Dinosaur Planters

My friend, Sandra, sent me this photo and I thought I'd share. Such a cute idea. Thank you, Sandra!

Nature Collection

Clay has been taking time to smell the flowers lately...literally. He wants to stop and smell every flower we see. He also likes collecting leaves, picking flowers and finding little bits around the yard. I wanted to have a way to display his collection since I know it is important to him. I used a little bowl and filled it with Easter grass from last year's Easter basket and it sits on our dining room table. It is a great way to celebrate spring. 

Garden Projects for Kids

Clay has been working in our family garden since he was 2 and would take our friends and family around the backyard on garden tours. He would recite all of the vegetables growing and couldn't wait to pick all of the carrots. 


He is really helpful around the garden now and even has a garden of his own. It is fun to watch his excitement as a new flower blooms or sprouts emerge each day. He also loves watching the birds and squirrels as they find the sunflower seeds in the feeders or acorns on the ground.


We also found that giving him a corner of the yard that is his own to make puddles, grow his own flowers and vegetables, make forts and use his imagination has really made a difference in the way he interacts with nature in the backyard. He even came up with the idea to take a ride to Mercury in his spaceship (his playhouse, which is why he wanted to add the door/curtain). 


Maybe our backyard will even become a Certified Wildlife Habitat some day!


There are some really great resources out there for gardening with your kids. I also highly recommend Gardenheads Garden Camp (now enrolling for summer camp). Clay attends once a week and LOVES it!




Fun Projects


Pizza Garden

Garden Markers

Garden in a Shell

Fairy Garden

Plant a Rainbow

Butteryfly Garden


Pea, Cucumber or Scarlet Runner Bean Tunnel or Sunflower House






Books for Young Gardeners

DIY Sensory Boxes and Playrooms

You've probably seen a sensory table at your child's preschool. The kids love them and they are great for engaging all of their senses and using their imagination. If you have a little neat freak in you, just make sure you set the boundaries ahead of time and either have them work in a large plastic container, outside or a designated sensory table. 

Suggested Materials for your sensory table (be sure to make sure materials are age appropriate so they do not choke or eat something they're not supposed to!)

rice, oats, dried pasta, ribbon flowers, buttons, dried beans or lentils, water, sand (try the colored kind at art supply stores), play dough and seasonal items like fake snow, dried flowers or leaves, rocks, etc. 

Garden in a Box, Coffee Box, Construction Box and More!

Mermaid Sensory Box

Spring Sensory Box

Ideas for Sensory Tables

Shed Playrooms

GuacaMayo

GuacaMayo is Clay's new favorite dip which consists of smashed avocados, mayo (We like The Ojai Cook's Lemonaise at Central Market or Wheatsville), lemon, salt and pepper. It makes a great dip for Beanitos!

DIY Cereal - Blueberry and Cherry Oat Cereal

This is a fun one to make with the kids because they can create their own cereal. I adapted this recipe from Chef Alain Braux's book, Living Gluten and Dairy Free with French Gourmet Food. My husband and I went to hear him speak at BookPeople recently. 

Here is the basic recipe, but make it your own by browsing the dried fruit and nut aisles of the bulk section or even your pantry shelves. Be sure to use gluten free oats if you have a gluten intolerance. I like to keep mine in a big container with a scoop. I got mine at Zingers hardware. 


Blueberry and Cherry Oat Cereal


Get your big mixing bowl out and let your kids stir all the ingredients together. I always think that getting them involved makes cooking together more fun and cuts down on protests at meal time. 


Cereal Mix
bag of gluten free rolled oats
buckwheat flakes or similar cereal
1 cup pecan pieces
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup dried blueberries
1 cup dried cherries


Add-ins
honey
2 oz. soy, almond, hazelnut, rice or coconut milk
1 Tbsp. soy or coconut yogurt
1 Tbsp. fish oil or flax seeds


Other ideas: dried apple, cinnamon, walnuts and vanilla yogurt or shredded coconut and dried pineapple, macadamia nuts and mango yogurt


For hot cereal add 1/2 - 1 cup cereal mix with the milk and yogurt and heat in a toaster oven for 10 minutes or eat cold once the cereal has absorbed the liquid. I also think it might be good to bake the cereal for a short time in the oven and add in the yogurt or milk. Try it out and feel free to share your versions!

Snow Ice Cream

We're so excited we have a chance to try this out today!!!


Snow Ice Cream Recipe
Substitute vanilla almond milk or vanilla rice milk as a dairy-free alternative


Have fun out there!

Homemade Play Dough

Clay is a big fan of play dough. His construction trucks move it around. We roll it out, cut out "cookies" and put them on baking sheets or put it in muffin tins for cupcakes. Sometimes we use googly eyes to make little creatures or just have fun making tracks with plastic animals or his truck tires. 


At his preschool the parents take turns each month making play dough for the class. Each month it is a different color. Some of the moms have added glitter or cinnamon, vanilla, almond or peppermint extract. You can even use old birthday candles for the cupcakes. **Just be cautious if your little one is still at the play dough eating stage!


