Kids Korner: DIY Playdough

I love this recipe. Ry is just starting to get to an age where things like this are fun and interesting to her. It is something new to discover and for me it is so fun to watch her explore. It's inexpensive to make and last a long, long time in a ziploc bag. It's not crumbly at all which I love!

What to do:

To make 1 color

1. Turn stove on and begin boiling 1.5 cups of water.

2. While that is working towards a boil, mix flour, salt, cream of tartar & oil in a mixing bowl.

3. Add food coloring to the boiling water in the saucepan (NOT TO THE DRY MIXTURE).

4. Add boiling water with the food coloring to the dry mixture and stir continuously until it becomes sticky & combined.

5. Allow it to cool & then take it out of the bowl & knead it until it is no longer sticky (add more flour if the mixture stays sticky after a few minutes of kneading it).

I added lavender spray from Trader Joe's to the dough to give it a calming, fun smell.

To make 5 colors

Follow the same directions, but after mixing the ingredients together, separate them evenly into 5 different bowls (preferably not plastic) then boil a 1/4 cup of water for each color before you add the boiling water to the dry mixture. Repeat the boil water step with each color adding it to a different dry mixture bowl as you go.

Make more or less colors adjusting the water amount accordingly.

I gave Ry some things to play with like a spoon & some plastic cookie cutters.

Be careful about them thinking it's food and putting in their mouth. A little won't hurt them but you don't want them going overboard.

One thing I thought about after doing this is how, with her age, hiding an object in the center might be a fun way for her to really get acquainted with the playdough. You could hide blocks, toy figurines, small bouncy balls, etc.

This was a lot of fun to do with Ry & we will definitely be doing it again! This would make a great birthday party favor too!

Hope you all have a happy Monday!

Friday Favorites

Every Friday, I will share some things that I am really loving that week. A great start into the weekend and maybe it will give you some ideas. We have a Nor'Easter coming our way for tomorrow so a nice relaxing, cozy day at home for us. We'll probably try to get outside for a bit and play in the snow, but Ry isn't too sure about snow yet. We'll see!

Here are my favorites things this week..

Once Upon a Child

They buy and sell gently worn baby and children's clothes, equipment, etc. They have locations all over the country. We went for the first time last weekend during their 10 items for $10 sale just to see and boy were we pleasantly surprised! We walked out of there with some great late winter/early spring clothes for Ry. A lot of what we got her were Baby Gap clothes for $1 each! Here she is in one of the dresses.

The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks

 I really enjoy reading a book and then seeing the movie version. I am a big fan of Nicholas Sparks and I recently found out this book was going to be his next movie coming out in April 2015. I just started it a few days ago but it is wonderful. 

These Stride Rite shoes for Ry. We just got them today during their Buy One, Get One 40% off. She has really started taking to walking and we want her to have some shoes that are good quality that will support her ankles/feet/legs as she ventures into walking. You can find ones like hers here.

I have watched American Idol from the beginning and I've got to say, I really love having Harry Connick Jr., JLo and Keith Urban together. Their dynamic is hilarious. I literally laughed out loud last week during one of their jokes. I'm also really excited to see these contestants more. There seem to be some really awesome talent!

Riley's first birthday is fast approaching (only about 2 weeks!) and we are going to do a Zoo/Jungle theme. I wanted a craft for some of the older kids to do to keep them entertained during the party and saw this idea! How cute! You can find the tutorial here.

Have a wonderful weekend!

-A

Healthy Christmas Party Snacks for Kids

It's that time of year! Lots of cheer, carols and of course holiday parties. Indulging a bit at these parties is warranted I think, but having some healthier options for your kids, while not lacking in the fun category wouldn't be so bad either. We have our fair share of parties to go to over the next few weeks. Searching Pinterest, I found some great ideas for healthy snacks that are festive and fun. Use them for a treat for your kids class, a playdate, a family get together..

1. Grinch Fruit Kabobs

What you'll need: 

-tiny marshmallows

-strawberries

-bananas

-green grapes

-toothpicks

Place the marshmallow on top, then your cut strawberry, banana & lastly your grape. Simple as that!

2. Christmas Tree Watermelon..(or any large fruit really)

Cut your fruit into slices like your normally would & use any holiday cookie cutter you'd like to make a festive healthy snack.

3. Snowman Cheesesticks

How clever and simple. Buy your cheese sticks, get a black and orange sharpie & simply draw a snowman onto the front of your cheese stick.

4. Holiday Sandwiches

All you do is make your sandwich and use a holiday cookie cutter to make a festive lunch for your kids. Here is a pb & j sandwich idea..make sure the jelly is on top & poke holes into the top so the kelly soaks through to add some ornaments to your Christmas tree sandwich.

5.  Pudding Snowmen & Reindeer

What you'll need:

-vanilla and/or chocolate pudding cups

-red & black sharpie pens

-red, white & brown construction paper

-tape/glue

-scissors

Santa Directions:

1. Cut out a piece of white construction paper to the length you'd need to wrap around the bottom your pudding cup.

2. Cut out a rectangular piece of red construction paper long enough to wrap around the bottom of your pudding cup and make a pointed top.

