This is the memory I am trying to focus on today — an impromptu picnic dinner at the garden. We were enjoying our cold fried chicken, garden salad, cornbread, and slices of watermelon. It was a completely spur-of-the-moment decision, one made out of simply a lack of time to get both dinner and work at […]
Cheap Thrills
July 20, 2009 by
Armed with a roll of pennies, I took Emily to a local outdoor shopping mall to make 50 wishes in the fountain. Among her many wishes, these were my favorites: “I wish Daddy had a new car.” “I wish… I wish……. I had a fountain…. in my ROOM!!” “I wish I could be five years […]
Clover Collage
July 10, 2009 by
Here’s a great nature project that even the littlest crafters can participate in! Emily enjoyed finding different patches of clover, picking them and sticking the leaves and stems to the lint brush. She could easily carry the lint brush with her, and spent a lot of time finding small leaves, blades of grass, and tiny […]
Mega Monster Bubbles!
July 6, 2009 by
Wow! I think I had just as much fun as Emily with this homemade bubble solution and bubble wand. It is quite addictive! These bubbles are HUGE and they last a long time. To make your own mega bubble solution, you will need: 6 cups distilled water, 2 cups Joy dishwashing detergent, and 3/4 cup […]
Easy Waterproof Windsock
June 29, 2009 by
This windsock craft could not be any easier, or more inexpensive. It is made of recyclables and is waterproof. We’re planning to make a few more to decorate our garden! To make your own waterproof windsock, you will need: scissors, string, plastic bags, and an empty soda bottle. Cut a ring from the soda bottle […]
Garden Update
June 10, 2009 by
This summer our family signed up for a garden plot through our township. It was a bargain. Six hundred square feet for just $10 for the year! Plus, it was already tilled for us. They might as well have just planted the seeds for us, and given us a garden. It sounded ridiculously easy. We […]
Nature Hike…with a stroller?
June 8, 2009 by
In the days before we were inundated with rain, Emily asked if we could go on a nature hike. Normally, I wouldn’t hesitate to say yes, but Clara is at that awkward stage of not really walking, but a little too big for a sling. This nature hike would have to involve a stroller. Strollers […]
Tutorial — Handmade Pinwheels
May 28, 2009 by
Another wet day here, but we had a tiny bit of time when we could go outside and run around with our newly made pinwheels. I have been meaning to make these for awhile to use in the garden as a way to keep the birds away. Emily needed a little help to make hers, […]
Top 15 Cheap Picnic Foods
May 24, 2009 by
These cheap picnic foods make it easy and affordable to host a picnic. In our household, Summer is synonymous with picnics. We host lots of picnics from Memorial Day straight through Labor Day! You will want to keep some of these cheap picnic foods on-hand for impromptu gatherings with friends or family. Here is a list of […]
$5 Friday — Outdoor Picnic Snack for Five Bucks
May 22, 2009 by
This Memorial Day weekend, I’m sure there will be lots of picnics and barbecues. For $5 Friday, I took the girls with me for a special trip to the grocery store to see how far we could stretch our $5 for an outdoor picnic snack! Here’s what we purchased for less than $5: 1 lb. organic carrots […]
So you wanna go to the beach?
May 19, 2009 by
Emily asked me if we could go to the beach today, which resulted in a lesson in geography. See this map? We live in Pennsylvania. See the ocean? It’s ALL THE WAY OVER THERE. I asked her what she wanted to do at the beach. “Play in the water….. and the sand!”, she said. So […]
Organizing with Recyclables — Pencil Holder
May 14, 2009 by
This decorative pencil holder is great for organizing pencils, paint brushes, pens, and/or markers. We used chalkboard paint, and a little ribbon to give new life to an empty baby formula canister! This is messy, so you might want to do the painting part outdoors. We used a water-soluble non-toxic chalkboard paint. You can find […]
Leaf Prints
May 13, 2009 by
I love incorporating elements from nature in our art projects. Nature provides free art supplies, and I feel it’s important for kids to connect with nature on a regular basis. Emily enjoyed gathering leaves from the yard for this one. I have a feeling we will be doing more block-printing type projects in the future, […]
Slacker Saturday — Bug Hunt
May 9, 2009 by
Bug hunting is probably one of Emily’s favorite activities. Even if it’s raining outside, she likes to hunt for bugs inside the house! I think she inherited this bug-loving gene mostly from Mark. Although when I was a kid, I was known to have a fascination with caterpillars, but I think most kids are naturally […]
Make Kites, Not Friends
April 28, 2009 by
Today’s post was going to be all about making kites, and how we followed this great tutorial from maya made showing how to make your own kite. Not just any kite, mind you, but the best damn kite ever! I’m planning a similar activity for my MOMS Club, so I thought I would take the […]
Sun Tea
April 27, 2009 by
Making sun tea is one of my favorite things to do on a warm sunny day. To make your own sun tea, place a few bags of tea to a jar full of water. We used decaf green tea…. yummmm! Add some lemon slices… Place the sealed jars in a very sunny spot for…. well, […]
Slacker Saturday — Chalk Outlines
April 25, 2009 by
It’s time for Slacker Saturday, and today’s activity is chalk outlines! Emily enjoyed doing this, and she got a big kick out of drawing a funny face on her outline. This activity kept her busy for a long time, and didn’t involve a lot of time or effort on our part. Have your child lay […]
$5 Friday — Spring Shaped Bubble Wands
April 24, 2009 by
I’ve posted previously about how much the girls enjoyed our Homemade Bubble Solution. Today after Emily helped me weed the flower beds, we made our own Spring bubble wands! To make your own Spring bubble wands, you will need: 12″ wooden dowels, thin-gauge wire, some electrical tape, and some cookie cutters. Wrap the thin gauge […]
