The Mommy Mayhem Survival Guide...

Chicken Enchiladas

2011-09-25T20:03:00.000-04:00

Taco Tuesday getting dull? Spice things up with these super simple Enchiladas.

What You Need: 2 large chicken breasts diced and cooked,
1 cup shredded Mexican Blend Cheese,
1 cup picante sauce,
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
10 flour tortillas
1 small tomato, chopped
1 green onion, chopped

What To Do: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the sour cream, cream of chicken soup, and picante sauce. Divide the mixture, combining 1 cup with the chicken and most of the cheese, saving some to sprinkle on top. Warm a tortilla, and fill with chicken mixture. Roll and place flap-down in a baking dish. Do the same for the remaining tortillas. (Don't be shy, let those enchiladas get cozy!) Pour the remaining Soup/Picante mix on top of all the enchiladas. Cover and bake for 35 minutes- sprinkle remaining cheese and onions. return to oven for 5-10 more minutes until dish is bubbling and cheese has melted. Top with tomatoes and serve.

Mommy Commencement Speech

2011-09-21T15:57:00.000-04:00

          Now that all the children have headed back to school, I thought it was a perfect time for a Commencement Speech for Mommy's. A rally cry as we all go forth through the tears, the joys, the heartaches that come with a new school year. Whether it's sending our little ones off for the very first time or watching our almost adults begin the first year of college, there's something about this time of year that calls for Mommy Camaraderie.

       We tell ourselves this year is going to be different. I'm going to pack lunches the night before, I'm going to have home cooked meals every night, I'm going to volunteer more at the school, I'm going to have at least one date night a month, and I'm ABSOLUTELY going to start that Zumba class!! We make promises to ourselves and find ourselves remaking them by New Years and letting them fall to the waste side by spring break.

       It is very easy to tell you to relax. It's easy to give you the long list of Mommy-Feel-Good lines that are printed over and over. It is harder to make those words resound, make you take them to heart. It is nearly impossible to make you look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself you're doing fine, especially when you feel like everything around you is in chaos. That feeling is normal. Every mom has it whether they admit it or not. So many of us try to portray perfection. even though TV & movies have been open to showing the "ugly-side' of motherhood- the no-make up, dinner from a can, messy living room, chasing after a 3 year old, miss-matched sock reality of it all. But even this does not ease the burden of actually raising children.

      So I say this to you: Be kind to yourself. Please. There is only one you, no good substitute or replacement is available. You are your child parent- for better or worse. So do the things that make you happy. Be an example to them that life is about smiles and laughter, love and joy. Enstil in them a strong work ethic and an equally sense of self-worth by living it. The dishes won't complain about sitting in the sink for an our while you read bedtime stories and if you can learn to ignore your nagging inner voice the laundry will wait diligently until after your yoga class.

     It is still your life even though it sometimes may feel that you've given over control to Eris, the goddess of chaos. You deserve happiness, just as your children do. So give yourself a break (literally and figuratively) take a long walk and forgive yourself for ordering take out 3 nights in a row. Make a promise to relinquish some of that control, slack the reigns and enjoy the ride.

Summer Safety

2011-07-21T14:34:00.002-04:00

It's summer and schools out. It's the time for kids to run and play in parks, on beaches and through backyards! But with all this heat, sun, and water, parents need to stay vigilant. Here are summers main concerns and ways to beat the heat, keep kids safe, and still have fun!

HEAT:
When the thermometer keeps rising there are many things parents need to be mindful of. Heat Exhaustion, Heat Stroke and Dehydration are the three big ones. It's hard for adults to make sure that they are getting enough fluids, or to know how much their bodies are working, so kids need to have adults looking out for them.

Avoid sun exposure between 11am and 3pm. This is the time of day when the sun is highest in the sky and its rays are the strongest. Avoid water play during this time of day as the water washes away sweat making it difficult to see how much fluid you or your child has lost. Do errands and outdoor play early or late in the day.
Kids will not stop playing to get a drink of water until they are extremely thirsty and by then they've already lost too much fluid. Once thirsty, get kids out of the heat and have them drink plenty water to help their bodies replenish. Prevent dehydration, by drinking small amounts throughout the day as large amounts of water at one time does little to help keep you hydrated.
DO NOT LEAVE KIDS IN CARS!! Not for 10 minutes, not for 2 minutes. The temperature in a car can rise over 20 degrees in less than 20 minutes. So on a 98 degree day, you car can go up to 118 in the time it takes you to run the ATM. It maybe inconvenient, but taking them with you is better than taking them to the hospital.

SUN
It wouldn't be summer without the sun, but too much sun exposure can be dangerous. Your body needs sun to make vitamin D, so make sure your kids do get 15 minutes of sunshine a day.

Apply (and reapply) sunscreen. Kids of all skin tones and complexions should have on sun block when they go outside. Apply before heading out and every two hours after.
Play in the shade. Make use of the patio or covered deck. Kids will have fun playing in a tent or making one out of a blanket.
Cover up. Encourage kids with particularly sensitive skin to wear sun coveralls, wide brimmed hats and sunglasses.
Double Check Medications. Some medications have sun exposure warnings. Read carefully to be sure you're taking the proper precautions. Questions: talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

WATER
Water play is one of the best parts of summer time, but it can be dangerous if the right safety measures aren't taken.

Teach your kids to swim! This is a great way to help them be safe.
NO ONE SHOULD SWIM ALONE! This is true for adults and especially for children. Younger children and weak swimmers should always have an adult within arms reach. Bring the cordless phone outside, or ignore the phone altogether, don't multitask when watching the kids in the pool.
Learn the signs of drowning. Drowning doesn't look like what the TV and Movies portray it as so read up on Drowning and make sure your caregivers do to!
Get a Coast Guard Certified life vest. Make sure it fits correctly.
Know the waters. Ponds, lakes, beaches and can be unpredictable in many ways: undertows, rough surf, hidden drop-offs, rocks, broken glass, etc. Be aware of where your kids are swimming and playing. Keep them safe by giving them water shoes, life vests, etc. and teaching them to stay near the shore, not to have their backs to the waves, and to swim sideways in caught in an undertow.

Read More on Sun Safety & Water Safety at the Kids Health website.

Shrimp Alfredo

2011-05-28T18:33:00.000-04:00

What You Need:
2 tablespoons butter/margarine
2 tablespoons minced garlic
3 cups heavy cream
3/4 cups of grated Parmesan cheese
Shrimp peeled & deveined
Pasta of your choice

What To Do:
Melt the butter in a large pan on medium high heat. Sweat (gently cook) the garlic for a minute. You want to smell garlic but you don't want it to turn brown, or burn. Stir in heavy cream and 1/4 cups of parmesan cheese. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Let simmer and stir frequently.

Meanwhile, cook pasta and drain.

Add shrimp and the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese to the sauce and stir. Let simmer until shrimp is fully cooked about 5 minutes.

Toss with pasta and serve.

VARIATIONS: Feel free to pre cook the shrimp and flavor with your favorite seasonings. In the picture, the shrimp was sauteed in a pan with butter, 1 tsp Sazon seasoning, 1 tsp rosemary, 1 tsp minced garlic and 1 tsp sugar.

Counting & Color Clock

2011-04-01T17:11:00.000-04:00

I've recently gotten several packages that came with cardboard circles and decided to come up with creative ways to reuse them. The first was this Clock craft, that will help teach numbers, colors and time.

What You Need: A Cardboard Circle, plain white paper (2-3 sheets or enough to cover circle), construction paper, glue, scissor, two pipe cleaners

What to Do: Cover the cardboard circle with the white paper - one way to do this is to apply the glue directly to the circle then lay the white paper on the circle before cutting. This way you can line up edges and get full coverage. Cut out the numbers 1-12 from the construction paper or feel free to draw them directly on the white paper once it's completely dry. Glue the numbers in place. Use the pipe cleaners - or scissor if cardboard is thick - to poke a hole in the center of the clock. Fold pipe cleaners to desired length and thread them through the hole trying them together in the back to keep them from sliding out of place.

April Fool's Pizza

2011-03-31T13:25:00.000-04:00

I saw this on Kiboomu, and loved it so much that I thought I'd share it here!

What You Need: Yellow Cake Mix (and ingredients), Strawberry jelly/jam/preserves, white chocolate, red Fruit Roll-Ups, yellow and green gummy bears

What To Do: Bake cake according to box. Once cool level off the top of the cake. Spread strawberry jelly over the cake. Grate the chocolate and sprinkle on top of the jelly. Decorate with candy toppings.

Kiboomu has MANY MANY other fake food projects, from fish sticks and mashed potatoes, to spaghetti and meatballs!

Cardboard Box Robot Costume

2011-02-25T14:51:00.003-05:00

Homemade costume for Halloween or anytime!

What You Need: A cardboard box, Silver spray paint, Razor/Box Cutter, silver pipe cleaners, roll of duct tape, brightly colored buttons & gems, glow sticks, anything else you can find, glue

What To Do: ADULTS Measure and trim the cardboard box to fit your child, making sure to make arm and head holes that will not obstruct child's movements. You may need to cut the pieces and tape them back together to get the right fit. Once you have the right fit them spray paint it silver and let dry - make sure you spray in a well ventilated area and away from children!!

Once the base is dry, let children help you determine where the robot's buttons, knobs, screens, lights, and switches will go and glue the decorations in place. SOME MAY NEED TO BE HOT GLUED! Also make sure you activate the glow sticks- if using them- before gluing them on.

Note: You can make the back with a slit, so that children can put it on without putting the box over their heads

The hat and shoes are a spray painted party hat and a shoe box top.

Valentines Day Cookies

2011-02-14T14:24:00.005-05:00

Regular sugarcookies need not be boring. Have fun making and decorating these.

What You Need: SugarCookie recipe (coming soon) or store bought cookie dough, rolling pin, heart shaped cookie cutter or piece of cardboard, icing, red food coloring, sprinkles, baking sheet, a spatula and butter knife.

What To Do: Prepare cookie dough, flour countertop and rolling pin. Roll out dough and cut cookies. place on cookie sheet and bake. Once cookies are baked and cool, ice them with icing of your choice, to make red just add a few drops of red food coloring to white icing. Then carefully add sprinkles on top.

if you don't have a cookie cutter draw a heart on a piece of heavy paper or cardboard and carefully cut it out. Use it to trace out heart shape cookies.

No rolling pin? Use a can of corn! or any other can you have in the pantry...

Happy Dragon/Lion Mask

2011-02-08T11:54:00.000-05:00

Turn a Paper Plate into a fun Chinese New Year Mask!

What You Need: A Paper Plate, Crayons/Markers, Colored Paper or Construction Paper, Scissors, Tape/Glue, other decorations

What To Do: Help your child create a Dragon face on the bottom (outside) of the paper plate. Since dragons are fictional let their imaginations run wild!

Adults: Cut out the eyes.

Cut the construction paper into strips and glue or tape them on to the back of the paper plate. To create a curl like in the picture just roll the paper around your finger.

Use a hole punch and ribbon or glue a craft stick to complete your mask.

Dragon Stick Puppet

2011-02-08T11:25:00.000-05:00

A simple and easy craft that you can make almost anywhere!

What You Need: Construction or Colored Paper, Scissors, Glue, Tape, 2 Straws, Crayons/Markers, Decorations

What to Do: ADULTS, draw and cut out the head, tail and body strip. Let child decorate with crayons, markers, glitter, feathers, etc. Fan fold the body strip like an accordion. Glue or tape the head on one end of the body strip and the tail on the opposite end. Turn over and tape the straws in the first fold of the body strip.

* You can use unsharpened pencils or craft sticks instead of the straws. And feel free to make any animal you kid likes.

*We made this Dragon in honor of the Chinese New Year, but Lions, Tigers, Alligators even Kangaroos are fun to make!

Snake Decorations

2011-01-25T13:02:00.001-05:00

This is a simple and easy craft activity that kids can make anytime and makes a wonder party craft because once they are done you can use them as decorations!

What You Need: Construction Paper, crayons/markers, decorations, ribbon

What To Do: Draw a large spiral on the construction paper at the end create an egg shape for the head. (If making decorations you needn't create the egg shape) Let children color and decorate BOTH SIDES how ever they choose. Don't forget the eyes. ADULTS carefully cutout the snake/spiral and put a small hole in its tail for the ribbon.

Hang & Enjoy!

Stocking Shaped Holidays Cookies

2010-12-25T14:37:00.001-05:00

Regular sugar cookies need not be boring. Have fun making and decorating these.

What You Need: Sugar cookie recipe (coming soon) or store bought cookie dough, rolling pin, stocking shaped cookie cutter or piece of cardboard, white icing, red and green food coloring, red sugar sprinkles, baking sheet, a spatula, piping bag or ziplock bag and butter knife.

What To Do: Prepare cookie dough, flour countertop and rolling pin. Roll out dough and cut cookies. place on cookie sheet and bake. While cookies are baking separate white icing into three portions. Color one red, one green and keep on white. Once cookies are baked and cooled, ice them carefully red on the bottom and white on time just like a Christmas stocking. Then carefully add sprinkles on top of red section.

To personalize, use the piping bag (or a ziplock with the corner carefully snipped) to write names on the cookies.

If you don't have a cookie cutter draw a Christmas stocking on a piece of heavy paper or cardboard and carefully cut it out. Use it to trace out the cookies.

No rolling pin? Use a can of corn! or any other can you have in the pantry...

NOTE: If you're using the ziplock, BE VERY GENTLE when piping, as the bag will tear if you squeeze to hard!

