I am a little off-topic today.
This blog is about kids crafts and how to do them, but today I have decided to highlight a web-based business called, "Scrap It by Aliza."
Do you have a box or computer full of pictures? Maybe you don't have the time to scrapbook or want to give a special gift to someone - a gift from the heart?
Aliza is the girl for you!
I will admit, this post could be considered a ruthless plug on my part as Aliza is my cousin. Still, I can vouch for her professionalism and unending artistic ability.
Check out her site!
Until then, crop on...
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
An Apple Bag
Every September, apple trees fill with red, golden and green apples. They beg for harvesting from every orchard on the side of the road. These bags are not only fun to make but give you a keepsake that will last long after your last cup of apple cider.
Ages:
Ages 3 and up - as expected when using any type of paint, children under aged 7 will need help and should be closely monitored. Older children can do more of this craft on their own.
What you will need:
Plain colored or white cloth bags (one for each child to make)
Fabric Paint (colors needed: Red, Green, and Brown)
Small to medium sized paintbrushes
Apples (at least 2)
Fabric Markers or Permanent Markers
Cardboard just the right size to fit inside the bag
What to do:
On a craft table, lay out bags with a piece of cardboard in the middle (so that paint does not leak through).
Paint green grass along the bottom of the bag and let dry (older children can do this themselves).
Paint a brown tree trunk with branches in the middle of the bag.
Let paint dry thoroughly.
Cut apple in half – make sure to cut the apple with the stem on one half and bottom on the other half.
Cut another apple in half – make sure to cut this apple from the stem to the bottom.
Paint first apple green and stamp your leaves on your tree.
Let paint dry.
Paint second apple red and stamp the apples in your tree.
Let paint dry.
Using markers, ask your child to write his/her name in a prominent place and mark the year or date on the bag as well.
This makes a great fall keepsake for the year or can be given to a teacher, parent, or grandparent filled with apples as a gift!
Friday, August 31, 2007
An easy meal your kids can help you make!
Are you tired of opening another box of mac 'n cheese? Are you ready to buy stock in Tyson frozen chicken nuggets? Are you and the pizza delivery guy on a first name basis (with regular invites to birthday parties, christenings and weddings)?
Don't be ashamed. Stand up with me. I am the same. There are some weeks I can blame my inattentiveness to dinner on football, dance or swimming. Lately though, I look in the freezer or phone book to try and figure dinner out!
Tonight I made a homemade meal! The funny part is, my kids actually helped.
Menu:
Chicken Nuggets (homemade)
Caesar Salad
Bow Tie Pasta with butter and cheese
Now, this might not look like much. When compared to the kids menu at Red Lobster I have to agree. But this was homemade and the kids helped. (have I mentioned this already?)
What you need:
Thin cut skinless boneless chicken breast
Flour - about a cup and a half
Bread Crumbs (Italian Seasoned) - about a cup and a half
1 Egg
Bag of Caesar Salad
Bow Tie Pasta
Butter
Shaky Cheese (Grated Parmesan)
Lots of Hand Soap with a sink nearby!
To Do:
Chicken Nuggets
1. Cut your chicken up in smaller pieces (so that they can eat with their hands)
2. Arrange a plates and a bowl in a row with all you need. This is the order you'll want it all in:
Don't be ashamed. Stand up with me. I am the same. There are some weeks I can blame my inattentiveness to dinner on football, dance or swimming. Lately though, I look in the freezer or phone book to try and figure dinner out!
Tonight I made a homemade meal! The funny part is, my kids actually helped.
Menu:
Chicken Nuggets (homemade)
Caesar Salad
Bow Tie Pasta with butter and cheese
Now, this might not look like much. When compared to the kids menu at Red Lobster I have to agree. But this was homemade and the kids helped. (have I mentioned this already?)
What you need:
Thin cut skinless boneless chicken breast
Flour - about a cup and a half
Bread Crumbs (Italian Seasoned) - about a cup and a half
1 Egg
Bag of Caesar Salad
Bow Tie Pasta
Butter
Shaky Cheese (Grated Parmesan)
Lots of Hand Soap with a sink nearby!
