ChildFun Updates

Water Color Surprise - May 24, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Water Color Surprise
Lay out white paper, water colors, paint brushes, water cups and masking tape. The teacher rips off different lengths of masking tape and sticks it to the edge of the table. The children take these masking tape strips and tape them any way they want on their white construction paper. You can have the children just randomly lay the tape down or you can have the children form the tape into letters and create their entire name. Whatever they come up with is fine. Once they have taped down all the tape that they want, tell them to watercolor their entire paper, tape and all. It is important that they paint the entire paper, otherwise the results are disappointing. When done hang them up to dry. Tell them to CAREFULLY pull their masking tape pieces off of their pictures. What appears? The WHITE spaces that were hiding under the masking tape that did not get painted. These are very striking, a fun surprise for the children and you can talk about HOW did this happen!!

Dishwashing Soap for Manicure - May 24, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Dishwashing Soap for Manicure

Soak your fingertips in a bowl of dishwashing detergent before giving yourself a manicure. Not only does it make the cuticles soft and easy to work with, but dishwashing detergent actually helps to remove the natural human oils in the fingers and the nails, thus making the polish adhere better to the nail and spread smoother.

Red Collage - May 23, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Red Collage
Glue a red thing collage on red paper, of course. Invite children to bring red things from home to glue on to a red collage. You'll need to have some things available too like, red fabric scraps, red yarn, red buttons, red paper, red tissue paper, red cotton balls, red milk jug caps, red confetti.

Baby Oil as Paint Remover - May 23, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Baby Oil as Paint Remover

Dab some baby oil on splatters to remove latex paint from skin.

Blue Fireworks - May 22, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Blue Fireworks
Pour about 2 inches of room temperature milk in a glass pyrex lid. Add 4-5 drops of blue food coloring. Nearby but not on top of the blue, do the same with yellow food coloring. Try to predict what will happen. Then add a few drops of clear dish soap between the color spots. What a beautiful surprise!!!! The colors swirl & mix into an green firework-type explosion. After watching it for awhile take a plastic spoon & stir the mixture to get a pale green color liquid. Try it with blue and red food coloring. This doesn't work if you use water instead of milk.

Stainless Steal Cleaner - May 22, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 22 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Olive Oil as Stainless Steel Cleaner

Buff streaks out of stainless steel with a little oil on a terry-cloth rag, then shine with a dry paper towel.

Paint With Salt - May 21, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Paint With Salt
Give each child a small Dixie cup 1/2 full of white tempera paint. Allow the child to spoon in as much table salt as they want and mix it into their paint. Next they take a piece of colored paper and paint anything they want on the paper. When dry the paint will have a rough texture and sparkle from the salt. As the children paint with this salt mixture they LOVE the gritty, bumpy, noisy texture and sounds that occur. Some will paint designs, but most enjoy it so much they paint the entire paper.

Simple Shower Cleaner - May 21, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Simple Shower Cleaner

Use one cup white vinegar and one cup dawn dish soap to clean the shower. Put it in a squirt bottle, shake it up - spray it on and let it sit for about an hour - come back and with a soft sponge, wipe it right off.

Strawberry Puzzle - May 18, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Strawberry Puzzle
Cut out and laminate 5 or 6 strawberry shapes from red paper. Cut each into 2 piece puzzles using different curves and angles. Invite the children to put together the red strawberry halves.

DIY Oven Cleaner - May 18, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 18 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

DIY Oven Cleaner

If you don't have a self-cleaning oven (which burns off residue at very high temperatures), try a paste of baking soda and water. Coat the oven surfaces with the paste (avoiding bare metal and heating elements), let stand overnight, and, while wearing gloves, use a plastic spatula to remove it.
Tips
To prevent future buildup, line the oven floor with aluminum foil, and wipe oven walls and ceiling after each spill. If you do have a self-cleaning oven, remove oven racks before running the cycle.
Courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

Blue Necklaces - May 17, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Blue Necklaces
Make necklaces out of dyed wagon wheel pasta (blue food coloring and rubbing alcohol mixed with the pasta - mix in large Ziploc bag and allow to dry on a garbage bag overnight). The children use tipped yarn and thread on the blue wagon wheels (they are a perfect size for the yarn).

Dishwashing Soap to Repel Ants - May 17, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 17 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Dishwashing Soap to Repel Ants

Mix dishwashing detergent and water, spray directly on countertops and sinks in the kitchen and bathroom, leaving a safe residue for kids and pets. Ants, however, do not like it, and therefore, will not walk over. Also, spraying the solution directly on the ants will kill them.

Soap Flake Paint - May 16, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Soap Flake Paint
Materials: Soap Flake Finger paint, Heavy Sheet of Black paper, Plastic squeeze bottles
What to Do: Put soap flake paint in squeeze bottle. Squeeze out interesting white lines of different shapes and thickness on black paper. Arrange them in a bold pattern.

Unclog Your Showerhead - May 16, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Unclog Your Showerhead

Clean showerhead ickyness with white vinegar in a bag secured with a rubberband...

Cherry Red - May 15, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Cherry Red
Make cherry trees, draw a tree outline and let the children either use their fingertip to add red cherries or use small circles made from a hole punch.

Flag Cake - May 15, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Flag Cake

Bake a cake (rectangle shape like 9x13). Frost with white frosting (or whip cream). Put sliced strawberries for the stripes, and use blueberries in the corner.