The Family Turkey

2010-11-19T11:23:00.000-05:00

Here's one activity that will allow the whole family to get involved in hunting for materials to make your turkey one of a kind.

What You Need: a turkey coloring page print out, glue and whatever you can find to decorate.

What To Do: As a family talk about what you want your turkey to look like: life-like, colorful, cartoonish, etc. then hunt for materials to decorate your turkey. (You can use grains of rice, stripes of material, leaves, tissue paper, crayons, glitter, ANYTHING that you can get to stick to the paper!! Ours has feathers, felt and a tissue paper beak)

Cornacopia: The Horn of Plenty

2010-11-19T11:20:00.000-05:00

This is a super simple Thanksgiving craft that's great for small hands and older children. It's easily adaptable and can be made as simple or as complex as you (and your child) can imagine.

What You Need: A stripe of construction paper; glue, tissue paper, pom-poms, other small trinkets and decorations

What To Do: Roll the strip of construction paper into a cone shape that has a point (think waffle cone). Stuff the horn with colored tissue paper and then add pom poms and other decoration to be the "food" in the horn.

Math Monsters

2010-10-25T13:52:00.001-04:00

These great homemade goblins are great for Halloween and also reinforce math skills. Use them to help teach shapes, colors, patterns, or even multiplication (3 sets of 2 arms equals 6 arms)

What You Need: Construction Paper, glue, scissors, crayons and decorations if you have them: googly eyes, pompoms, feathers, yarn etc.

What to Do: Cut out different shapes of various sizes and put them together to create a "monster". There really is no wrong way to do this, since it's a "monster". Your child's monster can have three eyes, six legs, a mop of curly yarn hair. Let them be as creative as they want.

For older kids, use brass fasteners to hold the pieces together so that the monster can move. Younger kids can just glue their monsters together.

Mancala Game

2010-08-15T13:25:00.001-04:00

This is the easiest homemade game ever! This is a popular game in Africa and Southeast Asia. It's popularity is due mostly to the fact that it cost next to nothing to make.

What You Need: A egg carton, 48 tokens (seeds, pebbles, pennies, dimes, buttons, paper clips, beads, etc), two small cups

What To Do: Carefully cut the top off the egg carton, leaving just the bottom. Put 4 tokens in each of the egg carton cups, or "houses". Place the egg carton between the two players with a cup at either end. The six houses closest to you are your houses.

The object of the game is to empty your houses before the other player. Players alternate turns. On their turn each player picks up all the pebbles from one cup on their side of the board and places them one by one in the cups around the board in a counter-clockwise direction (to the right on your side, then to the left on the opponents side), including his cup, but not in the opponent’s cup.

BONUS: You can have kids decorate the egg carton and cups before playing.

There are many different ways to play this game so look some up or make up your own!

Wind Sock

2010-08-14T17:19:00.001-04:00

This is another creative and fun craft to help your kids to enjoy the outdoors this summer. You can use up all that left over streamer/tissue paper that has been collecting from parties and gift wrapping.

What You Need:
1 piece of card stock/heavy paper
Streamers or colorful tissue paper cut into strips
Glue/Tape
crayons/markers/glitter/etc
pipe cleaners

What To Do:
Have children decorate the card stock however they'd like. When they are finished help them construct their windsock by gluing/taping strips of streamer/tissue paper along the edge of the back of the cardstock. Roll the card stock into a tube so that the streamers hang from the inside and the decoration is on the outside. Glue/tape closed. Create a handle on the top of the windsock by twisting two pipecleaners together and taping them to the inside of the cardstock like a rainbow.

Foil Wrapped Pineapple Chicken

2010-08-14T17:00:00.000-04:00

This quick lunch or dinner is great for parties and bar-b-ques or anything else where time is not on your side. Plus kids will love the individual pouches. Easy to make fun for kids!

It's also another way to utilize the Hoisin sauce from the Chinese Chicken recipe.

What You Need:
Chicken Breast cut into chunks
Pineapple chunks
Minced garlic 1 tsp
Soy Sauce 2 tbsp
Hoisin Sauce 4 tbsp
Onion Powder
Ground Ginger
Black Pepper
Chives 1/2 tsp
Corn Starch 1 tsp
Honey
aluminum foil

What To Do: In a bowl mix Soy Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, minced garlic, cornstarch and chives. Sprinkle Onion powder, ginger, pepper, and a few squirts of honey into the mix. Mix well. Add chicken and pineapple chunks. Mix well and let marinate in the refrigerator at least 20 minutes -(the longer the better) Cut aluminum foil into squares so that when a pouch is formed it will sit in your palm.

Spoon chicken mixture into the center of the foil square and join the edges to make a pouch. Make sure to get some sauce in there, this will help keep chicken moist.

Place the pouches in a pan and cook for 40 mins in a 350 degree over. Or Place them on a hot grill for 30 minutes. Try not to over cook or the chicken will dry out.

Let cool and serve.

Felt Roads

2010-08-03T14:37:00.000-04:00

Here is a simple way to help give your little ones Matchbox' and Hot Wheels a place to drive - that's not the edge of furniture, your leg, or expensive plastic track sets.

These customizable felt roads are easy to make and inexpensive. They can be arranged and re-arranged over and over in any combination your child can imagine.

What You Need: Black Felt, Yellow/White felt, scissor, craft glue, cardboard

What To Do: Cut the black felt into strips wide enough to drive a toy car on. Cut the yellow felt into thin strips and then cut those into strips about an inch long. Glue the small yellow strips onto the black felt roads and Viola! You're done. Use the cardboard as backing to make them extra durable.

Tips: Because you're making them you can cut out whatever kind of roads you want: soft curves, corners, Y-shaped merges, 4 laned highway, S-shaped zigzags.

Store your roads in an hard pencil case or an old wipe container.

Use them with train tracks, lincoln logs, plastic trees etc.

Getting Kids Going

2010-07-29T15:19:00.000-04:00

Exercise is an important part of growing strong healthy kids. But exercising doesn't have to be the stringent regime and doesn't have to turn you into a Drill Sargent.
Kids who engage in regular physical activity are stronger, more confident, and have a better outlook on life.

Here is a simple guide to helping you little ones get moving and stay healthy.

This is a suggested Activity Chart from Kids Health

Age	Minimum Daily Activity	Comments
Infant	No specific requirements	Physical activity should encourage motor development
Toddler	1½ hours	30 minutes planned physical activity AND 60 minutes unstructured physical activity (free play)
Preschooler	2 hours	60 minutes planned physical activity AND 60 minutes unstructured physical activity (free play)
School Age	1 hour or more	Break up into bouts of 15 minutes or more

TEENS

Infants and young children should not be inactive for prolonged periods of time — no more than 1 hour unless they're sleeping. And school-age children should not be inactive for periods longer than 2 hours.

Planned play doesn't have to be gymnastics or little league, though those do qualify. It can be as simple as taking a walk, going for a bike ride, dancing, or playing catch. Free Play is just that where you don't guide a child's imagination, letting them climb, spin, run, play tag, whatever there little hearts (& legs) desire.

Here are a few websites for more information and ideas for helping get your little one in a grove!

Kids Health
Let's Move Iniative
BAM! (Body and Mind) kids health by the CDC
Kids.Gov

Kiddie Clean Up

2010-07-17T13:22:00.000-04:00

Kids are messy. But with a little paitence and ingenuity you can clear the clutter and organize the chaos (and even get the little ones to pitch in!)

Utilize a storage caddy. (The one pictured was $1 at Target) Storage caddies work as both an organizing tool and a nifty clean up device. With small children, Moms can use a storage caddie to keep diapers, wipes, and binkies on hand as you move from room to room or out in the backyard. This way you don't have to keep running back to the changing table. Older kids and toddlers can use them to help clean up their toys, books, shoes, etc. They can load them up and carry them to their room/toy box. They can also help limit the mess by regulating how much a child can take with them. You can keep a child from leaving every toy they own strewn about the house by telling them they can only take out toys that can fit into the caddy and they have to put back whatever they take out before getting more. This way clean up is always just one caddy load.
Stylish and Creative Storage Solutions. Just because you have kids doesn't mean that your personal style has to go out the window. Yes, your furniture should be child friendly - to prevent the heartbreak and tears that come when little chocolate hand prints show up- but you don't have to live in a world of primary colors and cartoon characters. Use storage ottomans to hide toys and magazine holders to keep little shoes in order without sacrificing decor. This not only helps your home have a bit of an adult feel, it also helps organize your kids, by giving everything a place and teaching them where to find and put their things.

Homemade Marionettes

2010-07-13T17:25:00.000-04:00

These homemade marionettes are fun to make and provide hours of fun once completed. Make a bunch and put on your own retelling of your favorite fairy tales- Or make up your own! This is the perfect rainy day activity as it takes some time to put together and then provides hours of fun when done!

What You Need: Plastic cups of various sizes (one large & 5 medium per puppet), Yarn, cardboard, felt & decorations, glue, scissors,

What to Do:

Parents may want to do these first steps before hand, so that children just have to decorate and assemble.

Cut a lower case "t" out of cardboard for the puppet control and poke a hole in each of the four ends.
Put a slit or small hole in the bottom of each plastic cup.
Put a slit or small hole in the back of the large cup (Body) and two of the smaller cups (hands) near the lip. Leave the head and feet cups with just holes in the bottoms.
Put two slits on the side of the big cup near the bottom of the cup. These will be where the arms attach.

Once all the cutting is done, you & your child can assemble and decorate your marionette.

Tie a knot on the end of the yarn and slip it through one of the arm holes. Cut a length of string as desired for arms. Slip the end of the yarn through the bottom of one of the hand cups (a cup with a hole in the bottom and side). Repeat on the other side.
Slip the yarn through the hole in the bottom of the large cup, the body. Pull a large length (excess can be trimmed later) through - think of this string as the spine of the puppet, connecting the head to the legs. Cut and tie knot in the end closest to the bottom of the cup (top of the puppet) Slip the knot through the bottom a small cup (head) so that the bottoms are facing each other. (Make sure to leave a bit of yarn for the neck and a bit to attach to the control.
Cut a length of yarn for the legs, tie it at the midway point to the "spine" so that you have to equal length legs hanging from inside the body. Slip one end of the yarn through a foot cup and tie a knot to secure. Then repeat with the other leg and foot. At this point your puppet should be complete (without the controls) and look like the picture below (it's sideways now but this will be corrected shortly).

Decorate the Puppet with felt, pom poms, feathers and attach with the glue. Use permanent marker to draw a face.

For the controls:

Slip lengths of yarn through each of the holes in the cardboard cut out.
Attach the top of the "t" to the yarn inside the head.
Attach the sides of the "t" to the hands (again by slipping into the holes in the sides of the hand cups.
Attach the bottom of the "t" to the body by slipping the yarn into the hole in the back of the body near the lip.

Once it's dry, Practice using the controls to manipulate your puppet.

Plastic Spoon Puppets

2010-07-12T12:17:00.010-04:00

This is a cheap and easy craft that you can do again & again and can lead to hours of role playing fun!

What You Need:
Plastic Spoons, Felt, Permanent Markers, Scissor, Glue, Pipe Cleaners

What To Do:
Draw faces on to the back side of the spoons with permanent markers. Carefully cut clothing, hair, hats, etc from felt. (Note: Fold clothing in half and use scissor to make a slit to slide spoon handle in) Glue hair on spoon. Wrap a pipe cleaner around the handle to make arms.

inspired by a post by Inspired Crafter

Stick Raft

2010-07-11T11:43:00.000-04:00

A great craft that you can do with items from the backyard! Have the kids gather the supplies, construct rafts and find a puddle and race!

What You Need:
Sticks, twine/thread, leaf/paper

What To Do: Gather enough twigs and sticks to make a raft base, one longer twig for a mast, and four to help steady and brace the raft. Break or snip the branches for the base with garden shears to make them almost even - doesn't have to be perfect. Lay the twigs side by side, holding them firmly, lace the thread around the edge of the sticks, weaving over and under until they are secure. Repeat on the other edge. Take the four twigs you gathered for bracing the raft and split into two groups of two. Tie the two twigs of each group together. Attach one group onto the base at the back on the other to the front going across (opposite) the twigs of the raft. The raft should now be firm and steady with relatively little wiggle. Turn over and work the longer mast twig in between the twigs of both the base and the front brace. Use a large leaf or a piece of paper to attach to the mast as a sail.

You now have a stick raft, that floats!

Fun with Pen & Paper

2010-06-25T15:48:00.001-04:00

You don't need a lot of fancy toys to have big fun. Here are three activities for you and your little ones and all you need is a crayon and a sheet of paper (or more for more fun!) These are also great if you have to take your kids to work and they need something to do!

Copy Cat - Give each person a sheet of paper and a crayon. The first person draws a shape. Everyone else then has to copy that shape on their own sheet. The next person adds to the drawing, everyone then copies that on their sheet. Continue until everyone has had a turn or keep going until everyone decides that the picture is complete. Notice how similar yet different everyone's picture is.

There once was a Girl... - Again give each person a sheet of paper and access to crayons. Everyone then has to draw the following sentence: There once was a girl, who lived in a house, under a tree, next to a river. (You can say the whole sentence at once or one piece at a time). Again compare and contrast how different their girls, houses, trees, and rivers are. You can try these other sentences:
There once was a boy wearing a hat who lived on a farm with lots of animals.
There once was a frog, who lived on a rock next to a lake with lots of birds.
There once was a puppy who was digging a hole next to some flowers in the backyard.
Or Make up your own!

