With the kids home all day during the Summer it’s easy to have the B word slip up from time to time. ” Mommy I’m BORED”!! One of the things that the kids wanted to do this Summer was get their little hands dirty in the garden. While we don’t have a full blown garden I thought we could get started with some herbs for the kitchen. With inspiration from these fun garden projects, I found a super simple way to introduce your kids to the concept of a garden and the act of gardening.

Here’s what you will need:

• Old candle holder
• Mini Votives
• Moisture Control Miracle-Gro
• Small herbs Basil, Rosemary, Mint. etc. or seeds
• Small Spoon and Paper Plates
• Water
• Labels

First pour about 2 cups of soil onto a paper plate for each child participating along with a spoon for scooping.

Next have each child scoop two spoonful’s of dirt into each cup.

Next allow the children to plant the herbs and seeds. For the plants we used an herb that still had the roots. So we broke it apart a bit and placed it into the container and filled in the gaps with the soil. I then told them to press it the soil down with their littler fingers. A little sensory action for them is always good:0)

Same process for the seeds. We put a few seeds in, covered and pressed.

Then I just let them have at it and guided them all the way. Mess and all! 

I then added some labels using my label maker and chalkboard markers.

After that I had the kids water them using a spray bottle. I think this is ideal if your not wanting a mess and it gives this kids a little independence and they can do this daily! With Moisture Control Potting Mix  it absorbs 33% more water than ordinary potting soil and protects against over and underwatering! Which is why most of my gardens don’t grow:0) But it’s perfect for anxious little hands who want to water every hour! 

*If your starting your garden from scratch with seeds there will come a point where your plant will outgrow this mini container:0) Go ahead and transfer it into the garden or a BIGGER container for more growth. As soon as these watermelon and pumpkin start to sprout  we will transport them into the ground!

Remember kid projects don’t have to be over complicated. Make them SIMPLE. Pull out things you already have, old supplies and let them have fun! My kids can’t wait to see something sprout from those little seeds. Tonight I plan on having them clip some herbs from our candle garden for dinner tonight. They love to take ownership and be included in “grownup” things. Planting teaches patience and teamwork all a the same time. What a great way to GRO:0)

What fun garden ideas do you have planned for this Summer? Are your kids going to be involved in the process? This Summer Scotts Miracle-GRO is encouraging us all to get out our green thumbs and join The Gro Project! Share your projects along with us:0) You can also check out Miracle-GRO on Pinterest where you will find even more fun projects to get your green thump UP!

This post Simple Candle Container Garden appeared first on aplaceforusblog.com.

Looking for a fresh flower arrangement? I shared this one a few months ago on Infarrantly Creative and I thought I would share it with you guys today! Loving these colors right now! How about you?  Here are a few easy steps to learn how to make an easy Spring OR Summer flower arragnment! Enjoy!

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Your going to need a few different things to make your arrangement. Keep in mind that mine is temporary, so I don’t use any glue. That way if I feel like adding more flowers or subtracting some, I will be able to do that with ease. If you wanting to make this a permanent thing, then I suggest you use hot glue to hold your flowers in!

Supplies

Any size vase

A combination of flowers ( 3 large flowers, 10-12 medium flowers and 3-5 smaller flowers) If your recreating mine then find them all in the same color family, from light to dark. It’s also ok to get different types of flowers such as roses and hydrangeas! Or you can mix them up as your please. I picked up my flowers from Michaels.

Wire clippers for silk flowers (any craft store)

green floral foam

serrated knife for cutting foam

Optional (Greenery for fill and hot glue gun)

First thing your going to want to do is pick out your vase and stuff it with the green floral foam. Stuff it in nice and tight so that all the open areas of the vase are filled. You can also hot glue it for extra security.

Next take your largest flowers and begin to place them around the arrangement. At this point you should have an idea of how you want your arrangement shape to be. The one I made is round. But feel free to experiment with other shapes or even something asymmetric. Round in the easiest if you’re a beginner!

Next begin to cut your medium flowers and place them in between the gaps of the larger flowers. If your wondering how short you should cut them a good rule of thumb is half the size of the vase.

Once you finish that take a moment to step back and look at your arrangement. Ask yourself is it the shape I want? Are the colors to clump together? Are there to many spaces? If so then fix those problems, take a sip of lemonade and keep creating.

Once you have most of the gaps filled with the medium flowers, start to fill the remaining gaps with your smaller flowers or foliage. I like to stick my greenery towards the bottom to give it a more “bouquet” feeling:0)

Then end result should be something beautiful and refreshing. I sat my arrangement out on the patio. I plan on adding some of these colors to the front yard as it continues to warm up! So have you’ve tried flower arrangements before? Was it a epic fail or something beautiful?

Remember to check out my other arrangement for more floral ideas!

Thanks friends and remember you can catch up with me EVERYDAY over on Instagram:0) 

This post How to make a Floral Arrangement appeared first on aplaceforusblog.com.

I’m excited to be back with you after a relaxing Father’s Day with the family! We had a great time celebrating dad and my dad:0) We had a cute burger bar for the guys and enjoyed some yummy desserts. So I know this Progressive dinner will get you mouths DROOLING over some delicious options for your next Summer meal. 

SO welcome to our Progressive Summer Dinner Party!!!

This post & recipe is one of many in the progressive dinner that you’ll see listed below.  We also have a super fun giveaway  sponsored by KitchenAid, Cost Plus World Market, and the new Woot Froot! 

 Quinoa and Grape Salad

This salad is simple and refreshing. If your looking for something a little different from your ordinary rice or lettuce, you need to try this recipe! When I’m watching the Food Network or any of those cooking shows I always hear, all it takes is some simple ingredients and that is so true about this salad. Let it sit overnight and you will have yourself a real treat that is perfect for lunch or a side at you next dinner.

Quinoa and Grape Salad

2013-06-17 11:02:20

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Ingredients

3 cups cooked quinoa

1 1/2 cups of green and purple grapes (halved)

1/4 chopped green onion

1/4 cup canola oil

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Combine quinoa and grapes in a medium size bowl. Set aside.

In small bowl whisk canola, lemon juice, green onions, sugar and salt. Pour the dressing over the quinoa and stir to combine.

Notes

This salad is also great with chopped almonds or hazelnut. For even more flavor at grilled chicken or even grill the grapes!

By Destiny

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