The Kid-Friendly Home

Another Gardening Idea Involving Recycling...

2013-05-17T06:00:00.000-05:00

Minnesota has had a late start to this gardening season, but I am not going to let that stop us from attempting to grow some good veggies! I have started several batches of tomatoes, cucumbers, and summer squash in many different pots. This idea just dawned on me one day and I was kicking myself for not thinking of it earlier! We buy a large pack of organic eggs at Costco, and the container is a perfect little seed starter - with it's own built-in green house effect (the cover).

Just poke a little hole in the bottom of each "pod" and then fill with a little dirt, place a seed in, and cover with more dirt. Water a bit, and place in the sun! It's perfect for being able to place them outside on warmer days and then bring them inside at night, if the temps will be dropping.

Check out this post for more gardening ideas: Simple Gardening Ideas

Creative Toys for Creative Play: WEDGiT's

2013-05-14T06:30:00.000-05:00

It's been a long winter for us here in Minnesota. In fact, spring just started for us last week. No kiddin'. We've been couped up inside for so long, we forgot there is this jubilant feeling called running-barefoot-in-the-grass. Finally we remember. I will be posting a series of creative toys that have helped bring creative fun and learning into our house even when we are stuck inside. There is a whole chapter dedicated to selecting these kinds of toys for children in Simplicity Parenting, a book I highly recommend, and can only wish I were able to follow precisely. :) But the point is...let's limit the toys that flash the lights and sing the songs and the screens that dim our attention and our creativity. Most of all let's encourage our kids to enjoy creating. Because every child IS creative.

First up, we are loving WEDGiTS. They are a series of square nesting blocks that can be built into many different creations. Our whole family builds with them, including the mom and the dad. They are that enticing. You can purchase a deck of design cards with pictures of ideas to build, or you can just go...

Mostly I just like taking pictures of my kids having fun. So may we suggest the WEDGiTS... (And take note, they also come in pink and purple!)

Easy Homemade Bubble Mix

2013-05-09T12:40:00.001-05:00

There are many recipes out there for homemade bubble mix, but this one is my favorite. You don't need glycerine or corn syrup, and the bubbles are awesome! I recommend using an old laundry soap container with a dispenser on it, and attaching a bag to the side with the bubble wands in it.

Ingredients:
12 cups water
1 cup dish soap (blue Dawn is the best)
1 cup cornstarch
2 TBSP baking powder

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, I put HALF of this recipe in my mixing bowl, stirred it a bit, poured it into the laundry soap dispenser, then made the second half.

ENJOY!

Homemade Peppermint Patties

2013-04-28T21:45:00.002-05:00

Yes, oh yes, these are the most delicious, SIMPLE, amazing bites of minty-heaven.

You only need 5 ingredients...and you may already have them in your kitchen! This is a recipe I found on pinterest - all the credit goes to the one who created it: Oh!Nuts THANK YOU! You have brightened my day since I found you! Check out their link - it is very nicely documented with pictures and directions. But here's how I do it:

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

2 TBSP softened butter

2 tsp peppermint extract

2 TBSP cream (any kind)

12 ounces chocolate chips (any kind)

Directions:

- soften the butter, but don't melt it completely.

- In a mixing bowl, mix the powdered sugar, butter, peppermint extract, and cream.

- Mix until it begins to for a creamy mixture...if it looks too dry after a few minutes, add a TINY bit of cream...that can help make it creamier. But be careful, because you don't want it to be too moist and sticky...if it is, add more powdered sugar.

- Cut a large piece of plastic wrap, and put the mixture in the middle of it, form a log.

- Mine never look perfect...but if you really care, you could work a while to make it really round.

- Place it into the freezer for 20 minutes or the fridge for an hour

- Remove the plastic and slice into small pieces (roughly 1/4 inch thick).

- Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl; heat for 1 minute, stir, and then continue heating for 30 seconds at a time until it is melted.

- Here comes another part that I don't do well; spread the chocolate onto each piece...(put parchment paper onto a baking sheet)...I smear a blob on one side, place it chocolate-side down onto parchment paper, do that to all of them. Then, spread more chocolate onto the tops of all of them.

- Refrigerate the entire tray for a few minutes, and they should peel right off the paper.