Three Piece Suit - Give each person a piece of paper and a crayon. Fold the paper into three sections. On your piece of paper draw a head and shoulders in the top section making sure the shoulder lines go just slightly over the fold. Decorate it how ever you'd like 2 eyes, 1 eye, 6 eyes! no mouth, curly hair whatever you'd like. It could be a potato head, a lions head anything goes! When you're done fold your paper so that the next section shows but not the head. Switch with another person. Now everyone draws the torso of whatever character they'd like: it doesn't have to be the same one you drew before, again anything goes. No arms, six arms, fur, a dress, a bow-tie. Again draw all the way to the hips making sure the lines go just slightly over the fold. Fold the page again and switch: now everyone draws legs and feet being as creative as they want. When everyone is done unfold the pages and see what kind of Creations you've come up with!

15 Minute Shrimp Scampi

2010-06-23T13:53:00.000-04:00

Fifteen Minutes and 8 simple ingredients and have a delicious dinner!

What You Need:
Shrimp (peeled and deveined)
Chopped Broccoli
Instant Rice
2 Tbsp chopped garlic
Tbsp parsley
5 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup of Stock (seafood, chicken, or vegetable)
oil

What To Do:
Saute shrimp in oil in a large skillet until pink. Remove shrimp from pan, reduce heat and add the garlic to pan. While garlic is sauteing, cook instant rice according to directions. Add stock to pan and allow to reduce by almost half. Melt the butter into the sauce and replace shrimp into pan. Rinse broccoli and add to pan while still damp. Sprinkle parsley and stir well. Cover and heat through.

Serve over rice.

Variations: Use 1/4 cup white wine and 1/4 stock for a more "grown up" taste. Or toss with Angel hair pasta instead of rice.

Summer Fun!

2010-06-21T17:13:00.001-04:00

Welcome Summer! Today is the first day of Summer and here are a few activities to welcome the sunshine and beat the heat!

Garden Hose Limbo: Create a straight stream by holding your thumb on the end of the garden hose, if you don't have a nozzle, and let kids limbo under it.

Sponge Race: Fill a kiddie pool (or other large bucket), set up small beach buckets a few feet away. Using larger sponges have kids soak up water in the kiddie and race to fill up their beach bucket.

Water Balloon Race: Fill a beach bucket with water balloons and let kids race to see who can pop all their water balloons first. Add crazy rules like not being able to use your hands and watch kids stuff their shirts with balloons and roll on the floor!

Click here for more Summer Games

painting by: allisa rachelle

Rocket-ship Fruit Skewers

2010-06-21T13:37:00.000-04:00

A summery fun way to get kids to eat (and play with) their fruit!

What You Need: Fruit any kind: Strawberries, Bananas, Watermelons, Cantaloupe, Honeydew, Peaches, Plums, Cherries, Pineapples.... really any kind; Skewers or Chopsticks if you have small children

What To Do: layout the fruit and let the children build a rocket ship, using a Banana or Strawberry tip as the nose of the rocket.

Then Eat!

T-Shirt Pillow Keepsake

2010-06-18T15:47:00.001-04:00

You've bought the cutest little baby shirt and your child has out grown it in a matter of weeks. You know she can't fit it but you can't bring yourself to throw it away. Make a keepsake pillow out of it.

What You Need:
an old T-shirt
a pillow or stuffing
a sewing machine
scissor or stitch remover

What To Do: Turn the shirt inside out, depending on the size of your shirt, either remove the sleeves completely or remove enough of it to make it even with the body of the shirt. Sew close the neck and arm holes. Turn the shirt right-side out again. Stuff with the pillow and sew the waist of the shirt closed.

No-Sew Version: Use fabric glue to seal the arm, neck and waist holes.

This also works for any shirt you may not want to throw/give away like those from senior year, family reunions, walk-a-thons etc.

Stuffed Peppers

2010-06-18T09:45:00.001-04:00

A yummy dish that uses few ingredients and doesn't take too much time to create. And who doesn't love a dish where you can eat the bowl too!

What You Need:
Green Peppers
ground meat
white rice
mozzarella cheese
spaghetti sauce
garlic, thyme, basil, rosemary

What To Do: Cut tops off peppers and remove all seeds. Arrange peppers in a baking dish. and set aside. Cook white rice according to directions. In a bowl sprinkle ground meat with a tsp. each of garlic, thyme, basil, & rosemary and mix well. In a skillet cook meat through until brown. Once cooked put on paper towel to drain. Combine meat and rice in a large sauce pan and mix well add spaghetti sauce a little at a time until consistency meets your taste. Fill peppers with the meat/rice filling and top with cheese. Place in oven and bake until cheese melts.

Father's Day Pillow Craft

2010-06-13T12:19:00.004-04:00

Make Dad this simple throw pillow. It's a great way to say Happy Father's Day and perfect for little hands to make.

What You Need:

two pieces of felt , Scissors, Fabric Glue, Cotton stuffing and any other ornaments and decorations you'd like - fabric glue, felt letters & Shapes, buttons etc.

What To Do:

Take a piece of felt and let your kids decorate it by drawing with fabric paints, attaching felt letters and personalizing for dad. Craft stores sell pre-cut felt letters and shapes, so you don't have to try and cut out a set of golf clubs to stick on your pillow.

Then using fabric glue, close up three sides of the pillow by gluing the edges of the front felt to the back piece. Once dry stuff with the cotton and seal the last edge closing the pillow.

For very small kids, you can dip their hands in fabric paint and press onto the felt to make a handprint pillow keepsake.

Another fathers day idea is the Change Dish that was posted for Mother's Day!

Shoebox Fishing Game

2010-06-12T13:47:00.006-04:00

This is the companion game to the box top coin flip game. When made together you can store the pieces inside the box and have two games in one travel case.

What You Need:

Shoebox

Construction paper

Blue & Green Pipe cleaners, pom-poms, feathers

glue

scissors

small magnet

paper clips

tape

yarn

chopstick

What to Do: Line the shoebox with blue construction paper. Glue or tape pipe cleaners, pom-poms, and feathers to act as ocean features.

Cut fish shapes out of a different color construction paper. Attach a paperclip to each fish lining it in up with the fish's mouth.

Make the fishing rod by tying a piece of yarn to the end of a chopstick. tape a small magnet to the end of the yarn.

How to play: Place the fish into the shoebox. Use the rod to try and catch the fish. two players can take turns seeing who can get all their color fish out of the box first.

Now on Facebook & Twitter!

2010-06-11T16:34:00.003-04:00

The Mommy Mayhem Survival Guide is now on Facebook & Twitter! A new way to follow, keep up with new posts and make suggestions about topics, crafts, activities and recipes you'd like to see! We're also searchable on Google and Bing!

Facebook: The Mommy Mayhem Survival Guide

Twitter: MmyMyhmSrvlGd

Homemade Miniature Golf

2010-06-11T12:59:00.004-04:00

What You Need:

metal curtain rod - separated to make 2 clubs

newspaper

old socks

a high bounce ball/tennis ball/ or handball

a shoebox

What To Do:

Make the clubs by separating the curtain rod and covering the ends with newspaper. Pad it up good for safety and to give kids a large area to strike the ball with. Cover the newspaper with a pair of old socks - one on each end. This is also a good way to help distinguish clubs - your club has your socks on it.

Use the shoebox as the hole, but cutting an archway into one end, and you are ready to play.

Indoors you can use furniture, shoes, cups, broomsticks etc as obstacles. Outdoors grass and concrete can act as rough and fairway, trees, hula hoops, buckets, etc can be obstacles. Make your course as easy or as hard as you want. Just place the shoebox down, arrange obstacles and putt!

Chunky Chinese Chicken

2010-06-11T12:20:00.004-04:00

This is a recipe that my Dad has been making for years and years. I loved it as a kid and now my kid loves it! It's really easy and only needs a few ingredients.

What You Need:

4 Chicken breast or boneless thighs- cut into large chunks

eggs - beaten

flour

Hoisin sauce

three tsp (or packets) of soy sauce

powdered sugar

oil

What To Do:

Bread the chicken by dipping in the egg and then dredging in the flour. In a large saute pan heat the oil and then cook the chicken until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and let drain. when the oil has cooled a bit you want to discard it and wipe the pan quickly with a paper towel. Over a low heat, add the soy sauce to the pan. Then add one heaping tablespoon of Hoisin Sauce and stir. Once combined, add a tablespoon of powdered sugar and mix well. Add the chicken back into the pan and stir until well coated. It won't look like enough sauce but keep mixing.

Serve with white rice and vegetables - broccoli, carrots or snow-pea pods work best.

Note: Hoisin sauce can be found near the Soy Sauce in most Supermarkets. And you can easily adjust the amount of each ingredient to suit your families taste!

Virtual Vacation: Destination Australia - Games & Activities

2010-06-10T19:38:00.002-04:00

Down, Down, Down!

What you Need: a tennis or hand ball - that's it!

What To Do:

Bounce the ball between players, when a player misses the ball the other player says "Down on one Knee" - the player who missed must then continue to play but know from a kneeling position. If that player misses again then they go down on two knees, then one elbow, two elbows and finally the chin when they can no longer throw and catch the ball. The winning player is the one last one left when all other players are out - if playing with more than two players.

What Time is it Mr. Wolf?

This game is very similar to Mother May I? with a twist. One player is the wolf the others stand at a starting line. Players then ask "What Time is it Mr. Wolf?" the wolf will respond with "It's -O'clock" then players then take as many steps as hours the wolf says ie 10 o'clock is 10 steps and 7 o'clock is 7 steps. When the Wolf chooses he can respond with "Dinner Time!" at which the players must reach the start line before getting caught. The caught player becomes The wolf. Or if a player reaches the wolf before "dinner time" they can become the Wolf.

Virtual Vacation: Destination Australia -Crafts

2010-06-10T18:55:00.003-04:00

Didgeridoo

A Didgeridoo is an Aboriginal instrument usually made the the hollow branches of a tree. Each maker has their own unique symbols, carvings and designs, making this the perfect craft to allow kids to express their own individual creativity.

What You Need:

1 wrapping paper tube, or a few paper towel or toilet paper tubes, tape, scissors, glue, plain white paper or kraft paper, crayons/markers

What To Do:

If using more than one tube then tape them together end to end to create one long tube. Cut the white paper or kraft paper so that it will wrap around the tube without any overlapping. Allow kids to decorate the paper in their own designs. Once done, glue the paper around the tube.

When it's dry children will have a one of a kind instrument. Blow into one end with clicks, moans, hums, and make your own Didgerdoo music.

Boomerang

No trip to Australia would be complete without a boomerang. Make your own in two easy steps

What You Need:

Cardboard

paint/markers/crayons

x-acto knife or box cutter

What To Do:

!!ADULTS!!! cut out a boomerang shape (a wide V) from the cardboard.

Let children decorate - for a true Australian feel dip paint with a chopstick or q-tip to get line, and dots.

Virtual Vacation: Destination Australia - Recipes

2010-06-09T21:57:00.003-04:00

Breakfast - Toads in the Hole
What You Need:
2 tablespoons olive oil
Thick beef or pork sausages
3/4 cup Plain Flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tablespoon rosemary

What to Do:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook sausages by roasting or sauteing until cook through and golden brown. Sift flour and salt into a bowl and make a well in the middle. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, milk and rosemary together. Add to flour mixture and mix until batter is smooth. Place the sausages in roasting pan and carefully pour batter over them. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until puffed up and golden.

For a more kid-friendly version use two tablespoons of mashed plums instead of or in combination with the rosemary.

Lunch- Zuchinni Fritata

What You Need:

6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 green onion- chopped
bacon
1 small zucchini - sliced thinly
2 tablespoons self-raising flour
2 tablespoons milk
Salt and black pepper
1/3 cup grated cheese
8 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

What To Do:

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a baking pan with non-stick spray. Place the eggs in a large bowl and add the green onion, bacon strips, zucchini slices, flour, milk, salt, pepper and half the cheese. Stir well.Pour into the baking pan. Arrange tomato halves on top and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until set and golden brown on top. Enjoy hot or cold.

Dinner - Lamb Chops with Mash Potatoes & peas

What You Need:

1- rack of lamb

thyme

rosemary

garlic

olive oil

potatoes

peas

butter

milk

What To Do:

Cut the rack into lamb chops. Mix thyme, rosemary, and garlic in a few tablespoons of oil, rub over lamb and let marinate for at least fifteen minutes. Grill the chops or sauté them in a pan with a tablespoon of oil.

cut the potatoes in to chunks. boil potatoes and peas in a pot of water until the potatoes are soft. Drain, then add a splash of milk and a tablespoon of butter mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Drink - Cranberry Crush

What You Need:

Cranberry Juice

Lemonade

your favorite berries (strawberry, blueberry, raspberry,etc.)

Ice

What To Do:

Blend ingredients together and serve.

Virtual Vacation: Destination Australia - Folktale

2010-06-09T21:05:00.000-04:00

The Origin of Narran Lake

Old Baiamee said to his two wives, Birranulu and Kunnanbeili, " I have stuck a white feather between the legs of a bee and i am going to follow it so that i may get some honey. While i go for the honey, go you two out and get frogs and yams, then meet me at Coorigil Springs where we will camp, for the water is sweet and clear there."

The wives took their net bags and yam sticks and went out as they were told. When they collected all the yams and frogs they could carry, they headed to Coorigil Springs. They were tired when they arrived and seeing the sweet, cool water they longed to swim. They built a small shade and there they left their net bags and yam sticks with the food they had found. When the camp was ready for the coming of Old Baiamee, Biranulu and Kunnanbeili removed their belts and placed them near the shade. Then went swimming in the Springs. And while they were enjoying the cool water they where swallowed whole by two Kurrias - crocodiles. After they ate the girls the dove under the water and into a narrow pass to the Narran River, they took all the water from the springs with them.

