Blue Paint

Sometimes it's just so important to let kids experience the process of art. When we stop telling them what to create, we allow them to fully participate in the sensory experience of creativity. Paint is a wonderful medium to allow this experience. It can be messy but using washable paint, and covering up things with an old sheet can help aid in making the clean up process a bit easier. My little guy always says, "I don't like paint!" but then a few minutes later he is completely involved in his art experience.
I let him pick colors, then gave him different containers, paintbrushes, and some pincones. Mixing and pouring the paint were just as important as painting. He painted with his fingers, a brush and the pinecones.

Creative Summer Mondays Seashell Painting

It's summer, summer time! I know the official day is still a few days away but we have the summer vibe going on full swing here. I love summer. I love sun. Perhaps because it is my favorite time of the year, I feel the most creative at this time. I love how creative projects can be done anywhere, and messy doesn't seem to matter as much when you know it can be simply washed off with a hose, right?  So I thought why not post a easy, fun summer project here every Monday. So if you need a easy project to do with your little ones during this summer season check back here every Monday and I'm sure you will find a creative way to spend a lazy summer afternoon with your favorite little helper.

Seashells are everywhere, in my purse, on random shelves in the kitchen, in the car and well you get the point.  If your lucky enough to spend sometime at the beach then you probably have some extra seahsells laying around too. If not you can order them from http://www.discountschoolsupply.com/Product/ProductDetail.aspx?product=28146&keyword=seashells&scategoryid=0&CategorySearch=&Brand=&Price=
I always see some around thrift stores as well.
I used the cheap acrylic paints that you can find at Michael's or Joann's for just around a dollar.

I had originally planned to used the seashells to do paint prints from the shells but as often is the case around here my little helper always has other ideas.

Here is what I thought we were going to do

and here is what worked for my little one

My helper doesn't like paint on his fingers so he decided that using a paintbrush to paint the shells was a much better idea. We used blue and brown paint in different hues. He squirted some blue paint out and got busy painting his seashells. They make perfect counters for math lessons and a fun addition to play dough.

My little helper likes to line them up and count them.

Now we have beautiful blue seashells to decorate or play with. Who doesn't love educational materials that can be stored as a cheerful house decoration too! Try a little basket or a blue mason jar.

And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters He called Seas.
And God saw that it was good.
Genesis 1:10

       

       CHECK BACK WITH US NEXT MONDAY TO SEE  
      WHAT WE ARE UP TO!

Don't Worry About A Thing

This past Sunday on Mother's Day I woke up to sweet thoughtful gifts from my children but there was one that stood out the most on the table. It was a bible verse looked up and written on a piece of binder paper by my 14 year old daughter
This is my daughter who doesn't seem to be listening when we do a bible study. Sometimes she rolls her eyes, and I often wonder if my words are falling on deaf ears. YET she took the time to look in the bible and found a verse that I so desperately needed to see that morning. Matthew 6:34 It moved me to tears. 

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 3 John 1:4

Praise God! I was so thankful to see that the changes I've been trying to make in my life and for my family are making difference. Don't give up on filling your house with the word of God, even when you think no one is listening, they are.

And remember…
Don't Worry About A Thing (It's ok to hum the Bob Marley song at this point I know I am)

Problems will come, solutions will come all in God's timing. Worrying will just add stress and anxiety to your day, to your life and God's word so clearly tells us that is not what he wants for us.
Trust in God.

Trust in the Lord with all you heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,,
And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

Easy Last Minute Mother's Day Gift Idea

I just love when I can make something, with minimal planning and the entire process truly takes less then 30 minutes. Sometimes I see awesome ideas but then I realize I don't have all the ingredients, or I don't honestly have the time.

Do you have a half an hour? Then you've got this!

Then I found this recipe on Pinterest http://adventuresinallthingsfood.blogspot.com/2014/04/make-your-own-kool-aid-lip-gloss.html

and I thought hooray I have all these ingredients, thanks to my hoarding of Kool Aid packs for arts and crafts. I even had some small conainters that I purchased at Joann's with a coupon http://www.joann.com/bead-organizer-63inx48in/9035874.html#q=bead+storage&start=4!