Paper Plate Watermelon - May 14, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Paper Plate Watermelon

(Hint: Use the cheap, flimsy paper plates) Paint inside of paper plate red. Paint outside of paper plate green. Glue watermelon seeds on red section. When paint is dry, fold plate in half.

Adult: use a fancy scissors to cut out a half circle on fold at top to represent a bite out of the watermelon. Now you have a watermelon slice - a Memorial Day picnic favorite

Dish Soap for Stain Removal - May 14, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Dish Soap for Stain Removal

For butter and grease stains use Dish Soap. This works even after you have let the stain set in and tried other ways of getting it out. Pour soap on the stain and take a wet wash cloth and rub the soap in really good. Then Add more soap and rub some more. Finally put more soap on the stain and place the wash rag on the stain and roll the item up with the wash rag still inside. Place this in the washer and wash with medium warm to hot water.

No Sew Sampler- May 11, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

No Sew Sampler

Use your computer to create a sampler!

You need:

Computer

Scanner

Inkjet Printer

Iron

Liquid Starch

1/4 yard of plain, light colored cotton fabric

1/4" diameter dowel cut to 10" long.

Two 5/8" wooden beads

Four 3/8" wooden beads

1 yard twine or cord

Tacky glue

Spray fabric generously with Linit® Starch. Iron dry using a dry press cloth. Trim to 8-1/2 x 11".

Scan artwork into your computer, add type.

Print on fabric. Your printer may have a setting for this.

Fold the top back making a 3/4" hem. Iron into place. Run a thin bead of tacky glue along edge to secure hem. Let dry.

Slide dowel through hem. Glue 5/8" bead on each end. Tie cord on each side to make ahanger. Finish ends by tying two beads on to each side. Trim

Try poems or verses with artwork (for children too!)

Easily Dysinfect Plastic Toys - May 11, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Dysinfect Plastic Toys Easily

Plastic toys (such as play food) can be easily cleaned and dysinfected by placing them in a mesh lingerie bag and running them through a cycle on the top rack of your dishwasher.

Kitchen Utensil Holder - May 10, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Kitchen Utensil Holder

Mom will be proud to have this on her counter!

You Need:

Empty, Clean, Round Container
(Pringles, Oatmeal, Stovetop Stuffing, etc.)

Craft Sticks

Wallpaper Sample

Low Temp Glue Gun

Tacky Glue

Plaster of Paris (optional)

Instructions:

Cover container with two rows of craft sticks. Depending upon the size of the container, the top row may extend beyond the top of the container. If your container is taller than the two rows, line up ends of sticks with top and bottom of container leaving a gap around the middle.

Choose a wallpaper sample that will look nice in Mom's kitchen. Cut three strips to fit around the container. Use tacky glue to secure one around the top, one around the bottom, and one around the middle.
Optional: Prepare plaster of Paris according to package directions. Pour 1" to 2" into utensil holder to make it more stable.

Template - May 10, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Dish Soap Ice Pack

What you need:

dish soap

baggies (make sure these are freezer baggies so they can hold up to freezing)

Pour dish soap into different sized freezer baggies (or double zip baggies) and throw in freezer. They will freeze but not super hard so these are great for injuries.

Courtesy of Mom's Thumb Reviews

Decorative Bean Jar - May 9, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Decorative Bean Jar

This beautiful jar adds a classy touch to any kitchen

You Need:

Empty, Clean Jar

Assorted Beans (4 or More Varieties)

1/4 Yard Muslin or Other Fabric

1 Yard Twine or Cord

Rubber Band

Cotton Batting

Baking Soda for the Toilet - May 9, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 09 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Baking Soda for the Toilet

Add a cup of baking soda to the toilet and let it soak for an hour, then flush. It will clean the toilet and absorb the odor.

Seashell Refrigerator Magnets - May 8, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Seashell Refrigerator Magnets

These are so cute and easy to make.

You Need:

Seashell Mix

Small Dried or Silk Flowers

Magnets

Low Temp Glue Gun

Instructions:
Arrange flowers in opening of seashells. Use low temp glue gun to secure. Glue magnet on back.

Salt as Homemade Drain Cleaner - May 8, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Salt as Homemade Drain Cleaner

Get a slow-moving drain flowing again by pouring a solution of ½ cup of salt for every quart of hot water down the pipe.

Baby Food Jar Potpourri - May 7, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Baby Food Jar Potpourri

Here's an economical gift the whole class can make for just a few dollars. This idea come from Angela of Portland, Oregon. Thanks Angela!

You need:

Potpourri

Clean Baby Food Jar (no top needed)

5" Paper Doily

Rubber Band

Lace

Ribbon Rose

Low Temp Glue Gun

Instructions:

Fill jar with potpourri. Cover with a paper doily or tulle. Secure with rubber band. Tie a ribbon around the jar to hide the rubber band. Hot glue ribbon rose to ribbon.

© MakingFriends.com, Inc. All rights reserved.

Dishwashing Soap to Kill Fleas - May 7, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 07 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Dishwashing Soap to Kill Fleas

Dishwashing liquid does the trick. Add a few drops to your dog's bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly. Rinse well to avoid skin irritations. Goodbye fleas

Flower Magnets - May 4, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

FLOWER MAGNETS

These are so easy to make!