To Do:
Chicken Nuggets
1. Cut your chicken up in smaller pieces (so that they can eat with their hands)
2. Arrange a plates and a bowl in a row with all you need. This is the order you'll want it all in:
- Cut up raw chicken
- flour (on a plate)
- 1 egg beaten with a dash water (let one child do this)
- bread crumbs (on a plate)
- Empty plate for finished chicken
3. Now that this is all in a row, have a child be in charge of dipping the chicken in the flour.
4. Take the floured chicken and dip it in the egg and then in the bread crumbs.
5. Use the empty plate to collect your finished chicken.
6. WASH YOUR HANDS! Chill chicken in the fridge.
7. After at least 15 minutes, heat a large saute pan with vegetable oil until sizzling hot.
8. Carefully place each piece of chicken into your pan. Cook until browned on both sides.
9. Place finished pieces on a plate covered with a paper towel to drain.
Caesar Salad
Have one of your kids prepare Caesar Salad from the bag. Easy Peasie, Lemon Squeezie!
Bow Tie Pasta
Any type of pasta works, but bow ties are so cute and easy for little kids to pick up with their hands.
Boil and serve with butter and Parmesan cheese.
Now that my kids are older they are able to help much more. They ate almost all of the chicken themselves tonight! When my kids were younger I would make this chicken during nap time and store just three or four pieces at a time in a baggie in the freezer.
(Just empty the baggie onto a microwavable plate and heat and serve. It makes an easy and cheap meal with a homemade flair any night of the week.)
As our days get busier and our nights even crazier a homemade meal here and there shouldn't be so hard!
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Kitchen Sink Barbecue
This idea can work for any type of person. You can adapt this to just moms and kids (a mom’s playdate), families, singles, Dad’s, and even couples only. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure. With this idea you can all enjoy each other’s trash.
What you will need:
A list of all food and drink in your house that you WANT to get rid of.
A grill.
A craft table for kids
An adult beverage table (if you so desire)
Enough people with enough leftovers to make a meal and good time for everyone.
To Do:
Invite your neighbors, family and friends over for a “Kitchen Sink Barbecue”. Tell them what meat you have to grill (for example: chicken, ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs…etc.) and what side dishes or desserts you have. Tell them to bring whatever they can (everything but the kitchen sink). Ask them for details on what they can bring so that you have enough for everyone. Don’t leave out drinks, paper plates, plastic silverware, ice, charcoal – if you need it.
What you will need:
A list of all food and drink in your house that you WANT to get rid of.
A grill.
A craft table for kids
An adult beverage table (if you so desire)
Enough people with enough leftovers to make a meal and good time for everyone.
To Do:
Invite your neighbors, family and friends over for a “Kitchen Sink Barbecue”. Tell them what meat you have to grill (for example: chicken, ribs, hamburgers, hot dogs…etc.) and what side dishes or desserts you have. Tell them to bring whatever they can (everything but the kitchen sink). Ask them for details on what they can bring so that you have enough for everyone. Don’t leave out drinks, paper plates, plastic silverware, ice, charcoal – if you need it.
If there are kids involved, set up a craft table. Cover the table with left over newspaper taped together. Ask parents to bring leftover summer craft supplies. Anything goes! Floam, playdough, scissors, crayons, glue sticks, googly eyes, paper… etc. If you are stuck for a craft, easy, fun ideas would include:
A Nature Craft – ask the kids to walk around and pick up leaves, sticks or flowers off the ground. Give them paper (any color or size) and glue (liquid not the stick). Ask them to make a “nature animal” by gluing their nature on the paper. This actually teaches the kids a lesson about shapes combining to make new shapes. (Geometry)
A Pinecone Craft – this is a three-dimensional idea in the same respect. Send the kids out to find pinecones. They can use glue, paper, yarn and googly eyes to make a pinecone person. Tie a piece of fishing line on to the top and you can hang this new friend on the front porch.
When it comes to time to play outside, there are several different options. Turn the sprinkler on for the kids, (your grass probably needed watering anyway), put out whatever you have leftover from your long summer days. Ask your guests to bring their balls, bats, cones, and Frisbees. Let everyone decide their own fun. The party will organize itself. Sit back, lemonade in hand (donated by your Uncle Lewis) and enjoy!
---------------------------------------------------------------
BTW: This idea was printed in the Roanoke Times for a contest I won.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Back to School, Back to Packing Lunch - Guest Blogger
Back to School, Back to Packing Lunch
by guest blogger Heather Froeschl
http://www.quilldipper.com/
http://www.quilldipper.blogspot.com/
http://www.bookreviewjournal.blogspot.com/
http://www.spiritualvisitations.blogspot.com/
http://www.littlehouseonthemountain.blogspot.com/
Whether your child is 6 or 16, having lunch at school is part of the traditional day. Through 12 years of regular schooling, lunch can become pretty dull. My own daughter has been packing lunch since day one, while my son had a few years with the lunch tray. Here are some things I’ve learned along the way:
Those kids toting lunch boxes can benefit from little ice packs to keep their sandwiches cool, but those brown paper bagging it don’t want to be bothered with a chilly, wet ice pack to carry home. Pop that juice box, foil pack, or water bottle in the freezer overnight and let it help keep the mayo in the tuna salad fresh. Wrap it up in paper towel and aluminum foil to keep it cold and condensation free. You don’t want a sweating drink to break through the paper bag…causing a spill of lunch goods.
