When I was younger my mom used to surprise my sister and me with treasure maps. We would get so excited when she would pull them out and we would have to gallivant all over the yard to find the hidden treasure. As we got older, my sister and I made maps for each other, our mom, and our friends. It was just as much fun to make the maps as it was to follow them! Obviously this activity with your kids requires some planning ahead on your part. You'll need to make the map and hide the treasure without your kids knowing. As far as the map goes, you can get as simple or as complicated as you want. It somewhat depends on the age of your kids. In the above map I made my girls walk, skip, run, or hop during different sections. You could simply count the steps or combine counting with skipping and hopping...it's totally up to you! Make it colored or just draw in pen. It makes no difference. As an added touch to your map, crinkle up the paper then burn the edges and some holes … [Read more...]
Archives for 2011
Activities to do with your baby in the fall
Hello Readers! My name is Ann and I blog over at BusyLittleBaby.com. Your [Twin Cities] Guide to Keeping Busy with your Baby. Not from the Twin Cities? No problem! I often write about things you can do at your home or in any city with your baby. Today I want to share 5 activities to do with your baby in the fall. Some activities are simple, some to get you OUT of the house and some to keep you entertained at home! [1] Go to Apple Picking or to a Pumpkin Patch Why not start a fun family fall tradition by going to a local apple orchard or a pumpkin patch. Babies thrive when they can experience a variety of sensations. Let them grab at the apples and play on top of the big pumpkins. A lot of orchards also have family friendly activities like hay rides and petting zoos. And bonus: there will be ample opportunities for great photos! [2] Photo Shoot in the Leaves Turn a boring weekend chore like raking the leaves into another fun photo opportunity for your baby. Rake … [Read more...]
Nature’s Hand Granola
We are pleased to share with our fabulous readers a little about Nature’s Hand Granola. Nature’s Hand was founded in 1971 in Burnsville, Minnesota (about half way between our houses!). They only use premium, all-natural ingredients--no artificial colors or flavors; no preservatives; no sodium and no trans fats. Lindsi and her family are granola freaks and Jamie is a granola newbie. We were excited when we were contacted to write a review for Nature’s Hand. We each received two flavors of our choice along with a surprise money saving coupon for Greek yogurt and a super cool glass bowl with a lid. Both Lindsi and Jamie chose Maple Pecan (great minds think alike) while our second choices were Cinnamon Apple and Vanilla Almond respectively. Initial thoughts: The boldly colored packaging for this granola are great! Each bag is resealable (which is good for granola because if left to air it will get “soggy”) and has a see through window to give you a sneak peek of what is … [Read more...]
Friends You Love Bestie Photo Contest
What's so special about this picture of me and Lindsi? Well, it's one of only four photos we have together! In the almost seven years we've known each other, we've only gotten FOUR photos together (one of which is our header photo). We have multiple photos of each other, our kids together, and each other with our kids, but only four photos together. Why? We have no clue. It's just the way life has gone so far but we're working on making a change. There's also something more behind the photo above. It reminds us that we are not just moms, we are women. It was taken after our second (well, my second and Lindsi's second/third) were born. It was the first time we had gone out on the town without the hubbies and kids since we were pregnant with our firsts. We went to dinner, had drinks, got tipsy, were hit on my a couple younger guys (talk about a confidence boost!), and took a cab to a shop downtown that we normally wouldn't walk into sober (not gonna say … [Read more...]
Edible acorns
Looking for a fun and easy snack idea for the fall? Look no further- Edible Acorns! I wanted to share both versions with you and let you decide which one you liked better. Be sure to vote at the bottom of the post. Option A- Option B- Items needed: Items needed: doughnut holes chocolate kisses pretzels mini wafer cookies chocolate frosting melted white chocolate crushed toffee pretzels Add frosting to the top of the hole Add white chocolate to the kiss Cover frosting with crushed … [Read more...]
Boo Boo Bunny
"Mommy, I've got a boo boo!" How many times a day do you hear this, or something similar? If your kids are anything like mine they are constantly asking for band-aids and ice packs to make the owie better. I found this really cute idea years ago on "How to Make a boo boo Bunny" and I have one in my freezer right now. Its really easy to make (even if you are craft-challenged) and it will be a quick fix for any boo boos, scrapes, bumps, or ouchies that come your way. To make your own boo boo bunny you'll need: A washcloth A rubber band Thin ribbon Google eyes Small pom pom Craft glue (or hot glue gun if you prefer) Step 1: Fold your washcloth in half to make it look like a triangle. Step 2: Roll the cloth from the point to the long side of the cloth. Step 3: Fold the rolled up cloth in half. Step 4: Fold it in half again so that the loose ends point backwards towards your first fold. Step 5: Secure the folds with a rubber band (place it … [Read more...]