Materials
clothespin
magnetic tape
fun foam
scissors

Directions
Cut flower shapes from the fun foam and glue at the top of the clothespin. Cut stem, leaves from fun foam and glue beneath the flower. Put the magnetic tape on back.

Soup Skimmer - May 4, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 04 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Soup Skimmer

To skim excess fat from soup without refrigerating, fill a metal ladle with ice cubes and glide it along the surface of the soup a few times, wiping the ladle as needed. Excess fat will cling to the bottom of the ladle.

Share a Snack With Mom - May 3, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Share a Snack With Mom

Materials
large brown paper bags
scissors
paper punch
colored ribbon
markers, stickers, etc
napkins
juice boxes
popcorn, snacks, etc

Directions
Cut the bag off about 1/2 way down. Punch holes all the way around the edges and have the children thread a ribbon through the holes. They can then decorate the bag any which way they like. The children then place two napkins, microwave popcorn, two juice boxes, and place them in the bag and tie the ribbon up in a bow. The children can go home and have a nice quiet snack with mom.

You are sure to touch mom's heart with this easy craft.

Sharpen Your Lawn Mower Blade - May 3, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 03 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Sharpen Your Lawn Mower Blade

If the tips of grass look ragged and brown after you mow, the problem may be a dull mower blade.

A coarse-toothed file is easy to use, especially if you’re uncomfortable with power tools, and can be found for under $10. Run the file toward the sharp edge of the blade. It removes material as you push it (not when you pull it back). Lift the file after each stroke; don’t “saw” with it. Follow the same angle as you see on the blade, and don’t sharpen the flat side. But you should run the file lightly over the flat side to remove the “burr” that forms as you sharpen.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/Sharpen-Lawn-Mower-Blade.aspx#ixzz1ta3jlGN5

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/Sharpen-Lawn-Mower-Blade.aspx#ixzz1ta3b9wXt

I Love You This Much - May 2, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

I Love You This Much

Materials

String
contruction paper
stickers, markers, etc
stapler

Directions
Cut children's handprint out of colored paper and decorate as desired. Have children stand with arms all the way out and cut a piece of string to reach all the way from one hand to the other. Staple ends of string to each handprint. Cut out a heart shape and staple into the middle. Write "I love you THIS much" on the heart. Kid's can use large piece of paper to make their own envelopes for the card if desired.

Caring for Mini-Blinds - May 2, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 02 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Caring for Mini-Blinds

Sweep or vacuum blinds regularly and you’ll only need to wash them once or twice a year. After washing them, you can treat them with dusting cloths (mix 1 cup hot water and 2 TBS lemon oil), this will help repel dust.

Courtesy of tipnut.com

Mom's Care Package - May 1, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Mom's Care Package

Directions
I recently went to a class for parents and providers and the speaker gave everyone a little baggie with a slip of paper in it. On it was
written:

A STICK OF GUM - to remind you to stick with it.
A CANDLE - to give you light when you feel burned out.
A CHOCOLATE KISS - to remind you that someone cares.
SMARTIES - to help you on days when you don't feel so smart.
LIFESAVER - to remind you that everyone needs help once in a while.
A SNICKER - to remind you to see the funny side -- there is one!
A ROSE - to remind you to take time to smell the flowers.
CONFETTI - to help you celebrate the good times.
A PENNY - with thanks for sharing your thoughts.
A BAG - to help you keep it all together.

Properly Storing Knives - May 1, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 01 May 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Properly Storing Knives

Storing knives properly helps them to maintain their edges. Here are some ways to make sure your knives stay their sharpest.

Knife Covers
If you're going to keep your knives loose in a drawer, be sure to encase them in the covers they came in -- or in a plastic knife cover.

In-Drawer Tray
An in-drawer knife tray, with slots for different blade and handle sizes, keeps knives from colliding, which dulls and damages edges. Label each slot indicating which knife goes where to make it easier to put away your knives, and to find the ones you need when cooking.

Courtesy of marthastewart.com

Leaf Press - April 30, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Leaf Press
The kids can gather fresh leaves and bark, press them, and let them glue them on paper in the shape of a tree. Then cover with clear contact paper, and they have their own pressed leaf tree.

Photographing Children: Let Kids Record Their World - April 30, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Let kids record their world
It's a whole new world when seen through a child's eyes. Single use cameras and digital cameras make it easy for children to take pictures of each other and capture what's important to them. You might just be surprised!

Sponge-Painted Trees - April 27, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Sponge-Painted Trees
Supplies: one small sponge for each child

Tempera paint

Construction paper or art paper

It works best to talk about how trees look, with pictures of trees, first. Then, show the children how they can use the sponges as a paint brush, either by stroking the sponge on the paper, or dabbing it onto the paper, which leaves the texture kind of like leaves on a tree. They can then create tree pictures. I've done this with fall colors, evergreen trees with snow, etc.

Kitchen Fires - April 27, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Kitchen Fires

Baking soda can be thrown on stove fires to extinguish the flames. The carbon dioxide generated when the powder burns starves the fire of oxygen.

Tulip Cups - April 26, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Tulip Cups
Have child make a tulip or make for them (from construction paper). Glue the cut-out of tulip on the top of a tongue depressor. Cut a lit in the bottom of a strofoam cup. Slit should be large enough for the tongue depressor to slide through. Pull the tongue depressor down far enough so you cannot see the flower in the "pot". Talk about how the flowers need sun and water to grow. As you talk about things that plants need, slowly push the tongue depressor up and the tulip will be "growing".