Old Baiamee still making his way to the bee's hive, followed the bee to a patch of Salt flowers where it hid. "Something terrible has happened to my wives, for the bee would not hide otherwise. I must make my way to Coorigil Springs." When he arrived he saw the shade his two wives had made along with the net bags and yam sticks, but he did not see the wives. He found their belts and called after them. When there was no answer he went to the edge of the spring and saw the tails of the Kurrias going through the narrow pass. "This is the work of the Kurrias, They have taken my wives through the narrow pass to the Narran River. Well do i know the the passage and will go there at once."

Arming himself with spears and woggaras, Old Baiamee made his pursuit. Soon he reached the deep hole that joined the Coorigil springs and the Narran River. There he saw the the hole was dry and decided to head to the river to get in front of the crocodiles. Swiftly Old Baiamee sped through short cut after short cut until at last he reached the end of the Narran. He hid behind a dheal tree and waited for the Kurrias to come into sight. As the kurrias came near they separated. Quickly Old Baiamee hurled spears one after another wounding both Kurrias. They wiggled and writhed in pain and lashed their tails about making great big hollows in the ground. The water that which was stopped up by the kurrias soon filled the hollows. Fearing they would get away he pulled them from the water by the spears and killed them with his woggaras.

Baiamee cut open the kurrias and removed his wives bodies, they were covered in slime and very still. He thought they were dead. Soon a swarm of ants came and removed the slime from their bodies. The sting of the ants woke the girls and they rose to their feet. Baiamee came to them and explained how he had saved them from the Kurrias. And warned them about swimming in holes where Kurrias hunt. The bade them look at the water now that killed the area. "Soon will the black swans find their way here, the pelicans and the ducks. where the dry land and stones once were, in the future there will be wanter and waterfowl. From now on, when the Narran River flows it will run into this hole and make a big lake in this place."

And what Baiamee said has come to pass as the Narran Lake proves, with its large sheet of water spreading for miles the home of thousands of wildfowl.

Virtual Vacation: Australia

2010-06-09T20:16:00.004-04:00

Australia is the land down under. The only country that is also a continent has a rich, vibrant, history full of twists turns and intrigue. Take this virtual Vacation and learn all about Aboriginal cultural, it's original settlement by British criminals and the long influx of immigrants that make Australia one of the most diverse countries in the world. And multiculturalism isn't the only diversity in Australia, the land has everything from deserts to Rain Forests.

Come taste the fair, play the games and experience: AUSTRALIA!

Language & Culture

Music & Dance

Deciding on Discipline

2010-06-09T14:37:00.002-04:00

One of the toughest jobs a parent has is as disciplinarian. It's easy to get swept up in emotion and add stressed, over worked, and over tired to the mix and you'll find yourself yelling and telling your kids to go to their rooms and not to come out 'til they're 30! Here are a few tips on how to deal with disciplining your kids.

This is not a referendum on spanking and having a discussion on how to discipline your child doesn't have to be a to spank or not to spank talk. What techniques you use, are up to you as parents. But the key to a good discipline is consistency.

First develop a punishment scale. Not every crime deserves the same punishment. So, don't give small missteps the same consequence as major ones. If you do, there is nothing to keep your child from acting out in a big way; and you'll forever need to think of bigger and badder punishments for them.
Avoid open-ended punishment. Make sure the consequence has an specific end time. Whether that's sitting in time out for 5 minutes or no TV for a week, having a set ending for punishments makes disciplining easier for you and the child. This helps keep infractions separate and you can be sure you are properly doling out punishment. It also keeps your child from feeling stuck in an endless cycle, where they need to be perfect. For example if you've taken away the TV for a week and your child misbehaves on the next to the last day, instead of adding another week of no TV, trying taking away phone or internet privileges. This way they feel the immediate sting of losing another privilege, in two days they get back the TV but still have to wait another 4 days for the phone.
Breathe. Take some time before doling out the sentence. In the heat of the moment we may not realize what is actually going on. Take a moment, you may remember that you took the frame off the shelf while cleaning and were distracted by a phone call when you told the kids to go play in the den -- Or that your son only hit his sister after being tormented about his new braces for an hour. Do the kids still need to be disciplined yes, but not to the same degree as if these acts were deliberate or unprovoked.
Reverse the Strategy. Reward the good behavior with lots of praise and attention. You don't have to bribe them or to shower them with expensive gifts for things like doing homework and cleaning their room. But noticing your kids when they do things right will help keep them from doing things wrong. Try things like letting a avid reader get an extra story at bedtime every day they have their homework done on time and their bed made, or let an outdoorsy kid get ten extra minutes of play just because she asked nicely and didn't whine.
Stick to it. Don't let your kids out of a punishment just because you're sick of them being in the house, or because you want to go out. This only teaches children that if they make a nuisance of themselves they'll never really have to finish out a sentence. Instead try a "work-release" program, where they can earn time off their punishment by exhibiting not just good behavior, but unselfish behavior. For example, for every hour they help clean the yard, sort recycling, etc., they get back an hour of playtime.
Don't make family time a punishment. As kids get older time with their friends becomes more and more important, but don't try not to force children to spend time with the family because they acted out in school. The last thing you want is for your kids to hate spending time with you as a family.
Be a Role Model! Modeling good behavior for your kids is prime. Treat them with respect and they will being to show respect to others, their friends and to you! Kids are smart and they pick up on things very quickly. Soon you will see a positive shift with less and less time and effort spent on correcting bad behavior.

An Afternoon of Summer Fun

2010-06-08T13:04:00.005-04:00

With five items that you can find in the dollar store and a hot summer afternoon you can have a world of fun! What you need: A hula hoop, a bouncy ball, a laundry basket, a pack of water balloons, and two beach buckets. Aside from the obvious games, here are a few other games you can play to entertain your little ones!

1) Snowcone Relay: Place the bouncy ball on top of one bucket, set up obstacles -like going around trees, down the kiddie slide, over the laundry basket, hoping through the hula hoop- and have kids take turns going through obstacles and pass the ball from bucket to bucket without using hands.

2)Laundry Basket Ball: toss, bounce, or roll the ball into the laundry basket using the buckets, and the hula hoop as obstacles to make it more difficult. Example, place the basket on its side and place the hula hoop a few feet away with the buckets upside down to form two towers half way between the hoop and the basket. Have your child stand in the hoop and roll the ball between the buckets and into the basket.

3) Target Practice: Place the hula hoop on the ground with a bucket in the center making a target. Standing a few feet away, toss filled water balloons at the target.

4) Dodge Balloons: Place the buckets a few feet away from each other with the laundry basket in the middle and put a bunch of filled water balloons in the laundry basket. Stand next to a bucket, on "Go" race to the basket and grab a balloon, race back to your bucket and toss the balloons into the other bucket, try blocking the other persons balloons from getting into your bucket.

More Water Games to Welcome Summer.

(Photo by Tom Anthony)

Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings

2010-05-31T14:42:00.000-04:00

The ultimate comfort food! Chicken & Dumplings that is so simple and so easy but so rich and flavorful it'll taste like you slaved away all day, when all you did was drop some ingredients in the Slow Cooker!

What You Need: Chicken Thighs & Legs, 1 tube of biscuits, frozen carrots, 3 cups chicken stock, thyme, sage, paprika

What to Do: Place chicken in the slow cooker and sprinkle liberally with sage, paprika and thyme, add carrots and chicken stock. Cook on high, stirring occasionally until the chicken is fall off the bone tender. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred. Replace shredded chicken without bones into the slow cooker. Pull apart biscuits and drop pieces into the slow cooker. Stir gently and let cook for 30 minutes. Stir again and continue to cook if the dumplings aren't cooked through.

Coconut Shrimp

2010-05-30T01:11:00.001-04:00

This recipe combines two of my toddlers favorite things, shrimp and food he can eat with his hands! This coconut shrimp is a great kid-friendly dinner and a jaw-dropping appetizer when guest come over. It's quick, easy, and delicious!

What You Need: Shrimp -thawed, shelled & de-veined, flour, flaked coconut, eggs, breadcrumbs, oil for frying.

What To Do: Set up an assembly line with three small bowls. In the first bowl put some flour, in the second two lightly beaten eggs, and in the last combine the coconut and some unseasoned bread crumbs. Going down the assembly line, dredge shrimp in flour, then dip in the eggs and cover with the coconut mixture. Once all the shrimp are done, heat the oil in a frying pan. Add shrimp to pan and cook until golden brown on all sides. It only takes a minute so be mindful.

Serve with an Orange Marmalade as a dipping sauce and enjoy!

Box Top Coin Flip Game

2010-05-29T04:15:00.001-04:00

This is one craft that will be fun long after the glue dries!

What You Need: a shoebox top, felt, marker, glue, scissor, a coin or button

What to Do: Cut the felt to line the inside of the box top and glue it in place. Then cut shapes with other remnants of felt to create scoring sections. Use the marker to write values on the felt shapes. Glue them randomly on the felt inside the box top to create the game board. Let dry.

How to Play: take turns flipping the coin or button into the box top. Earn points by getting the coin to land on one of the scoring sections. After 5 rounds the player with the most points wins.

Pair with the Shoe Box Fishing Game for two games in one box!

5 Games to Play with an Alphabet Mat

2010-05-24T12:51:00.006-04:00

An alphabet mat is a wonderful teaching and play tool. the vibrant colors and washable foam make it great for even the youngest of kids. There are several obvious ways to play, but here are 5 unconventional games to play:

1) Alpha-Hop Scotch: It's just as you would imagine. Make a hopscotch grid with a few letters from the mat. As you hop down have your child say the letter they land on. For kids learning to read, have them make each letter sounds. And older kids can say a word that begins with that letter. (Note: use consonant blends as the double rows: BL, WH, ST, FR, PL)

2) Alpha-Twister: Again it's very much like the what you would think... You can play this one is a variety of ways, again by letter, letter sound, beginning letter, even color, or use all 4. Just write out the letters, colors, and words on strips of paper and place them in a hat. (Or if you have Letter Flash Cards use them). In another pile write out Left Hand, Right hand, Left Foot, Right Foot. Pick one card from each pile. Examples: Left Hand A; Right Foot 'Ssss'; Left Foot Blue: Right hand on the first letter in the word Pear. Use what ever works for you and your kids.

3) Rhyming Word Families: This is more of using the mat as a teaching tool. Put together the root of a word family, ie: -AT. Then have your child find the letters that will make rhyming words. Help them to sound out each of the words. M-AT; B-AT, C-AT, P-AT, F-AT, H-AT, FL-AT, R-AT, S-AT....

4) Alpha-Boggle: Lay out the mat in a 4x4 square A,E,I,O, U, R,S,T,L,N,P,B,D,C,H,M using the letters and have your child search for words by connecting letters.

5) Letter Train: Have your child put a random selection of letters in a row, then help them identify each letter and the sound it makes. For older kids, have them make up a story using the letters, example, if the letters are O, C, D, E, W, F,A, S: You might say, One Cold Day, Edward Went For A Swim; or Octopus Carl Dove Every Week For An entire Summer...

Stuffed Bread

2010-05-22T13:01:00.005-04:00

I learned this recipe a few summers ago from my friend Dorothy. It's is so easy but seems so complicated. Its a one dish dinner with endless variations!

What You Need: cooked Chicken strips (they sell precooked strips or you can grill a chicken breast and slice it), your favorite shredded cheeses, chopped broccoli and carrots, a tube of crescent rolls or croissants

What to Do: Preheat oven to 350. Roll out the crescent roll dough on to a cookie sheet and press the dough to get rid of the perforations. In a bowl mix the chicken, cheese, broccoli and carrots. Place the mixture on top of the dough and then pull the ends of the dough to meet. press firmly so that it will bake closed.

Bake until the dough is golden brown.

Slice and serve.

Variations: You can stuff your bread with whatever you'd like, the trick is to make sure the meat is cooked before placing it in the dough. Try:

-spaghetti sauce, mozzarella cheese and meatballs.

-strips of steak, mushrooms and onions.

-shrimp and squash seasoned with sage.

This is also a great way to convert leftovers into a new dish. Use leftover roast chicken instead of grilled chicken breast, or chop up leftover meatloaf and mix with softened potatoes and onions and gravy.

Virtual Vacation: Destination Spain: Music & Language

2010-05-18T22:52:00.000-04:00

The Spanish culture is full of rhythm and flavor. The perfect way to introduce your child to Spain is through it's music and language. Here you can find snippets of both, a link to a wonderful Children's Music site and a brief lesson in Spanish with some easy words to incorporate throughout the day while on your Virtual Vacation.

MUSIC: Here is a collection of children's songs and nursery rhymes from Spain, Mama Lisa's World, complete with lyrics in spanish and english and music.

LANGUAGE: The official language of Spain is the Castillian form of Spanish. Here are some basic Spanish words to teach your kids while on your Virtual Vacation:

Hello: Hola (O-La)

Goodbye: Adios (Ah-di-os)

How are you?: Como Esta? (Ko-Mo Es-sta)

Bathroom: bano (Bon-yo)

Please: por favor (Pour Fahv-or)

Thank You: gracias (Gra-see-ahs)

Food: alimento (ah-lee-ment-to)

Mom: Mama

Dad:Papa

Son: hijo (E-ho)

Daughter: hija (E-ha)

Family: Familia (Fa-mil-li-ah)

Virtual Vacations: Destination Spain - Games

2010-05-18T22:40:00.000-04:00

Tres Cosas (The three things)

How to Play: Stand with your child in the middle of the room or yard and choose three objects that you both can see. While you close your eyes and count to ten (in Spanish if you can), your child has to try and touch all three objects and get back to your side. When you get to ten, your child should hide and you open your eyes. Without moving look to see if you can find them, if not you close your eyes and begin counting again. Your child can then continue touch the objects and getting back to you. Continue this pattern of counting and hiding, until either the child is caught when you open your eyes or they get back to you before you finish counting. Then choose three more objects and switch.