- ENJOY

Creamy White Sauce

2013-04-11T06:30:00.000-05:00

This recipe started from my mother-in-law, who uses the sauce with her recipe known in my husband's family as "Cream-Dried Beef and Cornbread." I think it's a Minnesota thing that I may never quite understand. But I LOVE this sauce, and I pour it over tortellini, rotini with chicken, or just plain spaghetti with a sprinkle of parmesan. Occasionally, I use a pinch of nutmeg too. I hear there's a fancy word for it that rhymes with "shoe" called a "roux". Roux la la. It's easy, and you ALWAYS have these ingredients. No, it's not fat-free. Just make sure you serve it with whole wheat pasta and some green veggies and you're good!

Ingredients:
6 Tbs. butter
6 Tbs. flour
3 cups milk
1/2 tsp. salt

optional:
1/4 tsp. nutmeg OR
1/2 tsp. dried basil or pasta seasoning
1/4 cup shredded parmesan

Directions:

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.
Whisk in flour and stir until mixture is of even consistency.
Then quickly add milk and stir until mixture is combined.
Add salt.
Continue stirring with spatula scraping bottom of pan until sauce boils.
Remove from heat and add nutmeg OR basil and parmesan if desired.
Sauce up your pasta and ring the dinner bell. :)

Tips...from a tired but grateful Mama

2013-04-03T21:50:00.000-05:00

Sometimes we just need a hand. Everyone has times when they are strong for others...and then they need someone to be strong for them. I see it like a roller coaster. We are all on a roller coaster ride called "life." Maybe your life is more calm than mine...it's actually very possible. But everyone likes to know they can help someone and then also feel that help from others when they need it most.

So, here's my random post about ways you can bring some relief to those around you (from the view-point of a stay-at-home-mom with small children):

- Going to the grocery store? Text a few friends who live nearby (especially stay-at-homers who might be dreading the trip to the store for a gallon of milk) to see if they need anything.
- Offer to plan a playdate with a friends's kids so they can just have some time alone.
- Making a dinner that is easy to double or triple? Make a few extra batches to deliver to friends.
- Going through the Starbucks drive-through for a much-needed caffeine boost? See if you can bring a drink to a nearby friend. (THIS IS HUGE - for me, thanks to a dear, sanity-saving, friend on many occasions!)
- In need of a date but don't have a budget for a babysitter on-top of the date activity? Arrange a date-swap with a friend...put your kids to bed, the friend comes over, have a snack and glass of something delicious and return the favor!
- Spring is almost here - a walk or run in the fresh air does wonders! Have a playdate and take turns going for a walk or run alone while the kids play.

Above all, I want to encourage you to have a good attitude. Our attitude is everything. If we let ourselves have pity-parties in times of trial, it can only lead to a downward spiral. Pray for strength to look up, take a deep breath, put on the armor of God and LOVE. I try to challenge myself to think of others when I might be wanting to think of myself. Who could use a hand? Or a cup of coffee?

Press on...your kids are watching you. Bless you.

Mamacita's Chicken Fajitas

2013-03-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Mamacita did fajita bars even before Chipotle. A while back I posted Mamacita's Best Fajita Marinade. I've been using this marinade a lot recently for chicken fajita meals complete with fajita bar! Kids pick their own toppings (it's called "choice theory", and yes it works with a fajita bar!), and in the comfort of our own sticky kitchen, it's even better than Chipotle.

Ingredients:
for marinade:
6 chicken breast halves
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. chopped scallions
1 clove garlic, minced (or pressed)
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. celery salt (or kosher salt)
1 tsp. tabasco sauce (optional)

Directions:
Combine all marinade ingredients in metal or glass bowl and allow meat to soak for at least an hour. Grill or cook in a cast-iron skillet over stovetop on high heat or placed in oven on broil until edges become crisp and inside is no longer pink. Slice.

over a warmed tortilla top with:
sliced fajita chicken
cooked rice
canned or cooked black beans
shredded cheddar or mexican cheese
stir-fried bell peppers and onions
Real Mexican Guacamole
sour cream
your favorite salsa

Display toppings in individual bowls. Help kids through the line and let them pick what they want on their fajita. They will love it, because they picked it!

For a real Tex-Mex fiesta, serve with Texas Sheet Cake.