Quick Tips to Soften Hard Brown Sugar - April 26, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Quick Tips to Soften Hard Brown Sugar

Quick Tip #1: Place the hardened sugar in a baking pan and set in oven (temperature at about 250° F). Check after 5 minutes. If still not ready, continue checking every few minutes until it is.

Quick Tip #2: Place the sugar chunk in a microwave safe plastic bag. Take a square of paper towel and moisten with water (not dripping wet–wring out excess). Arrange the wet paper towel in the bag with the sugar and seal. Heat in the microwave for approximately 20 seconds. If still not soft, microwave for a few seconds more, repeating until the sugar is ready to use. Be careful it doesn’t get too hot and melt.

Quick Tip #3: Stick chunks of the sugar in a food processor or blendeusablehop/pulse until useable.

Hand Trees - April 25, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Hand Trees
Trace around hand and arm to make a tree and trunk. Color. Or, for a neat effect, color a piece of paper with colors so it is completely filled like a sunset, then trace around hand and arm on black construction paper. Cut, and paste onto sunset.

BBQ Tip - April 25, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

BBQ Tip:

Rub grill with olive oil or spray with non-stick cooking spray before setting food on it (do not spray when heat is on or apply to paper towel first then rub on), this not only helps prevent food sticking to the grill, it also helps make cleanup a little easier.

Spring Inside Planting - April 24, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Spring Inside Planting
Cut off some carrot tops and put each one in a dish with some pebbles. Add just enough water to cover the bottom of the carrot. Hide the dishes in a place where there is not too much sun. In just a few days, the carrot tops will begin sprouting and turn into plants.

Remedy for Stinky Sneakers - April 24, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Remedy for Stinky Sneakers

Throw shoes in the washer. Once dry, double bag them and put in the freezer overnight. This will kill the bacteria that causes the odour. Once thawed and dry, spray with vinegar, rubbing alcohol or Pinesol. Cover entire inside of shoe. Once dry, dust with powder. Works well.

Mural Forest - April 23, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Mural Forest
To make a tree, press a child's hand into green tempera paint. Keeping the fingers & thumb close together, press the hand on a roll piece of white butcher paper, making the tree, leaves and branches. Have the children print their hands as many times as they would like on the same paper to make a forest. Use a brown maker sideways, print the child's names under their trees to make the trunks.

Photographing Children: Shoot at Eye Level - April 23, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Shoot at Eye Level
Eye-to-eye contact is as engaging in a picture as in real life. So try sitting on the ground and snapping some photos from the child's perspective. Expressions will look more natural, your flash photos will be more evenly lit from nose to toe, and the background will probably look a lot better, too. This also works great for pets!

Little Earths - April 20, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Little Earths

We make "little earths" with:
Coffee filters and blue and green colored water (with food color) and eyedroppers

Fill a muffin tin with blue water and green colored water The children use the eyedropper to pick up the water and place it on the coffee filter. (great for small motor control), When they dry, they look like the Earth...at times I label...Happy Earth Day 2012.

And Deterrant- April 20, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Ant Deterrant

Baking soda can deter ants - pour a solid line in areas of activity and they won't cross it.

Hand Flowers - April 19, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Hand Flowers
Trace outlines of the child's hand on paper. Cut out hand shapes. Using a pencil roll the fingers up so that they curl up. Curl the hand shape vertically into a sort of trumpet/lily shaped cylinder with the finger curls curling outwards. Staple the flower onto a drinking straw, along with cutout leaves. Four or five of these make a nice bouquet.

3 Ways to Soften Hard Brown Sugar - April 19, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Three Ways to Soften Hard Brown Sugar

Use foil or plastic wrap to cover the top of the sugar then set a dampened sheet of paper towel (not dripping wet) on top of the foil. Seal in an airtight container and let sit overnight or a few days as needed. Remove foil and paper towel once the towel is dry and sugar is fresh again.

Buy a clay disc or if you have a pottery piece on hand (from a broken clay pot, etc.), set it in water for about 30 minutes. Dry the piece so it isn’t dripping wet. Put the clay piece in a container with the sugar and seal. Check after a few days. Keep the piece in with your sugar for months if you’d like–this will help keep it soft.

Need it now? Put the brown sugar in a container and set in the microwave with a small bowl full of water beside it. Microwave for about 1 minute–check. If it’s still hard, try for another 30 seconds. You can keep doing this until it’s soft, but watch that you don’t melt it.

Birthday Cakes - April 18, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Birthday Cakes

Use playdoh or make sawdust clay, using 2 cups sawdust, 1 cup wallpaper paste, and water. Mix the paste and the sawdust, and add water slowly until you have a thick dough. Model, decorate, and let harden overnight.

Add some of the following materials to the sawdust clay or playdoh to encourage cakemaking: birthday candles or straws cut to candle height, small paper doilies or coffee filters to set the cakes on, and yarn and/or collage material to decorate the cakes.

BBQ Scrubberts to Try - April 18, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Scrubbers to try:

The better the scrubber, the less elbow grease it will take to clean off any stubborn, crusty bits. If your brush is MIA, try one of these (you may even find you like them better!)…

Make a ball with aluminum foil then use to scrub the grill clean.