-Half a cup of coconut oil, warmed (not melted!) in the microwave about 7 seconds
-Mix well
-Add just a few drops to half of the kool-aid powder to form a paste, and mix a teaspoon of sugar
-Mix really, really well
-Put in your containers and let them sit for a few hours

Clean up is minimal and even my very active little guy had fun mixing it up and scooping it into the containers.

Cut some flowers from your garden and you have a sweet simple gift perfect for Moms, Grandmas, Aunts etc.

Who doesn't love lip gloss?

Happy Mother's Day Weekend

ABC's, Cars and Salt

You might be wondering what do ABC's, cars and salt have in common?

Well at the moment he loves playing with cars, he only has about 10 minutes to devote to his ABC''s, and much more time for car playing..

How to combine the letters and the car???

Extra salt in the cupboard?

Cookie Sheet laying around?

If the answer is yes then have your little one join you at the table with his cars, let him pour the salt onto the cookie sheet, either you or him can trace the letter in the salt and then encourage them to "drive" the car on the letter.

Simple, easy and we got 30 minutes of letter time instead of 10 with the addition of it being an excellent sensory activity too!!

Plus he had a super time just driving his cars in the salt afterwards.

Mini loaves - easy, last minute gift idea

Christmas is coming, in about 5 days! I always wait till the last minute, someday that might change but for now it's just the way it goes. After moving so much the past 5 years I finally found my long lost recipe for Apple Bourbon Bread, this recipe is amazing I've been trying to find a replacement the last five years, none could be found. I would spend hours looking every holiday season and have never found anything that comes close to my recipe. So with my favorite recipe in hand I knew that I had to give them as gifts. ( in January I will post the entire recipe but you have to remember to come back then, follow me via email to make sure you get the updates!)

I baked one batch of the recipe, which gave me 10 mini loaves. I then wrapped each of them in waxed paper, tied them with twine, added a little tag and a cloth bow from some festive fabric scraps I had laying around. If you already have gift wrapping goodies around, I'm sure you can put together an adorable wrapping for the loaves without having to buy anything extra.

So dig out those favorite bread recipes, and be creative in wrapping them up by using what you already have around the house, and in less then 2 hours you can have 10 festive, sweet gifts.

                                                        MERRY CHRISTMAS

Don't forget to follow me on Pinterest http://www.pinterest.com/1mama/

Make your own natural lotion in under 10 minutes

It's cold here in the Pacific Northwest, once it dips into the low 30's this California native skin starts reacting in a very negative way. I recently woke up to throbbing, red hands in desperate need of my homemade lotion. Why, oh why did I not make some last week? It's so easy, there was no good excuse except perhaps a house full of sick kiddos, anyways I got up gathered the few  supplies needed

• Coconut oil
• Shea butter
• Beeswax
• Vitamin E
• A Mason jar or two
• A spoon, a knife    

 I decided to try make some in the microwave instead of the stove top. I remember reading that it was super easier no pot to wash, and I may have an abundance of mason jars but I only have two pots so, microwave it was. I only made a small batch because I'm running a little low on my coconut oil, but you still could make a big batch in the same amount of time.

I used a spoon (good old kitchen spoon, not a measuring spoon) to measure out 4 scoops of Coconut oil,  4 scoops of Shea butter, 1/2 tsp of vitamin E, then I cut off enough beeswax that looked about equivalent to the scoops I added, put all of it in a small mason jar, microwave on high for 60 seconds and stir, the microwave another 60 seconds stir again ( be careful the jar will be hot use oven mitts every time  you take it out of the microwave!!), I then decided to pour it into a jar that had a little wider opening ( a recycled jar from Trader Joe's), put the lid loosely on to help hurry the cooling process, and that's it. As it cools you will have a wonderful lotion that will protect your hands from harsh winter temperatures.

 You made your own jar of natural lotion!!!