Lego Letters

2013-03-20T06:30:00.000-05:00

This summer my boys and I redecorated their room Lego-style. I took pictures and framed their favorites. We installed Lego masterpiece display shelves. We taped up Lego posters. And now they have Lego letters above their bunk beds...

...in case they forget who sleeps on top and who sleeps on bottom. I liked this large blue building plate from amazon for the background. Then I just created a G and a C with little square studs in the corners from our lego collection. I made these as a surprise for my sons, but they probably could have enjoyed designing their letters too. Lastly, I found a special piece that holds a Lego guy to the bottom. Maybe my boys will need that piece the next time they build their ambulance or fire truck. But I like that it keeps the guy on. I then attached the building plates to the wall with mounting tape. So far my boys have not pulled the lego pieces to their initials off, so we still can know who sleeps where.

St. Patrick's Day Stamps

2013-03-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

You might start thinking of me as a crazy toilet paper roll lady soon! I have another craft idea recycling those empty toilet paper rolls and this one's in the name of St. Patrick's Day! It's a great craft for younger kids because shamrocks can be tricky to draw - I even stamped one (with washable paint, of course) on my white fridge for fun!

Supplies:

At least three empty cardboard toilet paper rolls
Strong packing tape
Paint or stamp pad
Paper
Whatever else you'd like to use to create a shamrock decoration!

Instructions:

Shape three cardboard rolls into a heart (crease the bottom and bend the top in). Hold all three heart-shaped rolls together, flat on a table, and wrap snuggly together with packing tape (other tapes didn't hold as well). There you have it - a three leaf clover stamp!

Little Slices of Fun

2013-03-07T06:30:00.000-06:00

For Christmas my husband got me this awesome gadget from Williams-Sonoma...

It was just after my trusty $3 Ikea one broke and sliced my thumb in the process. The thing about this one is that it can cut the apple or pear into 16 thin slices, easy for any kid to eat without more slicing. The catch is that it is a 3-second full tummy workout. I practically do a handstand on my countertop to push through an apple, but besides that, this thing saves me at least 5 whole minutes a day! :)

Then there was this tremendous find at the Target dollar aisle:

Unfortunately I passed up the butterfly design, telling myself my drawers could not even hold it, but for all the fun we've eeked from it, now I wish I had grabbed it when I had the chance. However, the dino pb and j's for lunch are pretty amazing...

Today my kids were actually standing theirs up and growling at each other from their spots at the table. And I just let them. Whoops, I guess no one is calling us to star in Downton Abby. :) But everything eventually got eaten, and we all know dinosaur shapes taste WAY better than rectangles!

Reuben Casserole

2013-03-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

My mom is amazing. And I am sure your mom is amazing too :) I just want to give her a shout-out for this recipe because it was in a book she randomly gave me a very long time ago. One of the many things I love about my mom, is how she always seems to say or do the best thing, at the right time. Since I have become a parent, we have gone through some pretty scary and difficult times. She has been there for us in countless ways and encouraged us when we were down. So, with all that said, I'll get to the point of this post :) Reuben Casserole, submitted by "Sandy" in a cookbook from our doctor's office that my mom randomly gifted to me on January 1, 2006. I love that she wrote a little note in the cover of the book and I just remember being so surprised and delighted with a random-no-reason-gift. Love that.

This meal is amazing. My kids love it. My husband really loves it. And I love it. It freezes well, it can be put together so quickly! And, it is perfect for a meal using any left over corn beef from any St. Patrick's Day dinners :)

Ingredients:
(8 ounces) egg noodles, cooked - whole wheat is best
2 TBSP butter (add this to the noodles after they are cooked and drained)
1 pound (or 1-15 ounce can sauerkraut) drained
2 cups corned beef, chopped into small bits
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and sliced thinly
1/4 cup Thousand Island dressing (there are a few really good homemade recipes for this out there)
2 (8 ounce) cups shredded cheese (traditional reubens call for swiss, but we usually use mozzarella)
1 tsp caraway seed

Directions:
In a greased 9X13 inch pan, layer the buttered noodles, sauerkraut, corned beef, and tomato slices. Dot with salad dressing and sprinkle with cheese and caraway seed. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 minutes more until bubbly.

Serve with your family's favorite vegetable or salad.