Natural scrubber: cut a lemon in half, press the open half into a plate of coarse salt then use the salted lemon to scrub racks.

Courtesy of tipnut.com

Clouds - April 17, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Clouds
Cut two cloud shapes out of white fingerpaint paper. Glue around edges except for a small opening. Children stuff with toilet paper. Dry and hang. Puffy white clouds.

Stinky Sneaker Relief - April 17, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Stinky Sneaker Relief

Whoofy shoes getting you down? Get a couple of old socks, fill up the toe secitions with baking soda, place into the offending shoes and leave overnight to help remove odors.

Earth Painting - April 16, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Earth Painting

Fingerpaint with mud indoors or out. Let the children mix dirt with water until it reaches the desired consistancy. Then they can paint on the art table, sidewalk, or even the tile floor if you are brave!

Begin A Photo Tradition - April 16, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Begin A Photo Tradition

Take pictures regularly so that you, your family, and friends can see how much your child has changed. Capture your child setting off for the first day of school each year. Or mark your child's growth against a tree as you watch your child and the tree grow. Or surround granddad with all the grandchildren every Father's Day.e

Earth's Colors - April 13, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Earth's Colors

To make natural earth colors, you'll need red cabbage, beets, celery tops, carrot tops, and vinegar.

Simmer each vegetable in water, drain, saving the liquids. Mix one tablespoon of vinegar into each liquid, and let cool. Let the children use the natural colors and brushes to paint a large piece of muslin or cotton fabric. Let dry and hand in the playroom for all to see.

Clean Your Dishwasher - April 13, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Clean Your Dishwasher

To give your dishwasher a good clean, run it through a cycle and use baking soda instead of detergent.

Rainbows - April 12, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Rainbows
red circle 9 "
orange circle 8"
yellow circle 7"
green circle 6"
blue circle 5"
purple circle 4"

Glue the orange onto the red. The yellow onto the orange. the green onto yellow, etc. Let dry, cut in half, glue back to back and hang. It is great because the children do not glue them directly in the center, so every rainbow has it's own personality.

2 More Ways to Soften Hard Brown Sugar - April 12, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Two More Ways to Soften Hard Brown Sugar

Place in an open container, then top with a moistened cloth (paper towel works too). Let sit overnight.

Seal it in an airtight container with a few apple slices. This should soften it up within the next day or two. Remove apple slices once it’s fixed.

Nature Creations - April 11, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Nature Creations

Collect a variety of nature items: sea shells, dried wheat, grasses, and flowers, sand, rocks, pebbles, bark, twigs, and small branches. Put these out with glue and foam trays and let the kids go for it.

More Ways to Clean Your BBQ Grill - April 11, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

More Ways to Clean Your BBQ Grill

Oven Cleaner: Lay racks on newspaper then spray with oven cleaner, leave overnight then scrub clean and rinse well.

Heat Method: Lay two long sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil on top of racks so they are completely covered, close lid (a couple inches of foil should be sticking out on all sides) and heat on high for a maximum of 30 minutes. Open cover, allow to cool and remove foil. All the bits should fall off but if not, try tapping them with a heavy stick or lightly scrubbing with your brush.

Coffee: Greasy burners & grills can be cleaned by soaking in hot coffee for about an hour. Coffee is a great grease buster. (Sent in by Jennifer, thank you!)

Blowing in the Wind - April 10, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Blowing In The Wind
When the dandilions are at their fuzzy stage we read the book by Eric Carl, The Tiny Seed . Then we blew the dandilions and watched them fly; also used bubble to represent seeds too. This is more fun on a windy day.

Protect Your Grains - April 10, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Protect Your Grains

To discourage insects such as weevils from setting up home in your grains and legumes, try this age-old trick: Drop a dried chile pepper or bay leaf into each jar. These colorful plants are nontoxic and have natural insect-repelling properties.

Nature Art - April 9, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Nature Art

Earthcakes: Cover the work surface with newspaper. Place a tub of each of the following on the art table or floor: sand, dirt, salt, gravel. Have small pitchers of water plus old bowls and spoons nearby. Let each child concoct an earthcake by choosing some of the materials in the tubs, mixing them in a bowl with water. Let the earthcakes dry. Have the children collect items on a walk to decorate their cakes, such as twigs, grass, stones, etc.

Photographing Kids Part 2 - April 9, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

More Tips for Photographing Kids

1. Don’t get impatient. You’ve got to be prepared for the unpredictable and ready to roll with the punches. If you do you’ll get great shots.

2. Work fast. Use a fast shutter speed and shoot fast, too. A faster-than-normal shutter speed (say a 250th or more) will ensure you don’t have much motion blur, and a faster-than-normal frame rate maximizes your chances of capturing that one perfect precious moment when all the stars align.

3. Use a shallow depth of field. Fast lenses come in handy for kids, not only because they allow for faster shutter speeds but because they minimize depth of field and isolate the child subject from the out-of-focus background.

4. Work with natural light. The more natural and airy feeling the image has, the more innocent the message it tends to convey. Not only does light and airy work well for kid portraits, it works wonders for allowing you to move quickly without readjusting shutter speeds and apertures and dragging around lots of lighting gear.