Don’t bother with the snack pack sizes of things. Buy a big bag of chips/pretzels/popcorn and use sandwich baggies for appropriate sized sandwich accompaniments. To keep the big bag from being devoured by spouses unaware, or from going stale, make a week’s worth of snack bags ahead of time to keep in the cabinet instead.
Sandwich alternatives for those in a rut: salad in a baggie with plastic fork, roll up a wrap in tortilla (still technically a sandwich but a little different), pita pocket with pasta salad, lots of real cheese and whole wheat crackers, bagels with whatever floats their boat inside, stuffed celery, frozen yogurt sticks, and maybe a splurge once in awhile on packaged lunch products…you know the ones.
Getting ready for the tried and true, traditional, reliable P,B & J? Here’s a tip: spread peanut butter on both pieces of bread and put the jelly in between. This keeps the jelly from leaking out, or seeping through the bread, which usually leads to the whole sticky mess being thrown away instead of eaten. Experiment with jellies and jams and expand your child’s horizons. Check out different nut spreads too: not just crunchy and smooth, but cashew butter, sunflower seed spread, and more! Elvis would be jealous, but remember that peanut butter and banana is really nutritious. I knew one young lady who would make these every week but instead of flat bread she used hotdog rolls instead. The banana fit right inside, no slicing needed!
You never know if your student is able, or makes an effort to wash hands before eating lunch. This really is a health tip that can’t be understated. We all hate the germies that invade our lives, so taking a stand against them whenever possible is always a good thing. If your child uses a lunchbox, keep a small bottle of sanitizing hand gel inside and relay the importance of using it. For those with the paper bags, the individually wrapped wipes are great…as long as they are utilized! Get those hands clean before eating!
On a final note about school lunches, sometimes a younger child likes a reminder that mom or dad is thinking of them during the day. For years I put a daily sticky note in my daughter’s lunchbox. I drew silly pictures and wrote little messages. She looked forward to it and actually saved a whole year’s worth. Even now that she’s in high school I might make her lunch once in awhile and include a note or crazy face sticky page, just so she knows I care.
..............................................................................
Great back to school tips for every parent to enjoy!
I know my kids will love these fun and yummy ideas - Thanks Heather!
by guest blogger Heather Froeschl
http://www.quilldipper.com/
http://www.quilldipper.blogspot.com/
http://www.bookreviewjournal.blogspot.com/
http://www.spiritualvisitations.blogspot.com/
http://www.littlehouseonthemountain.blogspot.com/
Whether your child is 6 or 16, having lunch at school is part of the traditional day. Through 12 years of regular schooling, lunch can become pretty dull. My own daughter has been packing lunch since day one, while my son had a few years with the lunch tray. Here are some things I’ve learned along the way:
Those kids toting lunch boxes can benefit from little ice packs to keep their sandwiches cool, but those brown paper bagging it don’t want to be bothered with a chilly, wet ice pack to carry home. Pop that juice box, foil pack, or water bottle in the freezer overnight and let it help keep the mayo in the tuna salad fresh. Wrap it up in paper towel and aluminum foil to keep it cold and condensation free. You don’t want a sweating drink to break through the paper bag…causing a spill of lunch goods.
Don’t bother with the snack pack sizes of things. Buy a big bag of chips/pretzels/popcorn and use sandwich baggies for appropriate sized sandwich accompaniments. To keep the big bag from being devoured by spouses unaware, or from going stale, make a week’s worth of snack bags ahead of time to keep in the cabinet instead.
Sandwich alternatives for those in a rut: salad in a baggie with plastic fork, roll up a wrap in tortilla (still technically a sandwich but a little different), pita pocket with pasta salad, lots of real cheese and whole wheat crackers, bagels with whatever floats their boat inside, stuffed celery, frozen yogurt sticks, and maybe a splurge once in awhile on packaged lunch products…you know the ones.
Getting ready for the tried and true, traditional, reliable P,B & J? Here’s a tip: spread peanut butter on both pieces of bread and put the jelly in between. This keeps the jelly from leaking out, or seeping through the bread, which usually leads to the whole sticky mess being thrown away instead of eaten. Experiment with jellies and jams and expand your child’s horizons. Check out different nut spreads too: not just crunchy and smooth, but cashew butter, sunflower seed spread, and more! Elvis would be jealous, but remember that peanut butter and banana is really nutritious. I knew one young lady who would make these every week but instead of flat bread she used hotdog rolls instead. The banana fit right inside, no slicing needed!
