Warm and cozy hand-knit cozies (or sweaters) are the perfect addition to your vases and winter floral arrangements this season. Supplies: Vase Yarn – we used Bernat Blanket Twist in cream Knitting needles – we used size 8 Yarn sewing needle Scissors Tape measure Hemp cord (optional) Instructions: The first thing you need to do is work out the measurements for your knitting. How to calculate stitches needed Measure how many inches are around your vase....
We love having a special family toast at midnight, and this year my girls will be toasting with these colorful fancy layered drinks. These drinks are so fun to make and delicious to drink. My girls have made quite a few “test” versions in preparation for New Year’s Eve! It’s almost time to ring the New Year! We’ll be spending the evening at home, eating our traditional nacho dinner, playing board games, and watching a slideshow of the year’s photos....
However, the idea of canning, preserving and storing produce for the winter is a great way to keep your family eating healthy all year long and doing your part to preserve planet earth. Yes, I know, it’s 2011 and fresh produce is in season “somewhere” any time of year. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Seriously, have you thought about the carbon footprint of a banana or the pesticide levels found in Chilean grapes?...
Make a No-Sew Superhero Cape It’s time for a little imagination as my girls pretend play with a new no-sew superhero cape! This DIY tutorial is “super” quick and easy to make, helping your little ones get their superhero powers in no time. For today’s superhero tutorial, we are partnering with one of the silliest book series around, Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey and Scholastic, as we find our own inner superhero!...
You might think the mango/chocolate combination sounds weird, but don’t be scared, this quick bread is divine. My husband was scared to try it, but he fell in love with this bread after one bite. The sweet juicy mango chunks add a nice pop of color and flavor to the bread. And I promise the chocolate fits right in with the moist mango bread. You can never go wrong with adding in chocolate:) The bread is easy to make and is perfect for a breakfast treat, after school snack, or even dessert....
Supplies for Marshmallow Straw Structures: large marshmallows bendable straws scissors Cut your straws in half, thirds, or fourths with your scissors Attach a marshmallow to one end of your straw. And keep adding straws and marshmallows to create your structure! TIP: twist your straw into the marshmallow to help it go in and through at least half way. We’ve had fun with these building blocks in our Building Block Birthday Party....
As soon as the temperatures started cooling off a tiny bit, my girls declared it hot cocoa season once again! While we usually drink our cocoa straight-up chocolate flavor, we also enjoy experimenting with different spices and extracts. Of course, October calls for some delicious pumpkin spice hot cocoa! Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa Ingredients: 3/4 cup warm milk (or milk alternative – we like unsweetened vanilla almond milk) 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey (or use regular sugar if you prefer) 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice...
With a pattern of simple squares we are mainly playing with the fabric design to get the look that we want. There are lots of options here: alternating lights and darks, diagonal rows by colors, etc. There’s no right or wrong – just personal preferences. For this project I chose to go ‘scrappy’ – meaning there’s no rhyme or reason to how I laid it out other than I just liked the way it looked – and I tried to balance the solids, prints and colors....
Today’s kid friendly craft tutorial is not only calorie free, mess-free and fun for all ages BUT it’s also super simple, completely customizable and made with everyday supplies you probably have hiding in your home right now! Hello inexpensive!!! With just some old CDs, colorful tissue paper, glue and a little imagination – you too can make this simple Recycled CD Ice Cream kid craft with your child within minutes!...
I save Meyer lemons for special recipes. (I’m not squeezing them into my water.) Lemon curd is a great way to enjoy the unique flavor of Meyer lemons. Lemon curd is a favorite around our house. We usually have a jar in the fridge to spread on toast or a scone. I’ve included other uses below, including my favorite–on a spoon. This is a really rich, buttery lemon curd. If you want to, cut back on the butter by 4 tablespoons for a lighter lemon curd, or use 2 additional whole eggs instead of the 4 egg yolks....
I love pipe cleaners–there are a million things you can do with them! They come in tons of colors, are cheap and readily available at your local craft or dollar store. My three year-old son is just starting to discover dinosaurs (his favorite: the T-Rex. How do boys learn this stuff? Is it just part of their DNA?), so we decided to make these dinosaur toys out of pipe cleaners, inspired by a Family Fun magazine activity....
I love apricots with these cornmeal shortcakes and a sprinkle of chopped almonds. A scoop or two of vanilla ice cream is wonderful, but if you’re feeling extra naughty, a scoop of salted butter caramel or dulce de leche ice cream would not be unwelcome. Two of my neighbors have gorgeous apricot trees that have been completely overloaded with these gorgeous, blushing fruits. I like to use apricots raw in smoothies and salads....
I was looking for a new twist to add to our usual date cards or coupons, when I came across scratch-off stickers – so perfect! I created a date coupon printable, filled in some fun parent/child dates, and put a scratch-off sticker on each coupon. I’m ready to surprise my favorite kiddos with some fun date cards! Supplies for Scratch-off Parent & Child Date Coupons Print the date coupon printable on card stock paper and cut apart the four coupons....
Supplies: rayon/cotton knit or jersey knit scissors cutting mat (optional) Instructions: Find a rayon/cotton knit or jersey knit–something that is soft and has a little stretch. If you find 60″ width fabric you can get four single-layer scarves out of one 2-yard piece. Fold it a couple of times length-wise so it will fit your cutting mat, then use a quilting ruler and rotary cutter to cut it in four equal pieces....
It is so easy to make homemade cookies! If you love caramel and pretzels, you have to give these cookies a go. You may find yourself loving them more than any other cookie recipe. Absolutely not kidding. These salted caramel cookies are a little crisp around the edges, but so soft and chewy towards the center. They are everything you would expect and much more! Each warm bite, asks for more…....
I recently did a call for recipes on my food blog, asking people to share their favorite recipes using beans. A lovely reader named Anne shared a very simple and intriguing recipe, Black Bean Brownies. It caught my attention. I emailed her, got a few details, and decided I would have to try the recipe out. And then I remembered something. Way back in the day when I bought the book Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld, I tried several recipes in that book....
If you are making these turkey puppets with little ones, you can prep the puppets in advance (steps 1-3). Then, they can join in with the decorating and embellishing. Supplies: For each turkey puppet, you need: 1 sheet of brown construction paper orange and red construction paper scraps 1 jumbo craft stick white glue colorful craft feathers black marker or googly eyes Step 1: On the brown paper, trace two circles, using a round dish or lid....
1. Dissect an apple: Get one red ripe apple and cut it in half. Let the kids use their five senses to investigate their apple. Feel, Smell, Taste, Hear, & See. What’s it all about? What is inside? Look at the core. Talk about the seeds and count how many there are. What shapes come with an apple? 2. Let the apples rot: Now cut the apple into pieces. You will get to see what happens to each piece of the apple as time takes it toll....
We’ve already started filling the pockets with places we want to go, new things to try, goals to work toward, and fun family activities. We’re each planning to think of 15 things in honor of the year 2015! Want to make your own wishes book? First, let’s make a simple accordion book with pockets. These little books can be used for all kinds of things, and they stand up for displaying, too....
15 Healthy Snacks to Start the New Year Off Right Banana Chocolate Chip Energy Bites: If you want a little something sweet with a boost of energy, these bites are what you need! Find the recipe over at Organize Yourself Skinny. Garlic Parmesan Sugar Snap Peas: So tasty, you’ll forget you’re eating veggies. Find the recipe over at Diethood. ABC Smoothies: These smoothies are as easy as ABC! Find the recipe over at Make and Takes....