5. Try a shorter lens. Long lenses always work well for portraits, but cute kids offer a photographic opportunity that grown-ups don’t—you can get close with shorter lenses without making the subject look grotesque. Not only do big eyes look even bigger when a 50mm lens is focused fairly close to a child’s face, their innocence really does come through in the details.

Courtesy of dpmag.com

Onion Skin Eggs - April 6, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Onion Skin Eggs
One of my favorite egg dyes is with onion skins! Gather lots of onion skins; the dry outer layers. (try to get a good variety of colors--I like plain brown best; red onion also makes a good color) Gently wrap them around *raw* eggs and hold them in place with rubber bands. Hard boil the eggs like usual. Unwrap them and WOW! Beautiful colors and designs! You may polish with vegetable oil for a nice gloss. This is a natural dye and the eggs are still quite edible! Happy eggs-ploration!!

Refuse to Have Stinky Refuse! - April 6, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Refuse to Have Stinky Refuse!

Sprinkling baking soda in the bottom of rubbish bags will help to control odors as you add trash.

Polka Dot Eggs - April 5, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Polka Dot Eggs

1. Dip a boiled egg in yellow dye.
2. When dry glue on hole punched dots. (great for fine motor!)

2 Ways to Soften Hard Brown Sugar - April 5, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Two Ways to Soften Hard Brown Sugar

Place the sugar in an airtight container with a slice of fresh bread placed on top. Seal and leave overnight. It should be soft and fresh again in the morning, if not just let it sit another day or two.

Sprinkle a few drops of water over the chunk of hardened sugar, seal in a plastic bag and let sit for a couple days.

Fingerpaint Eggs - April 4, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Fingerpaint eggs
Materials: Paper plates, tempera paint
Put a few colors of paint on the paper plate. Hold the egg on the ends with your thumb and finger so you can rotate it while you're stamping. Dip your finger in the paint, dab off the excess on a paper towel, then gently press your finger onto the egg.

BBQ Grill Cleaners - April 4, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

BBQ Grill Cleaners

Recipe #1: 1/8 cup washing soda mixed with 1 quart warm water. Soak grill for several hours or overnight. Scrub with a stiff brush after soaking then rinse well with water.

Recipe #2: Mix baking soda and water to make a paste, apply and leave overnight. Scrub with a stiff brush the next morning and rinse well.

Recipe #3: 1/4 cup laundry or dishwasher detergent and 1 quart of warm water. Let grill soak for several hours in mixture then scrub and rinse well with water.

Marbleized Eggs - April 3, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Marbleized eggs
Materials: Egg dye, 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Lightly stir the oil into a bowl of egg dye. Immediately dip the egg into the liquid. Or stand the egg in a small cup and slowly spoon the oil-water mixture over it. When the egg dries, repeat the steps with another color for an interesting color combining effect. TIP: For cleanup, wash all dipping containers in hot soapy water and rinse with vinegar to get rid of oil.

Custom Sachet - April 3, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Make Your Own Custom Sachet

As your sweaters and other cold-weather items go into hibernation for the summer, use this trick to make sure they stay odor- and moth-free. Cotton muslin bags, commonly used to mull spices, can be used to make sachets. Fill a bag with fragrant dry ingredients, such as thyme, cloves, lavender, mint, or cedar, which are all thought to be natural moth repellents. Tie the bags shut, and pop them in closets and dresser drawers. Next fall, you'll smell the sweetness of wardrobe-keeping success.

courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

Dying Easter Eggs -- The Natural Way - April 2, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Dying Easter Eggs--the Natural way!

This Easter, why not color your eggs using nature's very own dyes? It's possible to come up with a great number of colors using natural ingredients that can easily be found in almost any kitchen.

Pale Red: Fresh beets or cranberries, frozen raspberries
Orange: Yellow onion skins
Light yellow: Orange or lemon peels, carrot tops, celery seed or ground cumin
Yellow: Ground turmeric
Pale green: Spinach leaves
Green-gold: Yellow Delicious apple peels
Blue: Canned blueberries or red cabbage leaves
Beige to brown: Strong brewed coffee

To dye the perfect Easter eggs the natural way, here's what to do:
1. Put eggs in a single layer in a pan. Pour water in pan until the eggs are covered.
2. Add about a teaspoon of vinegar.
3. Add the natural dye appropriate to the color you want your eggs to be.
(The more eggs you are dying at a time, the more dye you will need to use.)
4. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Remove the substance you used to color the eggs. Put eggs in a bowl.
If you want your eggs to be a darker shade, cover them with the dye and let them stand overnight in the refrigerator.

Photographing Kids - April 2, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Tips for Photographing Kids

1. Give the kids something to do. Running, playing, hula hooping, being silly, telling jokes… Anything they can do that holds their interest means they’re more likely to have fun and not get bored.

2. Entertain them. Funny faces, silly jokes, and not being afraid to play like a kid go a long way to having fun during a photo shoot. Silly almost always works well.

3. Don’t talk down to them and don’t be bossy. If you’re genuinely interested in their lives and the things that they like, they’re bound to appreciate you a little more—and maybe feel comfortable enough to let you take their picture. Ask for their input, what they want to do, what kind of pictures they’d like to make and humor them.

4. Get down. Don’t be afraid to meet kids at their own level, even if that means you have to kneel down or even lay on your belly.