My Favorite St. Patrick's Day Meal

2013-02-28T06:00:00.000-06:00

This corn beef meal ranks up at the top of my list...my whole family LOVES it! We only have it at this time of year (February-March). Costco (and other stores) sell a big corn beef brisket and it is packaged with a little seasoning packet.

All I do is cook it on low all day in the crock pot. You can either do a bottle of beer or some water with it. Cook it at least 6 hours, you will know when it's done if it falls apart easily with a fork. Last year, we served it with all green food for St. Patrick's Day.

Have fun with it - my mouth is watering thinking about it. And this meat is AWESOME chopped up for the Reuben Casserole.

Disney Packing Tips (with kids!)

2013-02-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

So, you are taking the kids to Disney?! It's a vacation that we have such amazing memories from, have done several times now, and hope to keep taking as our kids get older. I think of my husband as a "Disney Nerd," in the most endearing sense, of course. He is working on a blog post all about Disney tips, and bless his heart, but it is taking him a while because he puts such great thought into things AND has such little time to do it. So, in the mean time, I wanted to throw out a bunch of my thoughts on packing for a trip to Disney World with kids.

In addition to the things one would normally pack for a vacation with kids, I wanted to add some specific, random, obscure things that maybe not everyone would think of right away. They have all helped us out many times now!

Plug-in nightlight (or 2) for the kids - sometimes being in a new hotel room can throw them off and we have found a little nightlight to be FAR better than leaving the closet or bathroom light on all night.
Colorful ribbon that you can tie to your stroller (if you are bringing one) to the parks. It can make it easier to spot your stroller with a colorful, unique marker in the HUGE corral of strollers by the rides.
Small kid-sized scissors - helpful for many times that you just can't really plan
Markers in case you need to label things
Tape, masking tape, clear tape and duct tape could all come in handy
Gallon-sized ziplock bags for possible wet or dirty clothes - there are places the kids might want to play and get soaked at, and if you have a clean change of clothes inside the ziplock bag, you are going to thank yourself!
Rain ponchos! Florida has random rain showers that can come and go so quickly...you always can find a Disney rain poncho for sale, but those are kind of a rip off! The Dollar Store has packs of 2 for $1.00! Can't beat it.
Nail Clippers - you never know, it might be needed!
Band-Aids - the special blister ones are super helpful if anyone gets blisters from walking
Sun Screen, obviously, but specifically the face stick is nice to have along!
Cold packs or small lunch-sized coolers are nice for packing cold things for the park
Disney resorts do provide shampoo, bar soap and body wash. But I always bring my own baby soap to wash the kids...and conditioner
Clorox wipes - in the small travel size are wonderful for cleaning tables or high chairs before eating
Small bottles of hand sanitizer or wipes for before eating
Instead of buying soda or juice in the parks, we have always brought water bottles and a small drink mix, like "Mio" (only takes a couple drops to flavor water) or Crystal Light packets...saves money and better for you than filling up on sugary drinks!
Glow sticks or bracelets or necklaces are super fun to bring along - Disney sells fancy ones at the nighttime shows and parades and as much as I want my kids to enjoy that, it just adds up so fast! So, we bring our own...a bonus to that is that at nighttime, it's also easier to spot your kids in the dark!
Another money-saver...if you think your kids are going to be interested in collecting autographs of the characters, purchase or make your own books before the trip! Disney products are everywhere these days! Bring a pen too!

One more note...when you enter a Disney park, there will be a bag check. The lines move rather quickly, but it is SO SO SO helpful if you can be ready for it...they will ask you to unzip all of the compartments to all bags you have with you. If you have a stroller, they will want to check underneath that as well for any bags. If you need to repack anything after the check, help other people out by just moving forward to a re-packing table so you don't hold up the line.

More Posts Regarding Travel:

Tired of Sippy Cups?

2013-02-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

Well, I don't know about you, but I am SO excited to say "good-bye" to sippy cups! Sure, sure, they are awesome because they help avoid many-a-spills, but after over 7 years and 4 kids using them, I still have challenges with these things - falling out of the kitchen cabinet, losing the inserts, finding one under a carseat with fermented juice because who knows how long it was under there! We host a lot of play dates and therefor need many extra sippy cups, which I am happy to do! But I am welcoming the day that all four of my kids use regular cups with lids (or even better, no lids!) at each meal.