Virtual Vacations: Destination Spain - Folktale/Story

2010-05-18T22:30:00.000-04:00

The Tinker and the Ghost

A long time ago there was a haunted castle in the hills where no one dare go. The castle had been empty for years and years and tales of the ghost that lived there grew the longer the castle stood empty. One day, in the market a pot maker named Esteban, over heard several women talking about the haunted castle. The owner of the castle had offered a rewards of 1,000 gold pieces to anyone who could get rid of the ghost that haunted the castle. Many men tried but no one could stay in the castle long enough to get rid of the Ghost. Anyone who tried to spend the night in the castle was frightened away before long.

Esteban decided that he would try to free the castle of its ghost, so he loaded up his donkey with lots of firewood, a sleeping bag, eggs, bacon, and a pan and started up the hill to the castle. When Esteban reached the castle the first thing he did was start a fire in the fireplace. Then he laid up his sleeping bag. Soon Esteban was hungry so he put the pan in the fire and began to make some eggs for dinner.

An eerie voice called, "Oh My, Oh My!"

"Who is there?" Esteban replied through he was a little scared he decided to stay. The voice sounded like it was in trouble. Maybe the Ghost needed help.

"Oh My, Oh My" the voice called again. "Help me I'm falling" and with a Plop! the ghost leg fell down the chimney and in front of the fire place. Esteban took it and put it to the side. As Esteban began to eat his supper, he heard the voice call again. "Oh My, Oh My! I'm Falling" and Plop down fell another leg. Soon a torso fell then one arm and the other and finally a head. Esteban helped the ghost put himself back together.

"thank you!" said the Ghost. " I have been trapped for many many years and no one has ever stayed long enough to help me."

"What help do you need?" Esteban asked the Ghost, who was now not scary at all.

"I buried, in the courtyard, three bags of coins. One bag of bronze coins, one bag of silver coins and one bag of gold coins. Will you help me dig them up?"

"Yes." Esteban agreed and went out to the courtyard with the Ghost. They found the place where the coins were buried and began digging.

When all three bags were unearthed, the Ghost said, "Please give this bag of bronze coins to the Church."

"I will." Said Esteban.

"And please give this bag of silver coins to the poor."

"I will" said Esteban.

"The last bag of gold coins, you can keep for yourself. Thank you for helping me." The Ghost said.

"Thank you!" Esteban said gratefully and watched as the Ghost disappeared into thin air.

In the morning, Esteban did as he promised. He gave the bag of bronze coins to the Church and the bag of silver coins to the poor. He found the owner of the castle, "The Ghost will not haunt here anymore." Esteban said and collected his reward. Esteban lived out the rest of his days a very happy man and was never afraid to help someone in need.

Virtual Vacations: Destination Spain - Crafts

2010-05-18T22:24:00.000-04:00

Here are two fun Spain-themed crafts for you and your child a pair of Castanets and a flamenco fan!

Castanets

What You Need: 4 Large buttons or bottle caps, felt, glue, rubber bands, scissor

What to Do: Cut the felt into two "Glasses" shapes (circles connected by a narrow strip). Lace the felt through a rubber band to create a handle. Glue the bottle caps/buttons into the felt circles. Once dry, slip the rubber bands over your fingers and hold the castanets between your thumb and index & pointer fingers. Clack away!

Flamenco Fan

What You Need: construction paper, 2 paint stirrers/large popsicle sticks/pieces of cardboard, crayons/markers, glue, rubber bands, ribbon/yarn

What to Do: Decorate the paint sticks and both sides of the construction paper with crayons/glitter. Glue a paint stick to each and of the ends of the construction paper. Fold the construct paper to make an accordion. Use a rubber band to hold the ends of the paint sticks together.

Virtual Vacations: Destination Spain - Recipes

2010-05-18T22:13:00.000-04:00

Traditionally in Spain lunch is the biggest meal of the day. Many people get off of work and school to go home to have lunch with their families (and to have a Siesta!). But for the purposes of your Virtual Vacation you can stick to a traditional meal schedule and just substitute in these foods. Here are a Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Dessert/Snack, and a drink from Spain!

Breakfast: Traditional Spanish Omelette.

What You Need: (per person) 1 small potato, 2 eggs, olive oil

What to Do: Cut the potato into slices and saute them in a shallow pan until golden brown. Remove form the pan and set aside to drain. Beat the eggs well and then add the potatoes. Add a few more drops of oil into the pan and then slowly pour in the potato and egg mixture while gently shaking the pan to prevent sticking. Once the eggs are cooked, slowly slide the omelet onto a plate and replace in pan to cook on the other side. Once both sides are done, remove from pan cut and eat.

For a variation, you can add just about anything else to this dish: onions, spinach, ham, mushrooms, cheese... it's up to you.

Lunch: Shrimp Fritters (Tortillitas de Camarones)

What You Need:
1/2 pound of shrimp,
1 1/2 cups of flour,
1 tbsp parsley
2 finely chopped scallions
1 tsp Paprika
olive oil of frying.

What to Do:
Cook shrimp in a few cups of water, once water is boiling, remove shrimp and let cool. Reserve 1 cup of the water and discard the rest.

Mix the rest of the ingredients then slowly add in the cup of water until you have batter that is somewhere between thick pancake batter and pudding. Refrigerate for an hour.

Finely chop the shrimp and add tot he batter mixing well. Heat the oil in a frying pan. When oil is hot drop in (a spoonful at a time) the batter, flattening each round with the back of the spoon. Turn once and cook til golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towel.

Dinner: Chicken Paella

The Arroz Con Pollo recipe is a great one to use for dinner, as Paella is the ultimate Spanish dish and it may be a little difficult to get you little one to eat the squid, mussels and clams in it. Chicken Paella is the same as Arroz con Pollo, so this may be the night to try it out.

Drink: Non-Alcoholic Sangria

In a large pitcher mix 4 cups Cranberry-Grape Juice with 1 cup of Orange Juice and 1/4 cup of Lemon Juice. Drop in a few slices of orange and some chopped up apple. Chill and serve. You can add a splash of lemon-lime soda for some extra pizazz!

Virtual Vacation: Destination Spain!

2010-05-18T14:40:00.019-04:00

Welcome to Spain!

Find here everything you need to introduce your little ones to the Spanish Culture! A days worth of recipes, crafts, music and even a bedtime story!

Adios! and Enjoy!

Facts from National Geographic Kids!

Virtual Vacations

2010-05-18T14:37:00.009-04:00

For awhile now, I've wanted to do a collection of posts dedicated to traveling without actually leaving home. The focus of these Virtual Vacations is to give you and your child a series of activities to do surrounding one central theme that could be focused into one day or over a weekend.

For each Virtual Vacation, you'll find recipes, crafts, fun facts, book suggestions, games and activities that will allow you and your child to be transported to another culture.

Virtual Vacation Destinations:
Spain
Australia

South Africa - Coming Really Soon!

Meditation for Kids

2010-05-16T23:34:00.005-04:00

There are many benefits associated with meditation and recently this group of relaxing techniques has been touted as a wonder-therapy for kids with ADHD. however when you have kids, any amount of time spent in silence seems to be just a myth. Exposing children, even young ones, to the beauty of silence helps them relax their minds & bodies and also prevents over stimulation. There are hundreds of ways to introduce children to meditation; here are a few tips and suggestions to help you find what works for you and your little one.

Meditation shouldn't be a punishment or a chore. Do not pressure children to mediate; let them gravitate to it on their own. Not everyone will be moved to meditation and no one should be forced if they are not ready; it defeats the purpose. So, make sure you introduce meditation in a positive way, and present a variety of options so the child understands that your not simply looking for a few minutes of quiet.
Don't over do it. The general rule is 1 minute of silence for every year of life. So don't stress yourself trying to get your two year old to sit still for an hour. Begin by using the meditation as a warm up or cool down to other activities and do not overwhelm young ones with too much explanation or complexity.
Start out as something you do together. Avoid making it a competition. It's not about who can be quiet the longest. Instead use the time to bond. Whether its just quiet time, or you introduce stretching, walking, or yoga; Let this be time where it's you and your child; no phone, no TV, no visitors. Soon your child will look forward to having uninterrupted time with you.

For Ages Birth - 1
As you can probably imagine, this really isn't meditation. Its basically carving out a time where you and your child sit quietly. No TV, no music, no distractions. Maybe just rocking them gently while deep breathing or humming a soft lullaby.

For Ages 1-4
Once children are mobile and on the move, it's harder to get them to sit quietly. If introducing them at this stage, use meditation as a opening act for something else. Example, go for a short walk and say, "Before we go for our walk we need to get ready." Then help your child sit on the floor and do simple stretches and breathing. After your walk, have the child repeat the stretching and breathing exercises.

For Ages 5-7
Start with guided meditations that will allow you to develop something that is more like story telling and gradually get them to a place where they are guided by their own thoughts and imaginations. Have them visualize walking on a beach and watching the waves, or sitting in the grass watching the flowers sway in the breeze.

For Ages 7-10
At this age, you can begin to introduce self-reflection. Begin with a guided meditation and then ask simple questions like, "Did something upset you today?" or "What can you do to be a better friend/student/brother?". No answers are needed aloud. This is a time for the child to look inward and have some self-reflection and you will be teaching them to ask these kinds of questions of themselves.

Note: It is important that both you and the children are dressed comfortably - preferably sweats/shorts and a t-shirt - and to not be hungry, tired or sleepy. You and your child shouldn't be distracted by an itchy sock or a grumbling belly. Also note that you do not need any special mood-setting paraphernalia like candles, music or special aromas. All you need is space and quiet.

5 Things Moms Shouldn't Be Ashamed To Do in Public

2010-05-15T13:46:00.007-04:00

1) Sing and Dance - It doesn't matter if you can sing or not, what matters is that singing I'm a little Teapot will keep your 2 year old from getting out of the shopping cart and rolling cans down the aisle. So sing loud and sing proud. And if people around you look annoyed, just remember that it would be worse if they had to hear your kid wailing.

2) Change a Diaper/Skipping the Line - Kids are not grown ups and they don't have the bladder control that adults have, so expecting them to hold it is a dangerous waiting game; and making a toddler sit in a wet diaper is just cruel. Other people with kids will understand if you ask to skip the line with a wiggling 3 year old; and no one will blame you for changing your infant on a bench.

3) Nurse/Feed their Kids - Similar to the endless bathroom breaks, don't be shy about feeding a hungry kid. You're the parent and kids can't really fend for themselves - so feed them! Also, when children are hungry they get cranky and tend to have more tantrums and meltdowns. So what if you have to cop-a-squat in a stairwell with a slice of pizza; it's better than trying to calm a tired, hungry, cranky kid.

4) Leave Abruptly - You should never feel bad about having to cut a conversation short, leave a cart of groceries in the middle of the aisle, or ditch a party before the cake is served. The reason for your early departure will change - anywhere from tantrums to sick kid - but don't despair over leaving some place when your son is making a scene, needs to nap/eat/potty, or is otherwise just not cooperating.

5) Protect their Children - This covers a wide range of parenting actions from not forcing her to kiss a distant relative she doesn't like, scolding her for running away from you, or questioning a medication prescribed by the doctor. As a parent your job is to assess every situation your child enters and to weigh the experience versus the damage it may do. So never be coy about something you think will not be good for your child's emotional or physical well being.

What Every Craft Kit Should Have

2010-05-15T13:12:00.002-04:00

Arts & Crafts are a fun and easy way to spend an afternoon with your children. When its raining out or if you just want to do something different, crafts engage kids imaginations, their minds and their hands. There are endless craft ideas and you can always do a good ol' fashion collage or finger painting. But having a well stocked craft kit will give you and your child endless options when looking for a new activity. Here are a few suggestions to get your kit started and some ideas of how to grow your kit.

The Must-Haves

1) Construction Paper

2) Glue - liquid and stick form

3) Felt - a variety pack of remnants

4) Crayons - non-toxic and washable

5) Safety Scissors

The Secondary Essentials - all in various sizes and colors

1) Pom-Poms

2) Pipe Cleaners

3) Feathers

4) Popsicle sticks

5) Ribbon/Yarn

The Household Necessities -

1) Flour

2) Newspaper

3) Empty soup cans

4) Clear tape

5) Paperclips

Other

1) Finger paints

2) Markers

3) Kraft paper

4) Buttons

5) Shoe boxes

Create a Book & Bookmark Craft

2010-05-13T11:49:00.003-04:00

It wouldn't be Book Week without a Book themed craft. Here are two classic crafts: a memo book and bookmark.

What You Need: a file folder or poster board, construction paper, plain white paper or lined paper, glue, a pipe cleaner, piece of ribbon, hole puncher, decoration of your choosing

What to Do:
Cut the file folder/poster board into three rectangles (a front cover, a back cover and a long thin rectangle for the bookmark). Then cut the construction paper to fit on top of the file folder. Lastly cut the plain paper to fit inside the covers as pages.

Let your child decorate the construction paper.