5. Let them see your camera before you get started. Let the child hold it and look at it and most of all, let them push the button and take a picture. This not only engages kids and piques their interest, it keeps little kids from being afraid of the big intimidating electronic device you’re pointing at them. And again, it shows that you’re meeting them on their own level.

Courtesy of dpmag.com

Pizza Collage - March 30, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Pizza Collage

Materials Needed:
Round piece of tagboard
Glue
Red tempera paint,
Yellow & white Easter grass or yarn scraps
green, red, and black felt
brown scraps of paper
Procedure:
1. Mix red tempera with glue. Let children paint tagboard with red glue.
2. Tear brown scraps of paper and crumple them. Stick them to tagboard (sausage). Use green felt (peppers); red felt (tomatoes); black felt (olives); Easter grass or yarn (cheese).

New Uses for Old Tennis Balls - March 30, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

New Uses for Old Tennis Balls

Donate them to a senior center or assisted-living facility-tennis balls make great skid stoppers on the legs of walkers

Ask your local schools if they need tennis balls for padding desk and chair legs to reduce wear and tear on the floors

Fluff up laundry by throwing a couple into your clothes dryer

Float two or three in your swimming pool to absorb body oils. (Replace every few weeks)

Good Food Collage - March 29, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Good Food Collage

Make a "good food" for their teeth collage out of pictures from magazines. They might even want to hang them on their own refrigerator to remind them which foods are healthy.

Remedies for Cold Sores - March 29, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Remedies for Cold Sores

Covering a cold sore with petroleum jelly will speed healing and help protect it from secondary infection with bacteria.

Get a new toothbrush after the blister has formed and again after the attack has cleared up.

Applying sunscreen to your lips may help prevent sun-induced recurrences of cold sores.

Don't squeeze, pinch or pick a cold sore. These actions can cause bacterial infection.

Studies show that glycyrrhizic acid, an ingredient in licorice, stops the cold sore virus cells dead in their tracks.

If you ice a cold sore when it first arrives, you may cut down on the amount of time it hangs around.

Soak a cotton ball in milk and apply it to the sore to relieve pain.

Cold sores may be triggered by stress. During stressful times, sucking on zinc lozenges can boost the immune system.

Making Toothpaste - March 28, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Making Toothpaste
Materials
* 4 tsp. baking soda
*1 tsp. salt
*1 tsp flavoring(vanilla, almond or peppermint Extract)
*toothbrush
*floss
*airtight containers
Mix together, put in containers. Dampen toothbrush and dip in mixture to use.

Spring Lawn Care - March 28, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Spring Lawn Care

Fertilization: Spring is a crucial time to fertilize because it replenishes the food reserves your yard draws from while dormant in the winter and fuels grass' rapid growth phase.

Weed control: Apply a pre-emergent weed killer on lawns to prevent grassy weeds from germinating.

Pest control/Disease repair: Severe winters may increase the incidence of winter diseases such as snow mold and Bermuda dead spot.

Mowing: Contrary to popular belief, setting your mower at a very low height can actually increase weeds by exposing the soil surface to sunlight and removing stored nutrients in leaf blades.

Dental Hygiene Science Activity - March 27, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Science Activity: Dental Hygiene

Scrounge some small white ceramic tiles (from construction sites, tile stores, parents who are remodeling etc). Provide children with a variety of food products to smear on the tiles such as: jelly, ketchup, syrup,peanut butter etc, have children brush the teeth with toothbrushes and real toothpaste. Which tiles are stained?

Simple Stress Strategy - March 27, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Simple Stress Strategies: Park Yourself on a Seat With a View

Find a public place with a comfortable seat and a stunning view. Turn off your technology and just relax for 15 minutes or more and watch the world go by. This simple strategy can significantly reduce your stress.

Sensory Activity: Brushing Teeth - March 26, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Sensory Activity - Brushing Teeth

Cut the bottoms off of large plastic soda bottles and turn them upside down - they look like teeth! Spray them with shaving creme and give the kids toothbrushes to brush the teeth clean.

Act As If You're Feeling Good - March 26, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Act As If You're Feeling Good

By adopting physical actions of a positive nature — that is, acting contrary to your depressed feelings, the body is often tricked into a more positive mode.

To do this, just apply some action that you know will produce good feelings – for example, actually making some appointments or spending a few minutes to share a joke with your friends.

Courtesy of stresstips.com

Brush Teeth - March 23, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Brushing Teeth

Yellow construction paper teeth, white paint and toothbrushes. Have children brush the yellow teeth with the white paint. Frame the completed 'smiles' with red construction paper lips!

Box Handles - March 23, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Box Handles

Make heavy lifting a little easier by creating handholds after taping shut moving or storage boxes. With a razor blade or utility knife, cut a 4-inch slit about 3 inches from the box top on shorter sides, then a 3-inch perpendicular slit down the center to create a T. Score along diagonals to form two triangles; fold these flaps inward.

Chartin Exercise - March 22, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Charting Exercise

Draw a large graph on posterboard, of your children's favorite exercises. Get them to help you graph out which day you'd like to do each exercise, and keep track of the ones most enjoyed, and how many times each week you do them.

10 Ways to Re-Use Newspaper - March 22, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

10 Ways to Re-Use Newspaper

Use sheets of newspaper to wash your windows, glass table tops and mirrors. Just spray on window cleaner then wipe clean with a sheet of newspaper.