Last fall, I decided to invest (because the price of these puppies is an investment with four kids) in Tervis tumbler cups. I paid $20 per kid, to have a cup made with their name (first and middle) and purchased matching lids. Tervis Tumblers are pretty awesome. Firstly, these cups I got the kids have wavey sides...which means their little slippery hands are less likely to drop them. Also, the lids have a spot for a straw, and can be closed to avoid spillage (but not a tight seal like sippy cups). They can hold hot or cold drinks...perfect for hot cocoa or smoothies. AND, the best part, they have lifetime guarantee - Tervis will replace any cup for any damage or ware and tare. Keep in mind, unless you live in Sarasota, Florida where the warehouse is, you have to ship it to them, but still, in my mind, it is worth it.

My FAVORITE part, is each kid (usually) uses their cup all day, for all meals and then we wash it at night. Less dishes, no losing or mistaking a cup, and they can put it in the fridge and no one will mix up whose is whose! That is a HUGE perk in a house with more than one child. They have a MASSIVE selection of choices...everything from sports teams to Disney characters. Check out their website at: www.Tervis.com

So, there's my enthusiastic recommendation to anyone nearing the end of sippy-cup usage and wondering what would be good for the next step.

Easy, Last-Minute Heart Shaped Desserts

2013-02-14T13:12:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's Day to you and your families! Sometimes life happens and we just need to do things at the very last-minute. So, here are some easy, last-minute dessert ideas to enhance a day of celebrating St. Valentine, OR just any old day that you want to express some extra love with heart-shaped goodies!

Idea One: Heart-shaped Rice Krispy Bars

These have a little added fun to them, with 1 tsp cinnamon extract and 2 drops of red food coloring. Just make the usual Rice Krispy recipe (3 TBSP butter or coconut oil, 10 ounce bag mini marshmallows, 6 cups rice krispies, and I also like to add 1 TBSP ground flax seed). Let them cool, then cut out into hearts with a buttered up heart-shaped cookie cutter.

Idea Two: Small Heart-Imprinted Cookies

I used the Soft Ginger Cookies Recipe and then pressed a heart shape into the center of each cookie. The heart ends up being pretty faint, so pressing it in quite far is better than lightly. It also helped to pinch the base of the heart a bit. Funny, but we used a heart-shaped ring from my daughter's play jewelry set! I made them VERY small, which ended up making them yummy little bite-sized treats that were crunchy and cute - I LOVED mine dipped in coffee :)

Idea Three: Red Velvet Chocolate Chip cupcakes

I had no idea there was red velvet boxed cake! I am sure it's filled with artificial stuff, so I don't think that's great, but we rarely eat this stuff, so I am fine with it! I doubt most people have heart-shaped molds just lying around the house, but we happen to have some, so it added to the Valentine fun :) I poured the batter into the molds and then added a small bundle of mini chocolate chips and also did a batch with white chocolate chips.

Valentine's Day Decorations (With Toilet Paper Rolls!)

2013-02-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

Our heart-shaped wreath

It's been a long time since I have come up with another use for toilet paper rolls...so, I wanted to share this one since it might make add a little fun to your Valentine's Day.

It's similar to a previous post, using toilet paper rolls to make heart stamps. That's also a fun craft for the kids!

This one is just a starting point for you, and then the rest of the creativity is up to you!

We ended up making a wreath and some simple hearts to hang around the house. Have fun with it!

Supplies:
Toilet paper rolls
Scissors
Paint
Ribbon
Glue

Instructions:
Form a heart in the cardboard roll...do this by creasing the bottom of the heart first. Then put a crease in the top and make the curves of a heart. Next, cut at least 1/2 inch, or larger, strips in the roll...creating smaller hearts. When you cut it, the curves in the heart will crease just a bit but that can easily be fixed.
Paint the cardboard pieces - the kids used white, red and pink in our project. As they get wet from the paint, their shape will be lost a bit. Don't worry about it - and don't try to re-shape them when they are wet. But, once they are dry, you can easily find the creases and curves again to be reformed.
Next, do as you choose to decorate. I used a hot glue gun to paste each heart together for a wreath and also for a banner to be hung up. Regular glue would work too, just give it time to dry. If you have pretty ribbon, I think it would look nice to weave that in and out of the hearts. Use your creative juices and have fun!