MEMO BOOK:
Glue the corresponding construction paper pieces onto the front and back cover file folder pieces. Put the plain paper in between the two covers, making sure the decorated side are facing out. Using the hold puncher make holes down the left side (or across the top) of the book. Finally thread the pipe cleaner through the holes to make a spiral style memo book.

BOOKMARK:
Glue the decorated construction paper onto the long thin file folder piece. Use the hole punch to make a hole in the center along the top of the bookmark. Lace the ribbon through and double knot it to secure it in place.

Story Time Finger Plays

2010-05-12T18:27:00.004-04:00

In celebration of Children's Book Week, here is a way to help young children become young readers. Act out the stories in almost any book using toys, action figures, or make your own finger puppets.

A story time finger play can be anything you'd like, from retelling the story in your own way, to reading the book aloud and acting it out as you go; there's no wrong way to make a book come to life.

Using some simple materials you can turn just about any book into an interactive finger play.

What You Need: Construction Paper, Scissor, Crayons, a Glue Stick

What to Do: Cut the construction paper into strips with a rectangle sticking up (see photo). Decorate the rectangles to look like each character ( example the photo shows Red Riding Hood and the Wolf). Then wrap the strips around your fingers and glue the edges together.

National Children's Book Week

2010-05-11T15:59:00.004-04:00

If you didn't know it, this week is National Children's Book Week! Started in 1919 by Franklin Matthiews, we embark on a week that celebrates and encourages excellence in Children's Literature. So head out to your local library or bookstore and pick up some new and exciting titles for your child of any age!

To help you in your search visit:

The Children's Book Council for a list of Suggested Titles

Children's Author, Anika Denise's Bookmarks Blog for great book suggestions on every topic from 'Quiet' books, book about Spring to books with Vrroom!

Super Simple Pin Wheel Craft

2010-05-07T14:00:00.002-04:00

This craft is so simple and easy you can do it for any occasion holidays, play-dates, parties or just an quiet Spring afternoon!

What You Need: 2 pieces of construction paper, crayons/markers, scissor, glue stick, pipe cleaner, 1 chopstick/un-sharpened pencil

What To Do:Cut the paper into squares by folding one corner up to meet the top edge and then trimming off the rectangle that is left. Let your child decorate one side of each square. When they are done. Cut in from each corner - as if you were going to cut the squares into triangles. Poke a hole in each of the four corners and on in the center of the square. Carefully pull the corners with the holes to line them up with the one in the center. Lace the pipe cleaner through and make knots on each side, then attach the pipe cleaner to the chopstick.

Homemade Bubble Solution

2010-05-06T14:18:00.001-04:00

As Spring gives way to Summer you and your little ones will be spending more time outdoors. When kids play with bubbles they learn about cause and effect - blow and it makes a bubble, science - basic physics, and hand-eye coordination - tracking and aim! Heres a quick recipe for some sunshine fun!

1/2 cup of dishwashing liquid

2 cups of water

2 tsp of sugar

Dissolve the sugar in the water then add the dishwashing liquid. Place in a shallow pan. Use pipe cleaners, old bubble wands, cookie cutters or your hands to make lots and lots of bubbles!

Toy Buying Tips

2010-05-05T13:33:00.007-04:00

There are millions of toys out there. But just like everything else in this modern world, toys are getting more and more complex. Flashing lights, moving parts, and music are just a few of the things that manufacturers use to get us to to buy their products for our little ones. However, not every toy in the toy store is beneficial to your child. Here are three tips to help you navigate the aisles.

1) Good Toys Can Be Used in Different Ways. A ball being bounced, tossed and rolled; or a train set that can be re-arranged to create different scenes; toys like blocks, rings, and connecting sticks can be used over and over and encourage children to use their imagination.

2) Good Toys are Made to Last and are Durable. The best toys don't have tons of little pieces. They can be washed easily and will still work after being tossed in the tub or down a flight of stairs . Kids are tough on their toys and the toys should be able to hold up to the beating.

3) Good Toys are Safe, Interactive and Age Appropriate. Whether that means chunky puzzles for your 1 year old or a model car for your 13 year old; a good toy challenges your child's mind and it must be handled. It must be able to stand up to your child's close scrutiny and inspection. A toy that only needs a child to press a button and watch it go, does nothing to develop the child's imagination or creativity.

Not to worry about buying the latest and greatest; we've all spent money on some expensive gimmicky contraption, only to stand in amazement when our child tosses it aside and uses the box as a holding pin for his imaginary three ring circus!

Learn more about toys & child development at The Early Years Institute.

Homemade Play Dough

2010-05-04T12:59:00.004-04:00

Whip up a quick afternoon of hands-on creativity with this simple recipe!

What You Need:

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

1 cup warm water

food coloring

What to Do:

Mix the flour and salt together. Combine the water and food coloring. Slowly add the water to the flour mixture and stir. Once you can handle the dough kneed until well mixed.

Then play! If your little one decides to taste dough, don't worry it's safe - but salty! To save place in small tupperware or plastic baggies. It will eventually fall apart but you can easily make more!

NOTE: if you want your dough to be shiny like the store bought kind add a tsp of oil to the mixture.

Tessellations

2010-05-03T15:59:00.008-04:00

Tessellation is just a fancy math word for tiling or a repeating pattern. Simple tessellations are all around us: bathroom tile, a brick wall, a honey cone. Simple tessellations are easy and fun to find and make!

But you can have your little one exercise their math muscles by creating their own complex tessellation.

For A Simple Tessellation:

What You Need: a piece of paper, a small simple shape (Triangle, Rectangle, Square or Hexagon) crayons or markers.

What To Do: Trace the simple shape over and over again until it covers the piece of paper. The let kids color to create patterns.

For A Complex Tessellation:

What You Need: A piece of paper, a second piece of paper cut into a small square, a scissor, a pencil, tape, crayons or markers.

What to Do: Have your child draw along one edge of the small square. Carefully cut along line and tape the cut out to the opposite end of the square. (i.e. draw and cut out a triangle along the bottom edge, then tape the triangle to the top so that you have what looks like a house with a large triangle door.) The objective is to be able to fit the square like a puzzle piece into itself over and over again. You can repeat this with the other straight edges of the square.

Then help your child trace the new shape over and over until you've tiled the entire piece of paper. Once the paper is tiled completely, then let your child color in the tiles any way they choose. With patterns or randomly.

Suggestions:

-Estimate then count how many shapes it will take to cover the piece of paper.

-Guess then test how many different colors you would have to use to color the entire tessellation without letting tiles of the same color touch.

Mother's Day Craft That's Not a Flower or a Picture Frame

2010-04-29T19:24:00.008-04:00

In an effort to add to the classics, here's a new Mother's Day Craft! Make Mom this cute candy dish to put her keys, change, jewelry, cell phone, pacifiers - whatever trinket she can't keep track of!

What You Need:
for the paper mache' bowl: a few sheets of newspaper, flour, water, school/craft glue, small plastic bowl (small plastic takeout containers work well), large bowl, safety scissors

to construct: a sheet of felt,a piece of thick ribbon, paint/markers, decorations

What to Do:
Make the paper mache a day or two a head of time to allow it enough time to harden before decorating.

Cut the newspaper into strips and set aside. Then combine 1/4 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of water in a large bowl. Then add a few squirts of school glue. This will help make your bowl sturdy, however if you have very little ones or are concerned about your kid eating glue, then leave out this step. The bowl will come out just fine.

Turn the small bowl over, then help your child dip the newspaper strips into the flour-water mixture and cover the bottom of the bowl as if you were making a cast. make sure you cover the bottom completely, if the sides of your bowl are really deep you can stop at whatever you think is a good height for your dish.

Once the bowl is covered, run your finger over it to smooth out the edges as best you can and squeeze out some of the extra water. Let it sit and dry - it may take a few hours to a few days. (If you are pressed for time, you can use a blow dryer to hurry it along.)

After it is dry, carefully separate the paper cast dish from the small bowl. Trim down any uneven edges. Glue felt inside the dish to make a nice, scratch free surface for mom's things. Then let kids decorate the outside of the dish with paint, buttons, stickers, etc. When it is all decorated, use a piece of thick ribbon to cover the top edge and create a more polished look.

Or try this Homemade Keepsake Pillow!

4 Things Your Kids Will Do That You Shouldn't Take Personally

2010-04-27T16:17:00.011-04:00

Not everything your kid does is a poor reflection on you. Here are four things that every child does that you shouldn't pull your hair out over.

Ignore You: From a toddler mesmerized by Mickey Mouse or a teenager not picking up her cell phone, kids are going to ignore their parents. The reasons will vary, but every child will do it - at some point. Your best course of action is not to scold or chastise too much; this way, your words will hold more weight when you do talk.
Break Things: Just like you shouldn't loan out anything you'd be upset not to get back, don't give your kids anything that you'd be mad at them for breaking; because cell phones end up in toilets, lamps end up in pieces, earrings gets lost and eventually cars end up backing over mailboxes. Childhood is messy!
Experiment: Kids are curious and they want to learn about the world around them. As they get older this desire doesn't die, it develops into a need to participate in their world. So whether it's an infant sticking everything into his mouth, a pre-schooler trying to climb a drain pipe, a tween dealing with peer pressure, or a 15 year-old wondering about sex -protect them from what you can. Teach them to know all the facts and to weigh the consequences before making decisions so you can trust them to use their better judgment when you're not around.
Grow Up: Every parent knows that the moments of childhood are fleeting. The years go so fast and before you know it that giggly 6 year old is 16 and asking you if he can go tour colleges 1000 miles away - without you!! And no matter what you do, how hard you wish, it is going to happen. Your baby will grow up. Trying to fight it will only cause tension between you.
The time will pass whether you are on good terms with your child or bad, so let the little things go, appreciate your kids for who they are, and let them grow in love and laughter. Enjoy each stage of their lives because when you try to keep them in the past, you miss out on their present!

Stress-free Sleep Guide

2010-04-27T12:19:00.004-04:00

Getting your kids to bed can be a task and a half, but believe it or not bedtime can be blissful. The first step to a stress-free bedtime is to make sure your child is tired. No matter how snooze worthy your routine is, if he's not tired, your son's just going to lay in the dark, calling your name every five minutes. So fill his day with activities that exercise both his mind and body. At the end of the day, talk to him about everything he's done; it'll help remind his body just how busy he's been all day. If you know what's on the agenda, preview what he'll be doing the next day; this will help his brain recognize that he needs to rest up.

Step two is the gradual wind-down. Do you know how tired you have to be in order to just lay down and fall asleep? Nearly exhausted! Unless your daughter is studying for the SATs and training for a marathon, she's going to need a bedtime routine to help her ease into sleep. If she is exhausted -i.e. running in circles one minute and sleep under the dining room table the next- she's probably not getting enough sleep! In either case you need to establish a bedtime routine that will help calm her down and help her prepare her mind and body for bed.

Example: How to get your 4 year old to sleep before 9:30pm

6pm: Clean up! Put away the toys, especially anything that makes noise or flashes (start limiting the stimulation after this point - no more outside or video games) then wash hands and get ready for dinner.

6:15pm: Dinner Time! Family discussion about the day and a preview of what everyone will be doing tomorrow.

7:00pm :Wind Down: the last 1/2 hour of mellow age appropriate TV (nothing that will rile them back up) or try complex toy play like Lego's and then clean up.

7:30pm: Bath Time: wash the day away

8:00pm: Simple Play Time: a puzzle, a coloring book, etc. simple stationary toys that are easy to put away, quiet, and don't require lots of moving around.

8:20pm: Story time: Settle in for some family reading.

8:40pm: Tuck in and lights out

You may be checking in on your little one for awhile but hopefully by 9:30pm she's out for the count.

*NOTE: Times are just guides don't stress if it takes 45 minutes to get your little one to help clean up.

Fruit Chart

2010-04-25T07:57:00.004-04:00

Get your child counting with this easy survey and chart!

What You Need: small poster board or piece of construction paper, ruler, crayons/markers, friends & family

What to Do: Use the ruler to help draw columns & rows on the poster board. Remember to make sure the first column is wider than the rest. Starting with the second column, fill in the first row with pictures, or names of different fruits (Ex. Banana, Apple, Orange, Plum, Watermelon, Grapes).

In the next row, write your name (Mom) in the first column and then fill in the chart. For each fruit write either a smiley face or a frowning face to show whether you like the fruit or not. Explain, 'I don't like bananas, so we put a frown in this box. But I do like watermelon, so here we put a smile!' After your row is done, fill in a row for you child.

Next ask friends and family, write in their names then have your child ask 'Do you like..." help them fill in the correct face in the boxes. Once the chart is full or you run out of people to ask, review the chart with your child. Make observations; 'Mommy's the only one that doesn't like bananas.','Yaya likes all the fruits and Papa only likes bananas." "You and Daddy both don't like oranges."

Count how many people like each fruit, how many fruits each person likes, etc. Ask questions like, Which fruit do most people like? Which fruit do fewest people like? How many people like more that 2 fruits?

Pepper Steak

2010-04-23T14:13:00.003-04:00

A quick meal for any night of the week that's not chicken.... and minimal dishes!

1 - steak cut into strips
2- bell peppers cut into strips
1- medium onion cut into strips
1/2 can of beef broth
2 tbsps of soy sauce
1 tbsp of cornstarch
garlic powder
ginger-optional

Sprinkle steak strips with garlic powder, cornstarch and ginger and cook in a skillet over medium heat until brown. Add the peppers and onions and cook a few minutes more. Stir in beef broth, and soy sauce. Mix and let cook until sauce thickens.

Serve over white rice.