Homemade Play Dough


1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 TBSP canola oil
food coloring
Optional: glitter, peppermint, vanilla, almond or cinnamon extract


1. In a mixing bowl combine oil, water and food coloring. Set aside.
2. In a sauce pan combine the flour, salt and cream of tartar. 
3. Add the liquid to the dry mix slowly to combine the ingredients until it is smooth. 
4. Cook over medium heat using a wooden spoon to stir until it forms a ball. Add the extract or sparkles either during this step or before it has cooled. 
5. Let cool. 

Hot Chocolate Shortbread Cookies - Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free suggestions

We made these for a playdate and I thought I would share the recipe. 


Hot Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
Adapted from Hot Chocolate Shortbread: Parents Magazine, March 2010

2 cups all purpose flour or King Arthur Gluten Free Multi-purpose Flour
1/3 cup instant hot chocolate powder or cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
12 Tbsp. butter, softened at room temp or Earth Balance shortening sticks (non-dairy option)
1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar (use honey or maple syrup for a less refined option)
1 egg at room temperature
Pamela's Gluten-Free Vanilla Frosting Mix & frosting bag and tip or a ziploc with a corner cut to squeeze out the frosting (you will need an extra 2-4 tbsp butter or Earth Balance Shortening Sticks and 2 Tbsp vanilla almond milk)


1. Preheat oven to 350. 


2. Line a 9 X 13 baking pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray or line with a Silpat silcone mat. 


3. In a medium bowl combine the flour, salt and hot chocolate powder or cocoa powder. 


4. In in mixer with a paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer) cream together butter and sugar and beat on high until fluffy (about 3 minutes). 


5. Add egg and then flour mixture slowly until combined. 


6. Using an icing knife or something flat spread the mixture on the baking pan so that it is even and thick enough for a cookie. Rinse the knife with water in between spreading the mixture to keep the mixture from sticking to the knife. 


7. Bake for 30 minutes and watch to make sure they don't burn. Transfer to a cutting board and slice into 3/4" pieces and then cool before adding frosting. 


8. Top with frosting dots and let dry before storing. 


Serve with a cold glass of vanilla almond milk. We lucked out and grabbed some hydroponically grown strawberries (the last ones picked before the freezing weather) from Markley Farm at the farmers' market. 

Rainy Day and Cold Weather Activities

I always like to have a few tricks up my sleeve for rainy days and days that we feel like spending a little time inside. I'd love to hear your ideas - please feel free to add a comment below this post! 

Ideas and Links for Rainy Day and Cold Weather Activities

Painting with Sand

Fill balloons with confetti and then have fun hitting them around the house

Winter Box

Homemade Gummy Candy

ABC Box

Painting with Watercolors (in the shower, bath or on outside windows or glass doors - Thank you Kim for this idea!)

Fun Ideas for Preschoolers

I Spy Jars

Bird Races

Playdough Hearts
(Clay's new personal favorite is making an obstacle course around the house)

Healthy Snacks - Maple Walnut Apple Chips

If you are like me, you are constantly searching for snacks for your kids that are healthy and delicious. We eats lots of in season fruit and veggies like carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and apples this time of year. I came across this recipe for Maple Walnut Apple Chips and had to share. They are SO delicious. Be sure to use the good maple syrup and here's why. 


Pick up some local apples at Central Market or Wheatsville and start slicing!


For more local and seasonal recipes check out my other blog, The Seasonal Plate. 

Trunki

We found a Trunki on Craigslist several months ago and we LOVE it. You can buy it new online or at Target...but check Craigslist first for a deal (ours was only $15). 


It is really great for entertaining little guys in the airport because they can ride on it or sit on it (like when we had to sit in a long line at customs on the way back from Argentina!!) AND you can actually fit quite a few clothes or activities for the plane in it. 

Lists

I'm a list maker. Mamapedia must have know this when they sent me the deal for the day. Packing list notepads, shopping list notepads, weekly planners, baby and pet sitter notepads, meal planning notepads. So cute and will really feed my planning and organizing addiction.


lobotoMe Website - Check out the New Year's 10-pack

Clay's version of organizing

I love Etsy.

I love Etsy for all things homemade. The first thing I found was a fabric birthday banner that I will be able to reuse for my son's birthday party each year. Most recently I was able to find handmade gloves for my son's teacher. 


Check out the children's section, local listings or the handpicked items of the day. 

Here we go!

Here it is. After a few requests from friends, I've started a blog to share the fun gadgets I find, fun activities or stores around town and sometimes just moments in the day that make me smile or laugh. 


I promise to keep the posts simple enough for even a busy mom to read. One or two photos and a sentence or two review or thought. Only the good stuff. 


I could use a little help from my friends. Please comment on the posts and spread the word to your friends so that they can do the same. 


Some days it rains and some days it shines, but either way you have muddy puddles or sunshine.