You never know if your student is able, or makes an effort to wash hands before eating lunch. This really is a health tip that can’t be understated. We all hate the germies that invade our lives, so taking a stand against them whenever possible is always a good thing. If your child uses a lunchbox, keep a small bottle of sanitizing hand gel inside and relay the importance of using it. For those with the paper bags, the individually wrapped wipes are great…as long as they are utilized! Get those hands clean before eating!
On a final note about school lunches, sometimes a younger child likes a reminder that mom or dad is thinking of them during the day. For years I put a daily sticky note in my daughter’s lunchbox. I drew silly pictures and wrote little messages. She looked forward to it and actually saved a whole year’s worth. Even now that she’s in high school I might make her lunch once in awhile and include a note or crazy face sticky page, just so she knows I care.
..............................................................................
Great back to school tips for every parent to enjoy!
I know my kids will love these fun and yummy ideas - Thanks Heather!
Saturday, August 11, 2007
Back to School Party
Are your kids dreading the beginning of yet another school year (as you happily count down each day)?
Is the back-to-school shopping wearing you and your children down?
If you have answered "yes" to any of these questions, read on. A little excitement may be just what the teacher ordered.
Ages:
All kids entering into another school year!
You will need:
party snacks (chips, veggies, dip, fruit bowl - fun finger food!)
pencil cases
pencils
smarties (candy - get it?)
rulers
erasers
To Do:
Have a "Back to School" party!
Invite summer and school friends to join in the excitement of another school year.
Decorate the house/backyard in school colors or with a theme representing the school mascot.
(The Burrowing Owls - draw and color owls and tape them on walls or even trees EVERYWHERE, get streamers, plates, and napkins the same as the school colors)
Make things easy: ask parents to chip in on prizes, goody bags, or food
Goody bags can be school supplies that you would have to buy anyway! Use pencil cases as goody bags.
Take a digital picture of your child with his/her friends at the party. Print and slip into the goody bags (pencil cases).
Play backyard summer games. Check out Family Fun for ideas.
As a fun centerpiece and cake, make an easy school bus cake. The recipe comes from the creative gurus at Family Fun Magazine (link is listed on my site). I have made this cake before and there is no baking involved! Check it out!
Is the back-to-school shopping wearing you and your children down?
If you have answered "yes" to any of these questions, read on. A little excitement may be just what the teacher ordered.
Ages:
All kids entering into another school year!
You will need:
party snacks (chips, veggies, dip, fruit bowl - fun finger food!)
pencil cases
pencils
smarties (candy - get it?)
rulers
erasers
To Do:
Have a "Back to School" party!
Invite summer and school friends to join in the excitement of another school year.
Decorate the house/backyard in school colors or with a theme representing the school mascot.
(The Burrowing Owls - draw and color owls and tape them on walls or even trees EVERYWHERE, get streamers, plates, and napkins the same as the school colors)
Make things easy: ask parents to chip in on prizes, goody bags, or food
Goody bags can be school supplies that you would have to buy anyway! Use pencil cases as goody bags.
Take a digital picture of your child with his/her friends at the party. Print and slip into the goody bags (pencil cases).
Play backyard summer games. Check out Family Fun for ideas.
As a fun centerpiece and cake, make an easy school bus cake. The recipe comes from the creative gurus at Family Fun Magazine (link is listed on my site). I have made this cake before and there is no baking involved! Check it out!
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Girl Techies ??
The online advertisement said, "Most girls lose interest in math and science by 6th grade." I moved the mouse and clicked on the link.
*abracadabra* A magical website just for girls appeared on my screen. A Girl Scout sponsored site, Girls Go Tech is a place for girls to explore the world. Check it out!
Ages:
Five and up - girls recommended
You will need:
A computer with Internet
To Do:
Click on the link above to go to the website. Follow directions and explore through games, activities, and the Internet. Internet responsibility is an important lesson for every child to learn. This is an important lesson in Girl Scouts.
*abracadabra* A magical website just for girls appeared on my screen. A Girl Scout sponsored site, Girls Go Tech is a place for girls to explore the world. Check it out!
Ages:
Five and up - girls recommended
You will need:
A computer with Internet
To Do:
Click on the link above to go to the website. Follow directions and explore through games, activities, and the Internet. Internet responsibility is an important lesson for every child to learn. This is an important lesson in Girl Scouts.
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