A few days ago my girls played the "I'm bored" card on me yet again. All the suggestions I gave the came back as "no". It was a beautiful day outside so I wanted to keep them in the fresh air. Searching through my garage for some thing new to do, I spotted some water bottles and a ball...bowling! I grabbed six water bottles (because that's all I had), put x's on the driveway where the water bottles should go. Then I drew a line a few feet away so the girls knew where to stand. I let them go at it and they had a TON of fun! They spent a good hour to hour-and-a-half bowling! Here's a hint for you though...if you are bowling up the driveway (toward the garage) make sure the garage door is shut or you'll have to keep retrieving the ball from under the car! … [Read more...]
Archives for 2012
25 Ideas For Keeping Children Calm During A Storm
(photo source) Last week was quite stormy in our neck of the woods. Yesterday we did a post on Severe Weather Kits because we realized during National Severe Weather Preparedness week (April 22-28) that our families were not prepared for emergencies during severe weather. Today we're giving you 25 ideas for keeping your children calm during storms Keep yourself calm--This is the most important thing of all. If you are not calm, your kids won't be either. Cuddle--Sometimes a little physical contact is all your kids need to feel safe and calm. Practice--On non-stormy days practice what you would do in the event of severe weather. Knowing what to do will help your kids feel in control. Severe weather kit--Have your kids help you make a severe weather kit. It helps them to know what you have that will keep them safe. (photo source) Light--Lots of kids get scared in the dark so make sure you have plenty of flashlights on hand to keep things bright if the power goes … [Read more...]
Severe Weather Kit
The National Severe Weather Preparedness Week was April 22-28. Did you practice safety techniques during that week? We did! In Minnesota we have quite a few severe thunderstorms and tornadoes each year. This year, spring came early and we had an earlier than expected severe thunderstorm. Our power went out and we realized we had not gathered our kit yet. So, after the storm was over I was determined to make a kit and store it in the same place all year so we would always know where it was. For our severe weather kit we have the essentials: candles and a lighter, a weather radio, flashlights and batteries. We have a small handful of flashlights because we have a large family, it's nice for each person to have their own light. We also have extra batteries for a couple of reasons. They are primarily for the flashlights but the other purpose they serve is for my kids Leap Pads. We found that these are great distractions from the "scary-ness" of no power and crazy winds. I want to … [Read more...]
10 spring time flower crafts
Today we're bringing you ten awesomely fun spring time flower art crafts... 1. Coffee Filter Daffodils- You can't go wrong with this easy and adorable flower craft! These Daffodils are perfect for spring, mother's day, and to cheer someone up. 2. Make a spring bouquet by purchasing white carnations and adding some food coloring to the water. Watch the flower colors change! What a fun experiment too. 3. Adorable Tissue Paper Carnations. Such an easy craft too! I know just the person these would be perfect for. With Mother's Day coming up this weekend you can make flowers that last forever. 4. Simple Origami Flowers- This video gives you step by step directions on how to make this cute little bud. 5. Glossy Paper Flowers are a great way to reuse and recycle old magazines. Your toddler, preschooler or grade school child will enjoy making these for sure! 6. Paper Cup Flowers- Why not make an entire garden of flowers? I am willing to bet you have all the supplies … [Read more...]
Quick and Easy Meal Planning with Relish!–Giveaway too!
What's for dinner? It is a question that many of us dread each day. What is for dinner? What do I have the ingredients for? Ugh...I don't feel like cooking... If you've been paying close enough attention to our blog, you know that Lindsi is a meal planning freak "expert" and Jamie has been trying her hand at meal planning too. We both find meal planning to be helpful in stress, energy, and money saving. It also helps with the dreaded, "What's for dinner?" question! The one problem however, is the time it takes to come up with recipes. Flipping through multiple different websites and cook books can get confusing and overwhelming. Add in the time it takes to make a grocery list for all your meals and making a weekly meal plan can take up to 1/2 a day! That's where Relish! comes in! We've been using Relish! for our meal planning for a little over 2 months and we couldn't be happier! The first week Jamie used Relish! her Facebook status said, "Trying out a new online … [Read more...]
Make Your Own Word Search
I have always loved word search puzzles. When my daughter started bringing them home from Kindergarten I was so excited that she seemed to like them as much as I do. The word searches she brings home from Kindergarten contain sight words that she has learned. I thought it would be fun to make her a personalized word search puzzle that contained her own name and other family member names along with site words that she knew. I Googled "make your own word search" and came across this website. It was the best one I found because you can choose how many letters you want in each column and row and you can also choose to overlap words or not overlap words. I wish I would have gotten a picture of Nutty's reaction when she realized that her first, middle and last name were in her puzzle! She thought it was the coolest thing in the world! Making your own word search puzzle is a great way of teaching your children their sight words and building their confidence. Personalizing … [Read more...]