Date Night? Add a splash of cooking Sherry.

Enjoy!

Rainstick Craft

2010-04-23T13:13:00.003-04:00

This is an easy rainy day craft for you kids. With items found in just about any house, your child can make an instrument that won't wake the neighbors.

What You Need: a cardboard tube of any size (bathroom tissue, paper towels or wrapping paper), dried rice/beans or un-popped popcorn , glue, construction or kraft paper, cocktail toothpicks (the ones with the little flags) or a piece of aluminum foil, decorations - feathers, fabric, buttons, ribbon, etc.

What to Do: Cover one end of the tube with paper making sure it wraps over the edges. Glue the paper to the tube so that nothing will fall out. Fill the tube with a handful of dried rice/beans/popcorn . You may need to experiment with the sound by tipping the tube to get the right amount.

Randomly place several toothpicks through the tube creating pegs for the rice/beans to bounce off. If you have small children or don't have cocktail toothpicks, take a piece of aluminum foil and form it into a snake or spring. Place this into the tube for the same effect.

Cover the other end of the tube, sealing it shut. Let your child decorate the tube.

Alphabet Box

2010-04-21T18:44:00.003-04:00

This activity teaches your child phonics, letters, reading and writing. It's so easy that soon your daughter will need minimal help from you and it changes day to day so that you aren't stuck in a repetitive rut.

What You Need: an empty box - any box, a shoe box, a pamper box, a small storage bin, etc; a piece of paper; index cards or small strips of paper; crayons, tape

What to Do: First you and your child need to pick a letter of the day, (go in order if your child is just learning the alphabet). Once you've picked a letter help your child write and color the letter on the piece of paper (you can also find printable letters online). Then lightly tape the letter to the box.

For Younger Children: Write out the names of several items that begin with the letter of the day. Show your child each word and help them to match it to the item. Make it interactive by letting your little one hunt for the items, but very small children can just match the words to the items. Tape on the labels and place in the box.

For Older Children: Talk about the sound the letter makes then ask your child to find things around the house that begin with the letter/sound. After he's collected a good number of items, help him to write the names of each item on a slip of paper/index card. Tape the name to the item and place it in the box.

This can be adapted so that it works for you child's temperament and attention span. If your little lady just won't sit still, make it a scavenger hunt and if you have a little Picasso
on your hands, let him draw pictures of each item. You can easily make this an all day activity by labeling the box in the morning, then go about you day as usual. When you or your child comes across an item label it and place it in the box. At the end of the day, take the items out of the box read the labels and review the letter sounds.

Homemade Drum with Sticks

2010-04-21T18:02:00.005-04:00

My son did this craft today at the Long Island Children's Museum. It was so quick and easy and he has been playing it all afternoon. So I'm sharing it with you!

What You Need: an empty cookie tin, construction or kraft paper, glue stick, paper plate or poster board, scissors, chopsticks, 4 rubber bands, decorations/ornaments.

What to Do: Cut the construction paper into strips the width of the side of the cookie tin. Make enough strips to go all the way around the tin. Also cut the paper plate (or poster board) into a circle the size of the bottom on the cookie tin and then cut a slit to the center of the circle.

Let your child decorate the construction paper (depending on the type of decorations you are using you may want to attach the construction paper to the tin first). Your child can also color on the paper plate, try not to attach anything to this part as it might fall out of the drum.

Assemble your drum by putting the paper plate inside the cookie tin (letting the slit over lap to form a slight cone shape). This muffles some of the sound! Attach the strips of construction paper around the outside of the tin. Lastly use two rubber bands to make a ball on the tip of each chopstick.

Voila! You have a Drum!

Earth Day Activities for Every Child

2010-04-18T21:57:00.014-04:00

Earth Day is the perfect opportunity to introduce your kids to nature and their connection to the world around them. Trips to the Zoo or Botanical Gardens can be fun and informative, but so can visiting a local park or even laying in the grass in your yard. As long as you use the chance to connect your child to the planet, you are celebrating the spirit of the day. So don't think, because you didn't plant a tree or save a baby sea lion you didn't do your part. Here are a few activities and crafts that will help jumpstart your little conservationist.

Rain Clouds
This easy activity teaches children about rain(and snow, sleet & hail) and you don't need anything but things from around the house.

What You Need: cotton balls, a bowl, a cup, some water and paper towels to clean up

What to Do: place the cup upside down in the bowl and then fill the bowl with water (FYI: you don't have to fill it up all the way). What you have should look like a mountain coming out of a lake. Use the cotton balls as clouds to soak up the water and then rain on the 'mountain.

How to Explain it: Let them hold the dry cotton ball and describe the color, weight and texture of it. Explain how clouds drink up the water from oceans, seas and lakes (Evaporation) and let them place the cotton ball on the top of the water. Note the changes to the cotton ball, it's now darker and heavier just like a rain cloud. When the cotton ball is full hold it over the cup and watch the dips of water fall from the 'cloud' onto the 'mountain' and run back down to the 'lake' just like real rain.

Camouflage Box
This can be as elaborate or as simple as you want to make it. The purpose of this activity is to teach children about different climates habitats and the animals that live there.

What You Need: a shoe box, magazines, animal figurines or cut outs, glue\tape, pipe cleaners,

What to Do: Go through magazines and clip out pictures of trees, grass, bushes, and flowers (travel or home and garden magazines work best) if you don't have magazines a crafty kid can draw trees, bushes, and make pipe cleaner vines & flowers. Place shoebox on its side and glue/tape the pictures on the inside. Once done place animal figurines inside the box (you can use animal cut outs for this as well).

How to Explain it: Talk to your child about how some animals blend in with their environment, Camouflage. Ask which animals they can see and why being a good hider would help an animal.

*Ambitious children (and parents) can either divide the box into three or use three separate boxes and create a forest habitat (green), a desert habitat (brown), and a arctic habitat (habitat). Use the library or the internet to research what animals live in each.

Weather Chart
This is a good on-going activity for spring and an excellent introduction to weather and meteorology; plus it gets you out of the house for a while each day.

What You Need: a piece of paper or poster board, markers or crayons, and weather related stickers (optional)

What to Do: On the paper or poster board make a chart with seven rows and three columns. In the first column write the days of the week. Each day watch the morning weather report with your child. Listen carefully to what the days forecast is and note it in the second column next to that day with either stickers, words or drawing. Later in the day, go for a nature walk, spending some time outside experiencing the weather. Note the actual weather in the third column.

How to Explain it: Explain that weathermen on TV have lots of instruments to help them predict (guess) what the weather will be like, but the only way to know, is to go outside and look. When on your walk, talk about the sun, the rain, the humidity, the heat, the wind, describe the weather conditions in detail. Once back in the house help your child fill in the "actual weather" column and compare it to what the weather report was that morning.

Coffee Filter Sun Catcher
A really, really quick and easy craft!

What You Need: a round coffee filter, markers or food coloring.

What to Do: help your child color the inner circle of the coffee filter like the earth ( it only has to be blue and green and doesn't need to actually look like the earth) then let them decorate the edges however they'd like. When dry, hang it in a window for a homemade sun catcher.

How to Explain it: Introduce your child to planets. Tell them the name of the planet we live on and that it's round and blue and green, etc.

Egg Carton Garden
An easy and fun way to get into gardening without digging up your yard.

What You Need: an egg carton, potting soil, seeds, glitter, buttons, scraps of fabric and glue

What to Do: Before planting carefully remove the top of the egg carton. Then have your child decorate the outside of the bottom of the carton. When dry, fill the cups with potting soil and then plant a few seeds in each cup. Water and place on a windowsill.

How to Explain it: Talk about recycling and reusing with your child (how instead of throwing away the egg carton you're reusing it to plant the garden). Another conversation to have is the relationship between plants and people. Plants give us food (fruits, vegetables, grains) and air. Talk about the responsibility of taking care of the seeds in the carton by watering them everyday and making sure they have sunlight, then explain that this is the same things we have to do with the planet.

Have a Happy Earth Day!

5 Things Every Mom Should Invest In

2010-04-17T14:46:00.011-04:00

Modern mothers are constantly bombarded with deals for devices that will make parenting easier, quicker, or safer. With everything from Mommy & Me classes to baby wipe warmers, its hard to know what things are actually worth your time and money. Here are 5 things you won't find in Babies-R-Us that every mother should invest in; where the payoff far out ways the price tag.

1) a DVR: Always falling asleep and missing the end of Grey's Anatomy? No more being a slave to your parenting schedule. Go ahead, take the time to read that extra bedtime story and then clean up all those Cheerios that have found their way under the radiator and into your shoes. Knowing that Dancing With the Stars is recording and will be waiting for you, frees up your mind and your day to focus on other things. Oh and you can record your kid's favorite shows too!

Investment: $5-$15 dollars a month depending on location and cable carrier.

Pay Off: actually knowing what's going on in the adult world and not just wondering why Kai-Lan and Dora don't play with kids of their own species.

2) a Crock-Pot: This is the most wonderful Mommy-time-saving device EVER!! You can make hundreds of different things and have a home cooked meal every night. Just dump in the ingredients in the morning and go about your day. No more 2pm stress about what you're going to make for dinner. Like the DVR, its biggest benefit is freeing up your time. It's multitasking where you don't have to do anything.

Investment: $20-$80 dollars depending on size and features.Pay Off: being able to give your family a home-cooked every night without standing in the kitchen for hours.

3) a Detachable Shower Head. You'll be amazed at how much easier it is to rinse shampoo off your kids with this device. Let them play in the tub and when you're ready, soap them up and hose them down! An adjustable spray nozzle will help to make cleaning other things a breeze as well. A soft spray for wiping down a dirty play mat and a hard stream for getting dried peas from a high chair seat cover. As an added bonus, it will help you recharge quicker and more fully by massaging the day away.

Investment: $10-$40 depending on style.

Pay Off: being able to quickly clean just about anything - including your toddler.

4) a Really, Really Good Friendship. Whether or not they have kids of their own, a really good friend is priceless to a stressed out Mom. Having someone in your life that understands if you're late due to a diaper situation and doesn't care that you haven't had time to shower in two days, goes a long way in helping you keep grounded. They'll babysit your kid, listen to you

when you have a meltdown and make sure you get out of the house once in a while.

Investment: a few hours a week.
Pay Off: preserving your sanity.

5) You. The most important thing that you can invest in as a parent is yourself and yet it's the one thing that almost all mothers let go of. Keeping some sparkle of who you were before you were Mommy, helps hold on to your own identity and not just feel like the maid, chauffeur, and personal chef to the little prince. Spending some time focusing on things you love and accomplishing what you want in life will prevent you from becoming resentful, allow you to have experiences and expertise to share with your children, and help define you as something other than "mother" in their eyes.

Investment: as much as you can give without feeling like you're neglecting your family.
Pay Off: securing your identity.

Arroz Con Pollo in the Slow Cooker

2010-04-17T12:27:00.004-04:00

This is a super simple, super quick way to make this classic Latin dish. Flavorful, delicious and kid-friendly.

one chicken thigh per person
1 small onion
2 bell peppers (green & red)
1 packet of Spanish Style yellow rice
1 packet of Sazon seasoning
1 spoonful chopped garlic
2 cans of chicken broth (2-3 cups)
(optional a spoonful each of Sofrito & Recaito you can find them in the Spanish Foods aisle)

Chop the onion, and bell peppers into small pieces. Dump everything but the rice into the slow cooker and cook until the meat is fall off the bone tender. (If you have you have smaller kids you can take out the bones or use boneless thighs.) Pour in the rice and allow it to cook absorbing up all the liquid. Once rice is cooked, stir and serve. And that's it!

Letting Kids Choose

2010-04-15T15:06:00.007-04:00

Ever wonder what's so funny to your child as she flicks the switch and gets the elephant to appear on her pop-n-see? It's not the funny sound or even the sudden appearance of the "effelant"; It's simple cause and effect. She caused the elephant to appear and that makes her happy. Children are happiest when they can exercise some control over their surroundings (think about it: you don't like being told what to do, so why should they?). Giving your child simple options and allowing him to make decisions is a great way to let them be in control of their lives - partially at least. This is a small step towards independence, gaining self confidence, learning self reliance and strengthening the parent-child bond.

I'm not recommending you let your 3 year old do whatever he wants. However, letting him choose between wearing the blue pirate shirt or the green dinosaur shirt, helps him to begin to identify what he wants and why. This simple action goes a long way in building his identity. He is also more likely to show an interest in getting dressed (which is helpful if you have a little streaker at home) if he's included in the process. He'll feel more confident, a strong sense of pride, and a smidgen of respect for you, for allowing him the freedom to choose. And don't stress things that don't really matter. Give them free range over things that you're not going to be a stickler about. Which book they read at bed time is far less important than the fact that they are reading. So if they want to read Good Morning, Sun at 9pm, read it!

Allowing children to make their own choices also helps teach them about consequences. Once your daughter decides on wearing the pink sneakers, she shouldn't be allowed to change her mind over and over again making everyone late for work and school. She was given the options and now she has to live with the pink sneakers for today. Constantly giving in to children shows them that your boundaries are meaningless and they begin to lose respect for you as an authority figure. So hold firm to your limits. If the options are broccoli or carrots with dinner and they ask for corn for the third night in a row, gently explain that "We had corn yesterday, today we can have broccoli or carrots. We can have corn again on Thursday."

The key to letting your kids make choices is being comfortable with all the options you give them. Don't give her options that you don't approve of, that will upset you, or if you're not going to be supportive of her decision. Just because you think the yellow rain coat looks cuter, doesn't mean she's wrong for choosing the red one. Respect the fact that she likes the red coat and feels more comfortable and confident wearing it. So make sure their options are age appropriate and parent approved, and then leave the decision making to them.

