Preparing your family for natural disasters is the only way to increase their chance of survival and lessen their chance of injury when disaster strikes. No corner of the world is too remote to be touched by nature's fury, be it earthquakes, fires, hurricanes, typhoons, blizzards, tornadoes or floods. And so the U.S. government has declared September “National Preparedness Month”, urging families and communities across the country to take the opportunity to learn how to survive in worst case scenarios. We in the Twin Cities area know all too well how suddenly and severely natural disasters can strike. We're no strangers to dangerous tornadoes and floods, and have had our fair share of debilitating snowfalls. (Photo credit: Justin Hobson) Children are particularly at risk of injury or death in natural disasters. Without a firm family plan in place, they can wander straight into the path of danger, often by returning to damaged yet familiar buildings like home or school. … [Read more...]
A Lesson on Sound Waves With Hanger and String
I remember trying this hanger and string sound lesson when I was younger. I came across it again while searching the internet one day and knew that my girls would love it! To try this sound wave experiment yourself, you'll need a wire coat hanger, yarn, and objects to hit the coat hanger against (a wall, a table, something else metal...). That's it! 1) Tie the yard onto the hook of the hanger leaving (about) equal amounts on both ends of the yarn. 2) Start by hitting the hanger against an object and listen to the sound. 3) Next, wrap the ends of the yarn a few times around your pointer finger. 4) Lightly put your fingers in your ears (do not plug your ears completely) 5) Hit the hanger in the same spot again, this time with your fingers in your ears. How is the sound different? My girls spent quite a while hitting the hanger against different objects to see how the sound varied. It sounded different against metal than it did against wood and even … [Read more...]
Wax Rocks
My girls love finding rocks everywhere we go. I can't tell you how many "cool" rocks we've collected over the years. The girls, however, are just like me. I think if I weren't a nurse, I would have become a geologist. Because of our love of rocks, we decided to make wax rock gems. These gems are super simple to make and look beautiful in any garden or just sitting as decor in your house. To make them, you'll need: Any amount of rocks you want to make. The smoother the better. Crayons (brand name works best) An oven and baking sheet Oven mitt or something to handle hot rocks News paper or paper plate Start by collecting your rocks then thoroughly wash and dry them. Remember, the smoother, the better. Unfortunately, we don't have many smooth rocks around our yard. Place the rocks on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven until warm. Use an oven mitt or tongs to transfer the hot rocks onto a paper plate or newspaper. Remind your kids that these rocks … [Read more...]
Mystery Birthday Party with Dramatic Fanatic
Nutty's 8th birthday was a little over a month ago. When we were planning her birthday party we had a hard time trying to figure out what to do. After all, it's hard to top a horseback riding party and a camping party. I'm not sure where she got the idea from, but she decided she wanted a mystery party. I searched the internet high and low trying to figure out how to hold a mystery party for a bunch of 7-9 year old girls and came across Dramatic Fanatic® Downloadable Mystery Parties for Kids. Nutty and I both agreed it looked interesting and were excited when they said "yes" to a review from us! After much debate, Nutty decided to do the Fairy Tale Mystery which included a mystery during a fairy tale fashion show. Nutty carefully chose each of her friends to play a character based on their personality and when the invites went out, each friend was asked to dress as their character. Even I got dressed up as the host of the fashion show! It was so fun to watch each girl … [Read more...]
School Has Started!!
By now I'm pretty sure every child in the US has started school (at least those in public school). Today was supposed to be Nutty's second day of 3rd grade, Tottie's first day of Kindergarten, and my first full day alone in a LONG time. Unfortunately, Nutty woke with a headache, fever, and vomiting. There went my day... That's not the point of this post though. The point is, as soon as Nutty goes back to school I will be a stay-at-home-mom without kids. Ok, I'm not a true stay-at-home-mom. I work every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I'm home during the week and work on weekends. I will continue this schedule despite the girls being in school because it helps me avoid before and after school daycare. I'm not sure how I feel about being a semi stay-at-home-mom without kids. Sure, I'm excited about FINALLY having time to myself, I can get (and keep) the house clean, and I can catch up on stuff I've been meaning to do but haven't had the time...but, what am I going to really do … [Read more...]
16 Tips For Running In A Color Race
This post is sponsored by Tum-E Yummies® fruit flavored drinks however all opinions are my own. This September my girls and I are running our first color race, the Color Vibe™ to be exact. I was suppose to run a similar race last year but it was cold and rainy that day so I opted not to go. I have regretted it ever since. When Tum-E Yummies® fruit flavored drinks contacted my family to participate in Color Your World along with them and Color Vibe™ I immediately said yes! I can't wait to have a ton of fun with the girls! (Lindsi, occasional co-author of Toys In The Dryer) Though I have never ran a color race before, I do have plenty of friends who have done one. I asked them to share with me some tips for making it fun and easy. This is what they had to say: 1) Have fun. Though it's called a race, most people walk. People of all ages and abilities participate and there's no prize for being first so relax and enjoy the color! 2) You'll get color everywhere, and I mean … [Read more...]