Use in messy cleanup jobs like cleaning the oven, use sheets of crumpled newspaper to wipe up most of the gunk before wiping down with a soapy wet sponge.

Pack newspapers in damp or smelly luggage, stinky plastic containers or smelly fridge to absorb odors. Great to do when packing away camping coolers for the winter, stuff them with newspapers so they won’t stink in the Spring.

Roll newspaper tight and use as firestarters.

Use to wrap parcels and gifts, the cartoon section is popular with the kiddos.

Pack unripened fruit with newspaper to help them ripen quicker.

Painting jobs: lay newspapers on the floor to catch paint splatters, wet sheets of paper and stick on windows when painting window trim, no more splatters on window glass to wipe up.

Line trash cans, use newspapers to line worm bins, line the bottom of a cat litter tray before adding cat litter, makes cleanup easier. Also use to line pet cages.

Lay sheets of newspapers in garden beds about 1/4″ inch thick before covering with wood chips, mulch or decorative rocks, will help prevent weed growth. Make sure to thoroughly moisten the newspaper before covering with the mulch so they stay in place.

Make garden seed starting pots.

Cloud Collages - March 21, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Cloud Collages

Color a picture on blue paper and glue cotton balls for clouds, glue on rick rack for lightning or cut with zig zag scissors.

Traditional Housewarming Gifts - March 21, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Traditional Housewarming Gifts and What They Mean

Bread: So that this house may never know hunger…or…So your cupboards will always be full

Salt: Given with the message “That life may always have flavor”, can also represent added luxury or flavor to life

Sugar: Means “So your life shall always have sweetness”

Wine: Symbolizes the hope “That joy and prosperity may reign forever”…or…”That your family will never be thirsty”…or…”So you will always be of good cheer”

Honey: So that you may always enjoy the sweetness of life

Broom: “So your home may always be clean” or “To help sweep away any evil and bad luck”

Coin: “So you may dwell in good fortune”

Candle: “So that this house will always have light” or “So you may dwell in light and happiness”

You can give a single item, a couple or fill a basket with all of them. Make each a little more special by wrapping in ribbon or raffia, cover jar lids with fabric or lace. Tuck in a handwritten note with the meaning of each item given.

Courtesy of tipnut.com

Rain Pictures - March 20, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Rain Pictures

Start out with white construction paper and water-based markers. Place the papers out in the rain for 1-2 minutes (you could also spritz with a water sprayer if the rain won't cooperate). Bring the papers in and blot them dry with a paper towel, leave them to dry thoroughly. The effect is beautiful.

DIY Home Office Desk Organizers - March 20, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

DIY Home Office Desk Organizers

Instead of using plastic desk top organizers and paper clip holders, etc., try prettying the place up by using old glass jars and trinket boxes.
Garage sales offer plenty of vintage pieces that aren’t worth much and sell for a quarter or two, but they’re pretty!

Ideas:

Cute little porcelain trinket boxes for storing paper clips, push pins and rubber bands

Sweet decorative jam jars for glue stick and pen storage

Covered crystal boxes and candy dishes for storing loose change or small coin collections

Tall colored drinking glasses for holding pens and pencils

Small crystal or pretty glass candle holders for paper clip storage

Sometimes you can find charming decorative wood boxes that are perfect for storing CDs and business cards.

Vintage Recipe Boxes

If you come across these little treasures, don’t let them pass you by! They’re perfect for storing index cards, stickers, labels, staple boxes, coin wrappers and rolls of tape.

courtesy of tipnut.com

Sun Rocks - March 19, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Sun Rocks

Mix powdered tempera paint with salt or sand and pour it into shaker containers. Give each child a rock that has a smooth surface. Give them Q- tips to use to draw suns on their rocks with white glue. Then let them sprinkle the yellow salt or sand over the glue.

Tips on Easter Lilies - March 19, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Tips on Easter Lilies

You can repot it in a patio container and grow outdoors on your deck or balcony.

If it starts growing up out of the soil too early in the Spring (when it will likely get killed off by frost), try covering the new growth with a few inches of potting soil.

Did You Know: The white trumpet flowers symbolize purity, hope and life.

Lilies are very poisonous to cats so make sure to keep them out of reach of your favorite feline.

If you live in a colder climate than Zone 6, try mulching heavily in the Fall–it might just do the trick and the lily may make an appearance next Spring.

Sparkle Shamrocks - March 16, 2012 - Quick and Easy Daily Crafts for Kids

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Sparkle Shamrocks

Materials:
cereal box cardboard
pinto beans
green paint
paint brushes
scissors
glue
glitter

Instructions:

1. Cut a large shamrock shape out of your cardboard

2. Glue the pinto beans onto the shamrock

3. Let dry overnight

4. Paint Green & sprinkle with glitter

Moving Easter Lilies Outdoors - March 16, 2012 - Daily Family Friendly Tips

Jenny Wanderscheid — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:00:00 PDT

Moving Easter Lilies Outdoors

When all danger of frost has passed in the Spring and the soil can be worked, plant the bulb 6 to 8 inches deep in the soil. Choose a location where it will receive lots of sun and make sure the soil is well-draining. Top the soil with about an inch or two of mulch to help keep the roots cool during the hot summer.

It may bloom in the Fall of the same year it is transplanted but it more typically does so in late Spring of the following year (May to June).