We know that Halloween is still a few weeks away but it's never to early to start talking Halloween safety. We also know that most people know and teach their kids the basics of Halloween safety such as only go on well lit streets, don't go to strangers' houses, wear reflective tape or lights on your costume, don't eat the candy till you get home....yada, yada, yada.... I went around the web and searched for 8 helpful Halloween safety tips that you might not think about: If you and your child are going out with a group, make their costume a unique one so you can spot them easily in a crowded area. Wear something unique yourself so your child can easily spot you! Do not include high heel shoes or long dangling pieces of costume that your child could trip over. If they are carrying a prop such as a scythe or sword, make sure they are made out of a flexible plastic that will bend if fallen on. Getting injured because their costume can really ruin a kid's night! Plan a … [Read more...]
Caramel Cashew Pretzels
Caramel cashew pretzels don't last long at my house. They don't last long when I make them for parties either. They are the perfect combo of sweet and salty! To make them you'll need: pretzels, whole cashews (or another kind of nut if you don't like cashews), Rolo candies, and a cookie sheet. Step 1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Step 2) Have your kids fill the cookie sheet with pretzels while you begin to unwrap and eat the Rolos. Step 3) While you continue to unwrap and eat the Rolos (this takes a long time) have your kids start putting one Rolo on each pretzel. Step 4) After each pretzel has a Rolo on top, put them in the oven for 1-2 minutes or just long enough for the Rolos to begin to melt. Don't over melt them!! Step 5) Take the cookie sheet full of pretzels and barely melted Rolos out of the oven and place one cashew on top of each Rolo. Press gently down on the cashew so that it sticks into the Rolo. *Please note the cookie sheet will be HOT so … [Read more...]
Leaf drawing
Leaf drawing is a super easy, super fun craft to do with your kids. It requires little effort and little supplies, yet produces a beautiful piece of artwork that you will be proud to display. You'll need flat, dried leaves of all shapes and sizes, crayons, and paper. That's it! Step 1) Take your kids outside and go hunting for multiple kinds of leaves. The flatter the leaf is, the better it works. Step 2) Bring in the leaves inside (if it's super nice and not too windy, stay outside) and lay them out so it's easy to choose which leaf your child wants to use. Step 3) Put a leaf under a piece of paper, take a crayon and rub over the leaf. Have your child take the paper off the crayon and turn the crayon on it's side so they can rub. Don't let your child color over the leaf or the pattern won't come through. Step 4) Repeat putting leaves under the paper and rubbing until your paper is full of leaf patterns. Step 5) You're done! Compliment your child on their … [Read more...]
Hairballs in the shower (I’m going bald!)
*Warning--some people may find this post gross, others may find it funny, most people will completely relate!* Admit it, we all have (or have had) them, and at one point in time we've looked at them and swore we were going bald! We're talking about hairballs in the shower. You can't be a woman, long haired man, or parent of a girl (or long haired boy) without having hair clumps somewhere in in the vicinity of where you wash your hair. Some people lose their hair without much notice. They go to clean their shower and find strands clogging up holes in the drain. No biggie, you simply pick up the glob and throw it away. If you are one of those people, you might not relate to this post. You, are lucky. (photo by SCA Svenska CellulosaAktiebolaget) If you are anything like me, your hair falls out in your hands as you wash it. You'll go to pick up the conditioner or body wash and your fingers are webbed in lovely locks. At that point in time, you roll your hands together until … [Read more...]
Cloud Watching– An Easy, Free Activity!
"It's a turtle!" "No it's not, it's a elephant!" "You're both right, it looked like a turtle before it turned into an elephant." Do you need a super fun activity to do when you are tired but your kids are bored? Try cloud watching! It keeps the kids occupied, gets the imagination going, is free, and best of all, doesn't require a lot of activity from the adult supervising! It's a win/win situation! You'll need a partly cloudy day (preferably when the clouds are moving a little). If your kids don't mind getting dirty and up close with the bugs in the grass, you can simply lay down and start watching. If your kids are like my girls and squeal at the site of a bug, you may want to put a blanket on the grass before laying down. Now simply relax, look up at the sky, and let your imaginations run wild! What shapes, animals, or objects can you find in the clouds? How many clouds can you count? What other stuff do you see in the sky (i.e. planes, birds...)? Use cloud … [Read more...]
Sponsor Spotlight and Giveaway–Urban Halo
Toys In The Dryer is just over 2 weeks old and that means it's time to party! Instead of gifts for us though, we're giving the gifts to you! Tuesday-Friday we will be doing sponsor spotlights with giveaways in something we call: *The giveaway portion of this post is now closed. Please see below for the winner.* Our final sponsor spotlight is Urban Halo. Both Lindsi and I are in love with these headbands! In fact, we love them so much we each bought one to wear to the Minnesota Blogger Conference! (Don't you love our new head shot provided to us by Glimpses Of Soul!?) When Urban Halo's website says they are a "unique and fashionable line that is breaking all the rules of typical headbands…they are comfortable, designed to stay in place, keep us free from headaches...", they are telling the truth! These are definitely the most comfortable headbands I have ever worn, and they really do stay in place on my small, fine-haired head. Urban Halo headbands are made … [Read more...]
