I firmly believe in the concepts from books like Easy to Love, Difficult to Discipline and Positive Discipline – our children aren’t born knowing how to act or react to situations, they learn from watching the behavior we model (and really, should we expect them to behave more maturely than many adults?). Misbehavior can be an opportunity to teach if we can remember to take a deep breath before we react....

We’ve been busy in the kitchen making some yummy Holiday treats. Here are a few of the delicious goodies filling our tummies, making for a true Holiday season! Christmas Sweet Bread Wreath – Shape these delicious sweet breads into mini wreaths for extra holiday fun! Then set out the icing and lots of different candy options, and set the kids to work decorating. Such a fun activity for a holiday afternoon!...

1. Brie Grilled Cheese w/ Fig Spread, Apple, & Prosciutto: Have you ever tried putting slices of green apple in your grilled cheese? It’s a game changer. This recipe has green apples and more! (via We Are Not Martha) Caramelized Mushroom & Onion Grilled Cheese: The caramelized mushrooms in this grilled cheese take this sandwich to the next level. I love the flavors of the mushrooms and onions together....

My kids love this holiday. Wearing green, searching for leprechauns, and eating chocolate gold coins. Sometimes I even make green colored pancakes on the morning of St. Paddy’s Day. I like to have some St. Patrick’s Day home decor around my house for the first couple weeks of March leading up to the 17th. Here’s ideas for me and you… 9 Ideas for St. Patrick’s Day Home Decor Burlap Mantel Decor: I am loving this “Lucky” sign....

We’re partnering with Consumer Crafts for a week’s worth of crochet projects. Head over to ConsumerCrafts.com to buy all your yarn supplies for our Crochet-A-Day projects. They make it super simple to order online and have loads of yarn and supplies on hand. How about making a few (or 6) of these super simple Crochet Bookmarks for all your friends! They make great gifts, maybe a Valentine’s day gift along with your true love’s favorite book!...

How to make a DIY angel ornament These homemade angel ornaments are going to look beautiful on your Christmas tree. They make lovely gifts too. Supplies Wood clothespin Paint – white and gold Fabric or tulle Gold embroidery thread White (or cream) yarn Size 6.5 crochet hook Permanent markers in red and black Small eye screw Hot glue Paintbrush Scissors Instructions Follow our instructions to make a crochet heart. The only thing we changed is that we used a size 6....

DIY party in a box gift You can include so many different items in this gift container including party supplies, gift cards, card games, snacks, and so much more. Supplies Large oatmeal container 2 sheets of scrapbook paper – we used glitter Thick paper for your printer Our printable happy birthday label Glue Scissors Items to fill your container Instructions The first step is to wipe out your oatmeal container really well....

Earth Day Recycled Color Wheels Supplies for Newspaper Color Wheel: grocery story ads scissors glue paper plate crayons Instructions: Using a crayon, either all black or the same colors as your color wheel, divide and mark your paper plate into sections. We’re finding red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple colors. I like to add the color word as well to help with name recognition. Find and cut out all kinds of colors from your newspaper grocery ads....

I love taking kid’s projects and finding a way to make them edible. Today is no exception. Let’s grab our lab coats and head to the kitchen for some science fun! The kitchen holds great potential for science experiments with kids. Today’s experiment is simple – making whipped cream and butter – and it is really fun and actually quite interesting. All you need is cream, a bowl with beaters and a jar with a lid....

Harold and the Purple Crayon PDF Activity for kids Gather purple crayons and download our free Harold and the Purple Crayon PDF page for kids to go on their own adventure just like Harold. My students will be back in the classroom in a couple of weeks, so I’m creating all kinds of fun book activities for them to do. I think they will love this one. It encourages them to use fine motor skills, imagination, and color recognition (including various shades of the color purple)....

Children who eat nutritious foods do better in school, but coming up with healthy back-to-school lunch ideas that children will actually eat can be a challenge for many parents. The key is to balance nutrition with your children’s personal taste by getting them involved in the back-to-school lunch preparation process to reduce food waste. A nutritionally-balanced lunch combines nutrient-rich foods from several food groups, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk products and lean meats....

My daughter loves bunnies and that includes soft toys, movies and books. “Peter Rabbit” was one of her favorites and so was “Are you my Mother?”. You can make this simple puppet as a prop for storytelling sessions or for pretend play. Supplies for this project: White Card Stock Patterned Paper Craft Stick Marker Scissors Hole punch pink & black crayons Four Brads Glue Instructions: We drew a rabbit without arms and feet on a rough paper and traced the cutout onto our white cardstock....

However you should always test your thermometer periodically by placing it in boiling water. At sea level, water boils at 212 degrees F/ 100 degrees C. If your candy thermometer reads below or above this number, you’ll need to buy a new one or adjust the temperature you’re looking for in boiling point based on the difference shown. For every 500foot (150m) increase in elevation, water’s boiling point is lowered by approximately 0....

You can purchase plain wood circles at your craft store, or make your own from scraps of wood. We are going to show you the process we used to make a wood circle. What you need Wood circle – store-bought or make your own following the steps below Hemp cord Hook-eye screws Ribbons, fall foliage, pumpkins, etc Hot glue Paint and paintbrush Stencil – feel free to use ours, or make your own...

We live in the desert of Phoenix, AZ so outdoor play usually involves water! This underwater viewer is simple, can be made using whatever you have in your recycle bin and helps the kids discover a little more of the world around them. Start with a cylindrical plastic container with a lid. This is a fun project to try with different sized containers to see which you like best!...

Supplies for Rolled Ice Cream Balls: your favorite flavor of ice cream small scoop, mine is a 1-1/2 inch scoop small bowls toppings: pretzels, chocolate chips, chocolate mint chunks, chocolate toffee chunks small tray wax paper TIP: You want your ice cream as FROZEN as possible First we made some pretzel toppings, (although after too long in the freezer, these got a little soft and not so crunchy. These would be better for just a quick topping, but still really good!...

This lovely lady pictured below is my beautiful Aunt Gwen! I’m lucky enough to live nearby her, and had such a fun visit talking all about her creativity! My Aunt Gwen has been oil painting landscapes on canvas for many years now. And even at the age of 85, she’s showing no signs of slowing down! Such an inspiration to us all. In the community where Gwen lives, they offer a wondering opportunity for artists to show off their work, so it has kept Gwen active and engaged with her creativity....

DIY rag rug A rag rug is a perfect way to use fabric scraps. It doesn’t matter how long each piece is, or how many different patterns and colors you use. You don’t even need expert sewing skills. The supplies below are what I used to make a rag rug that is 36 inches wide. Supplies: Fabric strips Bonnie 6mm 100 yard craft cord – this one doesn’t absorb water so won’t get moldy if you need to wash your rug 4 ply (or wider) jute cord Sewing machine 3 reels of white cotton Scissors...

Supplies for Wipe Off Picture Frames: glass or plastic picture frame, any size or shape – I like the kind with a magnet back, so I can hang them on my fridge wipe off dry erase markers tissues printed out family photos Place in your photo. 2. Using your dry erase markers, draw on a funny picture. 3. Wipe off the drawings with a tissue and start over. Here’s a photo of my husband and I a few years back....

These monsters can be crafted and created with almost any supply and in any shape or size! Give your monster horns, teeth, goofy hair, and lots of googly eyes! I’m sharing the step-by-step instructions for these cute monster puppets over at Creative Child Magazine. Head over to see the full tutorial and other great child-inspired articles!