An oval shaped wreath

Simple banner-type decoration

Class Valentines

2013-02-11T06:30:00.000-06:00

For my first grader and kindergartener's class valentines together, we have a total of 29 + 24 (minus my 2 kids from their class, but plus the teachers). So never mind all that math, but let's just say our house has turned into a Valentine factory. This weekend I jumped onto pinterest and quickly became overwhelmed at all the thousands of ideas. I liked this one pinned by Melissa Stephens because it seemed simple enough and it costs nothing to make...who doesn't have crayon bits on hand that they would love to use in a project??

What you need:

crayon bits

silicon baking tray or ice cube mold

Peel any remaining paper off your crayon bits.
You need a silicon baking tupper. (We got these as ice cube trays from Ikea. They have them on the Target dollar aisle too.)
Make sure each flower or heart shape gets a nice sampling of color.
Bake in over at 250 degrees until all is melted.
Allow to cool. We sped up the process in the freezer.
Then pop out your molded crayons.
My kindergartener is going to attach these onto Valentine cards with playdough and write "You color my heart" on each card.

How to Fix a Black Lasagna

2013-02-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

I have no pictures, friends. It was a heated moment. One second my lasagna was already superb, the next thing I knew was trying for cheese perfectly toasty and bubbly on top. I set the oven on High Broil. Then I got a text. I really don't remember who or what it was about. All I remember is that when I opened the smokey oven, my beautiful lasagna was blackened. My family was not in the kitchen. No one knew. How could I cover up this dire mistake??? Here's what to do if this ever happens to YOU:

Do NOT text back. Take on the situation at hand.
Turn off all smoke alarms. They will only worry the hubby and kids at this point.
Make sure no one is coming around the corner. Hum or sing casually, so no one will suspect.
Using a metal spatula, gently scrape off entire top layer of cheese.
Sprinkle lasagna over with fresh cheese. Seriously, what is a half-cup of cheese compared to losing an entire meal?
Set in oven once again, yes again, on high broil.
This time do not text. Do not blow your nose. Do no look to the right or to the left. Just watch the cheese.
The very second you start to see the toasty spots, pull the glory out of the oven.
Do not tell a SOUL. You will never be found out.
Serve up tasty lasagna to your hungry crew.
And never take yourself too seriously. :)

Best, Easiest Crock Pot Pulled Pork (or Beef)

2013-02-04T08:28:00.000-06:00

Looking for a cozy, easy meal for these cold winter days? Here's one that my family loves. I got it from my sister. I can't claim that this dish is "healthy" since it has a good amount of fat and sodium - however I think it's OK to indulge a bit especially if most of the other meals are not like this one :) My kids love it - it's one of the crockpot meals I have a hard time stopping myself from "sampling" every few minutes while we are waiting for Dad to come home and eat with us! It makes a huge amount of meat and is wonderful leftover. We usually serve it with mashed potatoes. Mmmm...my mouth is watering.

Ingredients:

3-5 pound pork loin (or beef)
2 packets Hidden Valley Ranch dry seasoning
2 packets McCormick Au Jus Gravy mix
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup - but you could use less...at least use 1/4 cup)

Enough water to almost cover the meat in the crock pot

Directions:
I like to trim as much of the fat off the loin as possible...some would argue this takes away from the flavor...I don't think so. Place all ingredients into the crock pot, putting the water in last...just enough so the loin is almost covered up.
Cook on low for at least 6 hours...basically until it is shredded easily with a fork.
Serve with a side dish of your choice...we love mashed potatoes.

Weaving Potholders

2013-01-31T06:30:00.000-06:00

I spent many an hour weaving many a potholder in my childhood. It's not a bad skill to sharpen. It encourages fine motor coordination and can occupy kids from anywhere between 2 minutes to an hour, depending on just how much they really want a final product. Here are a few of my kids' creations.

What you need:

metal potholder loom

nylon loops (also found at Michael's or local craft stores)

fingers

What to do:

Show child how to stretch loops from one end of loom to the opposite end. Explain they can make a pattern with colors or just choose at random, or even have all one color. For beginners, I recommend a pattern of two alternating colors.
Once the entire loom is filled with stretched loops one way, start weaving one loop across the stretched loops under one loop, over the next, under, over, etc. and secure it at the other end on the peg.
For the next loop, show child how to weave this one opposite of the one before it: over, under, over, under, etc.
When the last loop has been woven, it is time to take the potholder off the loom. Start at the left side of one end and take of the first two loops. Fit the farthest left loop through the next loop. Then take the third loop and fit the second loop through it. Continue this process on around all four sides of the loom until potholder is completed. You may need to hold the last side on with an extra hand or foot as you take off the loops one by one.
Enjoy the process!