Preventing a Mommy Meltdown

2010-04-15T13:45:00.007-04:00

There are toys all over the floor, dishes piled in the sink, two loads of unfolded laundry on the bed, a two year old literally running circles around you and it's only 1pm! Here are 4 helpful tips to keep you from losing your cool.

1) Perspective. Remember your kid is not the first eat dirt or throw cans in the supermarket or scream in church or even use those complimentary crayons to write on the table at IHOP. So take a deep breath and keep in mind that kids are kids, and all parents have gone through it.

2) Sunlight! Getting out of the house gives your little one space to be free and the change of scenery does you both well. Not being stared down by all your chores will help mellow your mood (as long as you don't dwell on all the things you have to do once you get back). Take the time to refocus your thoughts. Also sunlight has far reaching health benefits: it helps prevent depression, bones loss, and even cancer!

3)Music! Pump up the volume and shake it with you little one. Play songs that get you excited and make you happy. You can even multitask by cleaning up to the beat as long as you make it fun for your child. Make a playlist or burn a CD so that when you feel yourself getting overwhelmed, all you have to do is press play.

4)Prioritize. Not everything is a five alarm fire. If the bed doesn't get made, who cares?! Do what needs to be done and save other things for when things are more manageable. You're not perfect. Some days you'll be able to have the kids settled, the house clean and dinner done. Other days you'll be ordering take-out while the rugrats decorate the living room with toilet paper. So give yourself a break.

Fancy-Schmancy Chicken Cordon Bleu

2010-04-15T11:14:00.006-04:00

I've stolen this recipe from my mother. It's a super easy way to make a dish that kids LOVE, but that can be dressed up for grown ups as well.

chicken breast or boneless thighs (one for each person)
a can of cream of chicken soup
slices of ham* (again one for each person)
slices of provolone cheese* (one for each person)
pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
flour for dredging
cooking twine or toothpicks
2 tbsp cooking oil

Pound the chicken until it is thin and tender then season both sides with pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Layer the ham and cheese on the chicken and roll it up securing it with the cooking twine or toothpicks (try to make sure the cheese is tucked in completely). Dredge the rounds in the flour making sure to coat them all the way around. Heat a saute/frying pan with oil. Add chicken and cover to allow chicken to cook on the inside. Turn the chicken as necessary to get golden brown on all sides. Once chicken is cooked through remove from pan. Cut the cooking twine or remove the tooth picks.

While chicken is cooking heat the Cream of Chicken soup in a small pot. Arrange chicken on individual or serving plates and drizzle them with warm soup; Or add the can of soup to the empty saute pan after the chicken is done cooking, heat then replace the chicken and smother it in sauce.

Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and whatever vegetable your kids will eat (Broccoli works well).

Date Night/Dinner Party? Serve with grilled asparagus to take this from kiddie to classic.

*Use Virginia or Honey/Maple Ham for added flavor. Swiss or Mozzarella cheese can be substituted but tend to melt quicker than the chicken can cook. If you're using these, buy a block instead of slices and wrap chicken and ham around small "logs".

Eating Your Vegetables

2010-04-09T15:27:00.004-04:00

Toddlers are notoriously picky eaters. Unfortunately, finicky eating of today can turn into the bad eating habits of tomorrow. Here are four suggestions to help your little Foodies eat their fruits and veggies!

Eat YOUR Veggies! Don't be a hypocrite, Mom & Dad. The best way to get your child to eat healthier is to be an example. They are not going to want that side of mixed vegetables if you're ordering fries. Let your children see you making good snack and meal choices and they will too. (hint: just because a meal says it "comes with fries" doesn't mean that you can't swap that out for steamed carrots and broccoli)
Sauces, Dips & sometimes Sugar. Top veggies and fruit slices with cheese dips, salad dressing, salsa or even yogurt. You can also steam veggies with a bit of sugar to sweeten the taste then lessen and lessen the amount of sugar with each meal until you're not using any at all.
Play with Your Food. Let children get hands-on with their produce. In the supermarket, let them help choose what comes home by explaining to them how to tell when a banana is ripe or which is the best head of lettuce. At home, use themes such as color or shape to help make eating interactive. (ie. Today we're going to eat red things - strawberries, apples, beets, tomatoes and red bell peppers!) Very young children can have lots of fun smashing, crushing and tasting a variety of foods. Give them strawberries, blueberries, spinach and squash puree to use like finger paints, yum! Older kids will get a kick out of topping their own pizzas, so chop up some zucchini, spinach, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms and bell peppers and let them go to town.
Offer Extras and Variety. Until your little one decides to eat the leafy goodness on his own, you may need to resort to some sneaky food tricks. Try to offer (at least) two different vegetables in each meal, one out in the open as a regular side dish and one hidden somewhere else in the meal. For example, if you're making spaghetti & meatballs pair it with string beans; but also add some pureed spinach into the meatballs or chopped cauliflower into the tomato sauce. Other ideas: hide squash in your mashed potatoes and mac & cheese or mash peas into meatloaf. This way if your child still picks at the veggies she recognizes, they are eating the one that's hidden and you don't have to be a Mean Mommy. Encourage them gently and only you'll know that every bite of broccoli they take is actually above and beyond what they need.

No time to puree vegetables? Just buy a few jars baby food!

Convertable Chicken Cacciatore

2010-04-08T17:09:00.001-04:00

I love this recipe because I can make it a variety of different ways depending on who's eating and how much time I have to cook.

Ingredients:
1-can diced tomatoes
6 chicken parts (legs, thighs, or breast or any combination)
1-can chicken broth
1-diced onion
2-chopped bell peppers (green & yellow for color)
1-bay leaf
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1-teaspoon oregano

Throw it all in the Slow Cooker for 6 hours. When the chicken is cooked, turn onto high and uncover to let some of the liquid cook out. Serve over rice or pasta.

No, Slow Cooker? Brown the chicken in two tablespoons of olive oil then remove chicken and set aside. In the same pan, cook onion, peppers, and garlic until the onions soften. Then dump in the tomatoes, chicken broth, bay leaf and oregano and simmer. Add the chicken back into the sauce, bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat. Let cook for 45-50 minutes or until chicken is tender. Serve over rice or pasta.

Date Night? Add a 1/2 cup of white wine to the recipe.

Enjoy!

The Alphabet Sounds Song

2010-04-08T16:42:00.000-04:00

Here's an easy tune to stick into your rotation of Twinkle, Twinkle, Row Your Boat and Old Mac Donald...and this one teaches your kids phonics.

To the tune of The Farmer in the Dell sing each letter of the alphabet and it's sound.

Example:

The 'A' says aah. The 'A' says aah. Every letter makes a sound and 'A' says aah.
The 'B' says buh. The 'B' says buh. Every letter makes a sound and B says buh.

and so on and so forth...

10 Ways to Raise Smarter Kids

2010-04-08T16:21:00.000-04:00

Children inherit their traits from their parents, so the offspring of athletic parents is destined to be a sports phenom and the result of two Doctors is likely to love science, right? Not always. Though aptitude and ability do draw from genetics, encouragement and fostering do just as much for a child’s development. Here are 10 ways to help get your little learner to soak up as much knowledge as possible.

1. Teach them to read. The most important thing you can do for your children is to teach them how to read. Reading is the basis for all communication. The more they read the more they will know. Reading opens up the world to children. It is the easiest way to expand your vocabulary (and much more fun than sitting up with flash cards weeks before the SATs). Read to your children, with your children and let them read to you.

2. Expose them to art early. No one is saying to tote your screaming three year old to the opera; but the more frequent and earlier you go the less foreign art will seem later in life. Age appropriate events and explanations keep children from feeling overwhelmed and allow you to learn with them.

3. Praise their accomplishments. Let them know that they can get attention and accolades for being smart, too. Too often we honor athletic talent over academic, and wrongly so. Any positive interest a child shows should be nurtured. If you make a big deal about getting to the finals of the school spelling bee kids will feel good about being excellent spellers. Self confidence goes a long way. Remember: It’s hip to be a square.

4. Fake the enthusiasm. Don’t let your own hatred for math class trickle down to your children. If you continually rant on about how boring history class was, or how theater is for little old ladies, your kids are going to pick up on the sentiment. So try to spin your personal stories to portray school in a positive light and then pass your kids off to the teacher, who probably became a teacher because they actually liked school!

5. Get them a library card. And make them use it! You can learn any and everything in the library. Turn off the TV and video games and get moving to the public library. Library skills go a long way in life. You’re never going to know all the answers; the key is to know how to get the answers when you need them. Learning how to use the library and do research is a skill that will benefit your children in college and beyond. Books hold the information, whether you child wants to learn about space travel, life in the Wild West, Dinosaurs or weather patterns there’s a book at the library to help!

6. Encourage them to get involved. Whether it’s a book club or mathletes having a group of likeminded friends will help them to not feel like such an outsider. Structure also helps kids not go astray. Having a responsible adult who is well versed and enthusiastic about the same topic as your child, gives them something to strive towards and someone to keep them on track (with your help of course).

7. Teach them a second (or third) language. Even if it’s just basics, knowing how to have simple conversations or to read key words (like bathroom and airport) can go a long way. Just being exposed to the sounds of foreign languages helps kids learn. Speaking, reading, and writing other languages, exposes children to cultures outside of their own, making them more worldly and adaptable. It also opens up a new world of music, movies and literature!

8. Diversify. No one wants to be stuck doing times-tables or reading all day and night. Encourage your child to experience a wide-range of academic, cultural, and physical activities. Not everything needs to be a priority, but even the most dedicated scientist likes to get out of the lab once in awhile. Museums, concerts, music lessons, sports, play-dates, story-time, and the occasional hour in front of the television should all be apart of your child’s life. A wide range of experiences gives them a broad base of knowledge to build upon.

9. Sharing means Caring. The more you share with them the more they feel you care about what happens to them and in their lives. So share the artsy-nerdy things that you love with your child and encourage them to share with you. Remember you are your child’s first and most important teacher. If you show an interest in your child’s activities they are more likely to stick to them. Don’t dismiss them when they try to share what they learn with you. This is the best reinforcement you can give to learning.

10. Make it fun. Learning should be fun, not a chore or punishment. Telling children to “read a book” only after you’ve banned them from watching the television or going outside turns reading into a penalty; and once that association is made its hard to break. Reading for school becomes an unpleasant task. So make things fun. Create songs for times tables, spelling words, and new vocabulary. Turn story time into a game show. And make as much stuff hands-on as humanly possible. If learning is fun then it’s not hard to do.

Welcome

2010-04-08T12:02:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the Mommy Mayhem Survival Guide! A place to find and share quick fixes on everything from diaper rash to dinner recipes.

As a Momma myself, I understand the value of time and simplicity, so all the posts here will be short and sweet. Easy to find, easy to read and easy to use.

Enjoy!
Crystal Elise

The Mommy Mayhem Survival Guide...

Chicken Enchiladas

Mommy Commencement Speech

Summer Safety

Shrimp Alfredo

Counting & Color Clock

April Fool's Pizza

Cardboard Box Robot Costume

Valentines Day Cookies

Happy Dragon/Lion Mask

Dragon Stick Puppet

Snake Decorations

Stocking Shaped Holidays Cookies

The Family Turkey

Cornacopia: The Horn of Plenty

Math Monsters

Mancala Game

Wind Sock

Foil Wrapped Pineapple Chicken

Felt Roads

Getting Kids Going

Raising a Fit Kid

Kiddie Clean Up

Homemade Marionettes

Plastic Spoon Puppets

Stick Raft

Fun with Pen & Paper

15 Minute Shrimp Scampi

Summer Fun!

Rocket-ship Fruit Skewers

T-Shirt Pillow Keepsake

Stuffed Peppers

Father's Day Pillow Craft

Shoebox Fishing Game

Now on Facebook & Twitter!

Homemade Miniature Golf

Chunky Chinese Chicken

Virtual Vacation: Destination Australia - Games & Activities

Virtual Vacation: Destination Australia -Crafts

Virtual Vacation: Destination Australia - Recipes

What You Need:

What To Do:

Virtual Vacation: Destination Australia - Folktale

Virtual Vacation: Australia

Deciding on Discipline

An Afternoon of Summer Fun

Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings

Coconut Shrimp

Box Top Coin Flip Game

5 Games to Play with an Alphabet Mat

Stuffed Bread

Virtual Vacation: Destination Spain: Music & Language

Virtual Vacations: Destination Spain - Games

Virtual Vacations: Destination Spain - Folktale/Story

Virtual Vacations: Destination Spain - Crafts

Virtual Vacations: Destination Spain - Recipes

Virtual Vacation: Destination Spain!

Virtual Vacations

Meditation for Kids

5 Things Moms Shouldn't Be Ashamed To Do in Public

What Every Craft Kit Should Have

Create a Book & Bookmark Craft

Story Time Finger Plays

National Children's Book Week

Super Simple Pin Wheel Craft

Homemade Bubble Solution

Toy Buying Tips

Homemade Play Dough

Tessellations

Mother's Day Craft That's Not a Flower or a Picture Frame

4 Things Your Kids Will Do That You Shouldn't Take Personally

Stress-free Sleep Guide

Fruit Chart

Pepper Steak

Rainstick Craft

Alphabet Box

Homemade Drum with Sticks

Earth Day Activities for Every Child

5 Things Every Mom Should Invest In

Arroz Con Pollo in the Slow Cooker