3. Cut out a small circle from your white construction paper for the top of your hat. 

4. Glue/tape the long white strip to the bottom of your red rectangle & let dry.

5. Wrap this around the bottom of your vanilla pudding cup and tape in the back.

6. Tape/glue your circle to the top of the red construction paper & let dry.

7. On the front of your pudding cup, draw a smiley face.

Reindeer Directions:

1. Cut out reindeer antlers from your brown construction paper to the size that matches the size of your chocolate pudding cup.

2. Tape to the top of your pudding cup by folding the bottom of your antlers so the top portion stay upright.

3. Lean your pudding cup back so you can see the bottom of your pudding cup.

4. Draw two eyes with your black sharpie on the front of your pudding cup & draw a red nose on the bottom of your pudding cup with a red sharpie.

Hope you and your kids enjoy these are easy, simple, festive treats!

-A

Family Christmas Traditions

Mike and I have been married for over 3 years now, but this is our first with a child, so it has taken on a whole new meaning for us. Both of us had wonderful childhoods filled with lots of traditions, and we really want our children to grow up looking forward to and remembering holiday traditions too. It has got me thinking, which traditions will we continue with our children and which traditions of our own will we start? Here are some ideas..

1. Christmas PJs & a calendar opened on Christmas Eve.
2. The weekend after Thanksgiving go and cut down our tree and go home and decorate with hot chocolate/eggnog.
3. A movie in their stockings.
4. Go to a holiday storytime.
5. Read "The Night Before Christmas" on Christmas Eve.
6. Leave cookies & milk for Santa.
7. Make Christmas sugar cookies & pass them out to the neighbors.
8. Write Santa a letter and deliver it to Macy's.
9. Go see Santa.
10. Send out a family holiday card.
11. Go shopping for a toy drive with the kids & have them pick out what gifts to give to less fortunate.
12. Do an advent calendar.
13. Do a version of Elf on the Shelf that focuses on gratitude and having a giving heart (see this post A New Kind of Elf on the Shelf )
14. Do a cookie exchange playdate.
15. Watch a Christmas movie on Christmas Eve (It's a Wonderful Life was a favorite in my family, but maybe something like Frosty the Snowman when they are young).
16. Take a drive one night to look at Christmas lights.
17. Have the kids pick out a new ornament to put on the tree each year.
18. Do a holiday craft.
19. Choose a charity to give back to each year.
20. Attend Church Christmas service.
21.  Go see a live Nativity.
22. Let the kids sleep on the Christmas tree one night.
23. Have the kids do jobs around the house to earn money for Christmas gifts for friends and let them shop at the Dollar Store for loved ones.
24. Do a Polar Express train ride at a local train station.
25. Make a snowman.
26. Go ice skating.

I am sure I will think of more ideas as the years go on, but these are just some things I have been thinking about and wanted to get them written down before I forget. I hope these ideas spark some of your own ideas for family traditions and you have a wonderful, magical month of December.

-A

DIY Christmas Ornament: Salt Dough Handprint/Footprint

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1/2 cup water
• something that will make a circle cutout of your dough (a cup works well!)
• ribbon
• Optional: paint & paint brush

Directions:

1. Mix the salt and flour in a large bowl
2. Create an opening in the middle of your dough and add your water to it
3. Knead your dough until it is smooth 

4. Roll dough out on a floured surface

5. Cut a circle out of your dough and move to the side *Make sure the circle is big enough to fit your child's hand*

6. Create another (small) circular cut out at the top center to string ribbon through afterwards.

7. Place your child's hand in the center of the circle and press down

8. Bake in the oven at 200 F until dry. About 45-60 minutes for thin ornaments, 2-3 hours for thicker ones. Check occasionally to see if it is dry. You can also let it air dry overnight.

9. Once dry, you can paint the handprint, add your child's name & year, "1st Christmas", etc. and string ribbon through the small hole to hang on your Christmas tree.

Enjoy this inexpensive way to add a personal touch to your family tree or home decor.

-A

DIY Silhouette Decor

Check out this easy DIY project for a nursery/playroom!

1. Print out silhouette images for whatever characters you'd like (for us Riley's room is jungle themed, so I did a giraffe, elephant & lion), make sure it is big enough to fit nicely in the size frame you are using. I usually use 8 X 12. Go to my pinterest for already pinned Easter Silhouette Images www.pinterest.com/alindquist310/
2. Go to a craft store like Michael's and choose fun patterned scrapbook paper, some for the background of your frame and some for the actual Easter silhouettes.
3. Cut a piece of scrapbook paper to fit your frame.
4. Cut out your Easter image and trace it on another piece of scrapbook paper (preferably a different pattern)
5. Cut out traced image and glue to the other piece of scrapbook paper.

And you are done! That simple! And it looks awesome!! You can use this idea for many things like a child's room, other holidays, a party..whatever!

Here's an example of how I used this idea to decorate my daughter's nursery!