Play Date Swaps

2013-01-28T06:00:00.000-06:00

Play Date Swaps..."what is that?" you might be wondering. Well, it's something that has truly been a delight to participate in with fellow stay-at-home-moms and their kids. The idea is rather simple...and once you have a good routine down, it is AWESOME. Both Sarah and I have enjoyed it and would highly recommend finding a way to make it work!

I will explain how we have done it and you can decide what would work best for you and your "people." :)

- I have 4 kids...one goes to all day school now. So, the 3 remaining kids and I have gotten together with 1 and/or 2 other moms and their kids.
- This all depends on how many kids you have, how old they are, and how well they get along. It can be spectacular if the kids enjoy each other and play nicely. There are bound to be moments of chaos, but it's just moments.
- We have always done it in the morning hours, with a lunch, and then everyone goes home for naps...so, roughly 9:30 to 12:30.
- The BEST part is, while the 1 or 2 moms are taking care of the group of kids, that other mom gets to go and do whatever she pleases!!! Grocery shop without kiddies, have coffee alone, go for a run, clean the house, read, study, shoe shop, haha, whatever she wants!
- Actually, the best part is having your kids enjoy this time with others...growing, learning, exploring, socializing and respecting another adult while you are away.

A few more things that seemed to work well for us in the past:
- Take turns hosting...come up with a rotation.
- Whomever hosts stays while the other mom gets time away.
- Whomever hosts makes the main course of the lunch.
- Whomever is the "visitor" brings a snack and fruits/veggies.
- We usually do easy meals like PB&J, mac n' cheese, pasta with veggies sauce, or quesadillas...something that everyone in that crowd likes.
- It's also kind of nice to have a special "mommy lunch" but not necessary...it's not like the moms get to sit down and leisurely eat :)
- A craft is nice to have planned, but free play is great too.
- Scholastic videos are awesome to pop in while the hosting mom is making lunch!
- If there's a mom with a newborn, she can have some quality alone time with her baby...which might be rare if she has other children.
- If you are doing this with more than 1 mom, you can even break up the time frame, so 1 mom gets away for 1 1/2 hours and the next mom gets away for the last 1 1/2 hours...or whatever your time frame is.

One of our larger-sized groups...10 kids this time!

One of the challenges (for me at least with 4 kids) is I feel like my kids catch an illness so often and out of respect for the other kids (not spreading germs) I have to cancel. That's such a bummer when it's the other mom's turn to get time away. If that happens, you can always work to find another day to make it up, but it's just a bummer.

Another TWIST to this arrangement...naptime swaps. I have 2 kids who still nap and 1 who doesn't, but isn't in school yet. So, one of my friends and I have just started randomly taking turns hosting that non-napper for a couple of hours so that just one of our homes has total quiet time. Those non-nappers participate in "quiet" activities and even "rest" for a 30-45 minute movie. Just another idea for you!

Chalkboard Paint Ideas

2013-01-24T06:00:00.000-06:00

I know there are already TONS of ideas out there for chalkboard paint and your creativity can really run wild with this awesome stuff! But, I thought I would share just a few simple ways my family has used it. Your local home improvement store should carry it, along with other colored versions too! I have purchased "raspberry" and "original black" and have loved both of them.

Idea Number One:

Chalkboard wall in the boys room

Paint an entire wall or half wall for the kids to draw on. We simply purchased some wood trim, primed and painted it, nailed it in place and painted the area below it with chalkboard paint. The project only took a few hours!

Idea Number Two:

Chalkboard paint over a mirror-shelf in the girls room

I had a cute shelf that had a mirror on it but the mirror had one crack in it. So, I painted it with pink chalkboard paint and turned it into a place for the girls to draw or write notes.

Chalkboard on closet doors in the workout room

Idea Number Three:
Tape off an area (frame) and paint the inside for a space to write notes, activities, or in this case, workouts in my workout room!

Chalkboard Art Display Board

Idea Number Four:
Paint a board with clips attached, for an art display board that they can write on. For more ideas on making your own art display boards, check out this post.

