Here it is, almost Easter and we still don’t have our Easter eggs done yet. Gasp! No worries, we plan to tackle this project on Saturday right before Easter. Today I found an articled about painting eggs instead of dyeing, which I thought was rather interesting. The thought never crossed my mind that we could actually use paint instead of those messy dyes. Not a bad idea at all! The article goes on to give ideas for different ways to paint, which I also thought was very useful. This got me thinking – exactly what do we want to do this year? Do we want to paint them or dye them like we always do? Well I think we are doing a little bit of both. Usually we get the kind of dye kits that come with little sponges which allow you to “paint” the dye onto the eggs. This has always worked pretty well and kept the mess to a...
My kids have tons of toys which are never played with. As far as activities go, they tend to stick with certain toys and activities. Sure they play with other stuff sometimes, but for the most part they have set things they do several times a week. If you are looking for a list of “hot toys”, this isn’t it. This is a list of activities and toys that will ALWAYS keep their interest to a certain extent, and isn’t just a fading fad. 1. Computer Games & Sites I don’t know what it is about the computer, but my kids love it. They each have several downloaded games they play on a regular basis (maybe once or twice a month per game), as well as a list of sites they visit weekly. See our list of game sites for kids and free toddler games. 2. Game Systems As much as I hate to admit it, game systems will always be...
Last night we had a family favorite – Graziano’s hot sausage sandwiches with homemade buns. While this “brand” of sausage you can only get in central Iowa (it’s a special blend from an Italian grocery store in Des Moines), you can still use any kind of Italian sausage. We just prefer this particular kind over the others. The buns, on the other hand, anyone with a bread machine can make. It’s actually our favorite roll recipe that I’ve dubbed “Tabi’s Awesome Rolls”. I’ve posted this recipe before when I spent the day playing with my bread machine. Turning them into buns for hot sausage sandwiches is pretty easy. Basically we made them just the way we always do, but added Italian spices to the mix. Someone once told me to add garlic last because it doesn’t let the dough...
Since there are a limited time deal and Easter is almost here, we just had to mention these adorable Easter egg candles for sale at Prairie Soy Candles. There are 6 different colors available with your choice of scent (and there are a LOT of scents available – well over 60!). With only two of each color, you’ll want to grab these FAST before they’re out of stock! While you’re there, you might also want to check out the discount shelf for some great deals on in stock items. Fast shipping and discounted product – it doesn’t get much better than that. Read More →
We are not big milk drinkers in this house. It’s not uncommon for us to not get through a half gallon of milk before it goes bad. Most of the time we use it only for cooking. Since we don’t always have milk on hand but I still cook a lot, I had to come up with a quick solution for substituting milk on occasion. Well, I finally figured it out. Powdered milk works very well, and it’s something I ALWAYS have on hand (I make quite a bit of bread in my bread machine). The other day I had a recipe that called for 3 tablespoons of milk, so I use 1 tablespoon powdered milk with 3 tablespoons water. Perfect! So now I know to use 1/3 the powdered milk as the recipe calls and mix with water (the box also says to make one cup of milk you use 1/3 cup dry milk with 1 cup water). While generally I want to use “real” milk...
One of the best ways to really take advantage of all there is to do with a Webkinz pet is to have the pet of the month. Featured pets get a loot bag (if adopted in the month they are the “pet of the month), and get to do all kinds of extra stuff under the hourly and daily activities. This month’s pet of the month is theWebkinz Lil’Kinz Pig. For the whole month of March 2008, all owners of the pig are getting lots of fun extras. If you don’t have a Webkinz yet or would like another, do think about getting a pig so you can have even more fun playing! April 2008 will feature the Pink Poodle as the Webkinz Pet of the Month. So if you are thinking about a gift for a lucky kid but won’t give it to them until April, you might want to think about getting them this one in particular. While the Pet of the Month does...
After seeing my son’s Webkinz bathroom decorated in a Safari theme, I thought how fun it might be to find some safari bedroom items for a REAL room. YourKidsDirect.com actually has quite a few different items for Safari bedroom theme decorating. The first thing you’ll probably want to look for is bedding. Click below for bedding options (features both full and twin quilts, plus other matching items). Safari Bedding & Accessories Next you’ll need Safari furniture. There are several absolutely adorable options available, which you can see below. This includes a bookcase, chair, table set, and even a beautiful toy chest. Click on the pictures for more details on each item. Safari Rocking Chair Safari Table & Chair Set Safari Toy Chest Safari Book Display For window treatments, be on the look out for things like...
Can’t get enough of Dora the Explorer? We absolutely love her in this house! Luckily there are several free Dora the Explorer games to download on BigFish. We have a membership, so each month we can get a new game to play. Below you’ll find a few we have and play on a regular basis, with a few others we want to try soon. Enjoy! Candy Land – Dora the Explorer Edition The classic game Candy Land meets Dora the Explorer. It really needs no further explanation. Try it out for an hour and see what you think! Dora’s Carnival Adventure This game we do own, and we absolutely love it. My daughter plays this one on a regular basis, and it really keeps her busy. There’s several different games within the game to play, all which give tickets. The tickets are used to buy prizes, which it takes quite awhile to be able to...
Our blender had a little accident several months ago, and I’m just dying to make smoothies for the kids. Since I’ve got tax return in hand, I think it’s about time to replace it. The best smoothie recipes we’ve ever had were the ones we came up with ourselves. Following a recipe with a few basic ingredients, we were able to come up with all kinds of different types that were oh-so-tasty. You will need the following ingredients to start: - Frozen fruit and berries (or fresh fruit/berries and ice) - Yogurt (plain or flavored, we usually use plain) - Honey Yup, that really is all you need! The yogurt gives it a smooth texture, and the frozen fruit or ice gives it the icy texture. Honey is simply used in place of sugar to make it sweet. This is especially important if you have certain fruits that are slightly bitter. Strawberry...
Spring break is approaching, and you’ll need some ideas to keep those kids busy. It’s hard to predict how nice the weather is going to be this year, so we’ll be sure to list indoor and outdoor activities. If you can get outside you should! Craft Ideas If it’s still cold and wet outside, you’ll of course need some indoor activities. Crafts are a wonderful way to keep kids busy. Idea Queen has several different crafts, including how to make your own stickers and crafts for kids rooms (decorations they can make specifically for their room). Also be on the lookout at the grocery store in the checkout for little booklets. A few weeks ago we picked up a book that cost less than $5, and is filled with craft ideas. The best part of this booklet is the crafts are made from household items such as cans, bottles, and paper...
