, just their vision of ocean water. They knew I wanted peaceful paintings to hang in my bedroom. (Yes, it’s Daddy’s bedroom too, but these are MY paintings!)

I’ve already hung the paintings and I stop to admire them each time I enter and exit the room. I’m ready to disappear into the deep, peaceful waters! The overcast day photos of their paintings do not do them justice. Trust this Mommy, they are gorgeous! And believe me, I’m not one bit biased!

We’re GIVING AWAY one Hardcover copy of Sea Horse The Shyest Fish in the Sea by Chris Butterworth

To enter this contest, use the Rafflecopter to answer the following question. After you leave a comment, you can move ahead with more entries.

Answer the following question in the comments section of this post.

What is your peaceful addiction? What tells you, “Relax, soak up the beauty of life!” (Or just say “Hey.” We’re flexible around here.)

The Rules:

No entries after 11:59 pm Central Time, Thursday, May 23, 2013

The winner must be a resident of The United States.

The winner will be selected at random and announced Friday, May 24, 2013. Check back to claim your prize. It might be you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You: The WINNER

Jeannine — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:20:38 +0000

We Have a WINNER selected by Rafflecopter and random.org

You can view results on our original Post: Homemade Mother’s Day Gifts Made by Kids

Congratulations Robin!

Robin May 6, 2013 at 4:32 pm: I Love my Mother for being such a good Mom, she was always there when we came home from school. She cooked us yummy meals and always had her ears open and was ready to listen then her kind words would help guide us along our way.

(Prize must be claimed by Friday, May 17, 2013.)

Original Post: Homemade Mother’s Day Gifts Made by Kids

Square Foot Garden Design Ideas

Jeannine — Tue, 07 May 2013 22:43:26 +0000

I’m once again highlighting one of our favorite plant nurseries: The Natural Garden located in Austin, Texas. The Natural Gardener is one of the most innovative garden centers I have seen. Every trip promises a of day a natural beauty.

Each time we visit I find myself in awe and inspired to get busy gardening! The first time we took a day trip to The Natural Gardener, I was determined to build my own backyard Square Foot Gardens. Look at my backyard now! Ha! This is a photo from our first visit to The Natural Gardener. Doesn’t it make you want to get dirt under your fingernails?

On our recent trip, I snapped some more inspiring Square Foot Garden Design Ideas . . .

Square Foot Garden Grid

the square foot garden is 4′ x 4′
it is divided into a grid for 16 small plants or 8 large plants
this is the hard part about gardening, in the beginning it looks so sparse

Square Foot Garden Greens and Flower Mix

edible beauty
the seed packets are laminated and displayed on sticks

Rectangle Square Foot Garden Design

the rectangle garden is 6′ x 3′
greens, strawberries and flowers mix

Triangle Square Foot Garden Design

each board is 4′
beautiful edible yellow, red and green swiss chard
pine needle path between each square foot garden

Covered Square Foot Garden

rebar frame covered in chicken wire and fabric tarp
tender spring veggies get a head start in this protected structure

Supported Square Foot Garden

above rebar frame structure uncovered
tall lanky plants can use the extra support

Protected Square Foot Garden

keep the deer and other critters out of the garden
and it’s darn cute
This is the one I need need! Look out deer, you shall be banned!

Vine Structures for the Square Foot Garden

bamboo, metal stakes, and folded fencing wire sheet

How to Build a Square Foot Garden

supplies, step-by-step directions with pictures
recipe and directions for mixing recommended Square Foot Garden soil

Rustic Square Foot Garden Designed by Children

photo journal of square foot garden designed, built and planted by children

Happy Gardening! Time for me to get a little dirt under my fingernails!

Have you tried Square Foot Gardening? What is your favorite gardening tip?

Life with Jeannine

I also have a FREE printable book from our trip to The Natural Gardner that fits in nicely with a Plant Theme Study or a Color Unit.

FREE printable book: A Rainbow of Pots