Idea Number Five:
This was for a shower I threw for a friend of mine...we painted cardboard on the inside of frames to label the foods we had at the shower.

Chalkboard frames add a fun touch as labels

Homemade Sugar Hand Scrub

2013-01-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

There are many different recipes for making your own hand scrub. Many people have come up with cute ways to package them, but my favorite "name" for it is Sugar Mama Hand Scrub. Isn't that cute? I found it from Jessica and her blog, Craftinessisnotoptional.com. I give her all the credit! Check out her cute way of packaging it and her recipe. This is my own recipe, in which I added and adjusted a few things...

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups sugar (I used half regular white sugar and half organic sugar because it is more course)
2 TBSP kosher salt (to add some more course grains to it)
1 cup oil (I used olive oil from the Dollar Tree!)
2-3 TBSP Vitamin E oil (I used Target brand, Up and Up)
30 drops peppermint essential oil (I used NOW brand from my local health foods store, or you can buy it on amazon here.)

Directions:
Dump everything except the essential oil into a mixing bowl and mix on low for about a minute (or stir with a spoon). Then add the 30 drops of essential oil - use whatever fragrance you choose...peppermint is very refreshing! Stir again. I chose to divide this up into small jars from JoAnn Fabrics (they were each $1.00). You can use any container you have...just clean it out and load it up. This recipe made a large batch...enough to fill about six of the jars shown in the picture.

If you are doing some kind of decorating to the jars, do that before you fill them. I spray-painted the tops to make them silver...and I used mod podge to attach the pink paper and then stickers for the writing...and also printed off some "directions" and "ingredients" and laminated those. Do whatever you'd like! For more at-home-spa recipes, check out our Kitchen Facials post!

Weekly Chore Chart Idea for Kids

2013-01-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

This blog is NOT about perfection and this photo is a perfect example of that! But the idea could be helpful for people, so I think it's worth a post :)

I have looked at tons of charts for keeping track of chores for the kids. Our kids are all pretty young still, but at least the 7, 5, and 3 year olds can start to have some duties in our home. I will also add that my husband and I might have a different view on allowance than others...and I respect other people's take. Our hope is that the kids don't just do their "chores" with the one sole purpose of making some money. We try to emphasize that we are a team, we live in this home together, and we want to take care of it together. Of course it is great to teach them how to "make an earning" as well. But the little jobs we ask them to do expand beyond what is listed on their chore chart.

First, I created my own Word document with a table for each child old enough for chores. You can put whatever you want on that. But I liked the idea of keeping the rows empty so I could actually write in what the jobs were - some weeks are different AND each child has different chores.

Second, I found an 8X10 inch frame, an ugly one with paint chipping off currently, and put the paper inside. The dry-erase markers are handy and whatever you write can be wiped off in a jiffy!

Third, I hung it in a random spot in our kitchen. I actually am thinking of making each child their own now and hanging it in their rooms. They really like to draw the little dot in when they complete a chore.

Let your creative juices flow with this - you could really make a nice frame with a shelf for the marker and everything!

Mamacita's Scones

2013-01-17T07:04:00.002-06:00

My mom, "Mamacita" first introduced me to these years ago from this recipe from Grandma Johnson. We both use all whole wheat and add cinnamon plus an extra egg. They are healthy and heavenly, and we often start our Saturday mornings this way...

Ingredients:
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. baking soda
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white sugar OR honey
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup raisins OR craisins

optional glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbs. milk
1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions:

In small bowl, mix together sour cream and baking soda. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease large baking sheet.
In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, salt, and cinnamon.
Cut butter into Tbs. chunks, and combine into mixture.
Stir in sour cream mixture and egg until just moistened.
Add raisins or craisins.
On lightly floured surfaced, knead dough briefly into a round shape. Roll onto baking sheet to a 3/4 in thick round.
With pizza slicer, score the scones into wedges, but do not separate.
Bake 12-15 minutes until slightly golden brown on the edges.
While baking, combine powdered sugar and milk for glaze, if desired.
Once scones are cooling, drizzle with glaze and sprinkle with almonds if desired.
Scones should break apart in triangle wedges easily.
Enjoy, and be sure that the kids will snitch them all day long unless you hide the leftovers. :)