POM Wonderful- Jello Jigglers

.....continued from Fall in Love with POM Wonderful.  
♥ This recipe is full of healthy juice and love for the kids.  And it tastes so yummy!
A fun activity and after-school snack for the month of February. ♥

POM-Strawberry Jello Jigglers  
adapted from Jigglin' Juicy Juice Snacks

♥ makes 6 thicker good-sized jello hearts ♥

1 cup P♥M Wonderful

½ cup water

2 (3 oz. each) packages or 1 (6 oz.) package strawberry gelatin

Boil POM and water.  Remove from heat and stir gelatin in completely.

Pour in 2 quart casserole dish.  Refrigerate for 2-3 hours until set.
Run bottom of pan under hot water for 10 or so seconds.  Cut jello with
heart shape cookie cutter. Remove hearts with flat spatula.  Eat!!

♥ You could also double the recipe, use a different flavor gelatin, and use a different pan size!

*Linked to The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap 2/18/10

Bookworm Beginnings-- Penguins

I checked out a large stack of penguin books in January.  I think penguins are adorable and a must read for winter!  We had fun reading all of them and choosing our favorites.

Augustine by Mélanie Watt

-Image from amazon.ca- 

This book has bold colors and kid-like drawings.  Little Augustine doesn't want to move away to the North Pole far from all her friends and family in the South Pole.  She is very artistic and expresses herself through art.  Every 2 page spread looks like this:

 

I really hope that Augustine can be found on your library shelves!!  I will be adding it to our bookshelf!

Second Pick-

Turtle's Penguin Day by Valeri Gorbachev

   -Image from amazon.com-

This was my son's favorite and we read it 3 times in a row one night!  We loved Turtle's imagination.  His dad read him a penguin bedtime story and the next day he was all about penguins!  He 'dressed' like one for school and the whole class joined in on the fun!  Silly and superb!  It even has extra penguin facts at the end of the book!

The rest of our picks can be found on past posts with the penguin label!  Happy penguin waddling!

                                                   

** Last year we read Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers.
We loved the sweet story and simple drawings.  It's right up there with our top pick!  Silly Eagle Books has a great post about this book and two fun snow/ice activities to go along with it! 

-Image from penguin.com-

S is for Snowman

A winter tradition we have is to make a SNOWMAN!  Our snow was wet enough to pack earlier in the week and my daughter happily made a snowman with only a little help from me. We have a wooden kit with a long carrot nose perfect for a larger snowman.  This smaller snowman has a nose like Pinocchio!

A snowman looks great no matter what you choose to build him with! Here's two more of our silly snowman pics:

Three fun kits:

▬ Buy a Snowman Building Kit from Bronner's
▬ Make a Snowman on the Go kit from Make and Takes

▬ Make a Snowman Kit from Make It Do

You can have fun indoors too with snowman stuff!

○ Frosty and Friends craft on Parents

○ Frosty the Snowpuddle treat from Gourmet Mom on-the-Go

○ Snowman on a Stick snack on Family Fun

○ Smiling Snowman Cake on Family Fun

○ Snowman Cake Pops from Bakerella

○ Once There Was a Snowman song with Music from LDS.org
○ one, two, and three online Build a Snowman activities on akidsheart.com

Stick Puzzles

I babysat a lot as a teenager and had a fun bag that the kids enjoyed.  In my bag was videos, puzzles, treats, books and games.  My senior year of high school I was a preschool teacher and more good things were added to my fun bag like file folder games and popsicle stick puzzles.  My little sis was my artist back then and did the cute elmo and worm puzzle. Stick puzzles are a simple and fun craft!

•Tape, number/add a symbol, draw/color, untape/stick in labeled baggie•

I like big Woodsie craft sticks for these puzzles much better than popsicle sticks. My daughter's the artist of this robot puzzle.  She sometimes 'cheats' when putting the puzzles together by looking at the numbers on the back.  The numbers/symbols are also good to keep track of which sticks belong where if you get more than one puzzle out at a time.

▬ linked to Kiddos Create and Friday's Showcase ▬

Reuse a Box for Organizing

I have an organizing fetish and like to think 'outside the box' for cheap ways to do it!  I hold on to a good cardboard box for a while before I recycle it just in case I come up with an idea. 

Three ways I've reused a box to organize:

I was tired of straightening my son's coloring books on his big bookshelf so I found a solution with a diaper wipe box. I covered it with foam from the dollar store and let my little dude paint on two sides.  I'm happy with the results.






My crafty area can get pretty messy.  Baby/toddler shoe boxes hold little things like glue and embellishments perfectly.  I keep the decorated boxes on top of my scrapbook compartments.  Find some cheap patterned papers and go to town!




My head goes nuts when toys don't have a place!  When we lived in a 2 bedroom apartment I had to organize my kids small bedroom/playroom so I felt calm while in the room.  Cheap card stock along with packing tape was how I covered some good boxes for toys.


I also like to get rid of things while organizing.  This week's resolution for the Happiness Challenge was to toss and organize.  It was way too easy for me and I already had it on my big list so I tackled my storage room piles!  Gretchin says, "For most people, outer order contributes to inner calm."  Yep, it really does!

▬ Linked to Works For Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family

Friendly Blogger: Vanessa from Silly Eagle Books

Vanessa is the 'author' of the blog Silly Eagle Books.  She's also mom to a 3 year old girl and an avid children's vintage book collector!  Through reading her blog I know that she is a dedicated mom who spends quality time with her daughter.  She lets her former English teacher/writer/editor background shine through in her blog writing.  Some of my favorites about Silly Eagle Books are the photos Vanessa shares out of books, the book posts that have a suggested activity (easy preschool time ☺), and the simplicity of the blog.  There's a sweet story behind the naming of the blog and you can read about that on her FAQ page!

I wanted to get to know Vanessa a little more so I asked her some questions:

Head on over to Silly Eagle Books for good book reading suggestions and easy crafts too!

Two Fun Ideas for Playing in the Snow

Our snow is dried out and crusty so we can't make snow angels or a snowman.  That won't stop us from having fun outside though!

I found this colored ice cubes activity on Parents.com-- 20 Games to Play in the Snow.  My kids ask often to have a colored ice cube scavenger hunt.  I keep the colored ice in a bag in the freezer.  Salad tongs add more fun and help prevent gloves becoming soaked.  If you don't have ice cube trays use small plastic containers.  A scavenger hunt for colored ice would be fun in any season!!  In the summer it would be a race to find them before they melt!





A home preschool activity in January '08- color the snow.  My daughter had a lot of fun!  All it takes is food coloring and water in a good spray bottle.

Dress-Up Capes

Capes are so much fun for kids to have in their dress-up box.  My little dude has 3-- one cut from an old sheet, a super tee (link to SuperMom Central below), and a Klutz cape.  He 'flies around' the house as a SUPERHERO quite often saving the day and being imaginative!

CREATE

▬ super easy, super fast, super hero capes from Creative Kismet
▬ Simple Superhero Cape Tutorial from Creation Corner  
▬ make an easy Custom Cape on Family Fun
▬ sew a Hooded Play Cape from Dollar Store Crafts
▬ simple Super Tee from SuperMom Central
▬ Superhero Cape from puking pastilles 
▬ Superhero Costume from Get Your Craft On
▬ Easy Sew Super Hero Cape on Craft & Fabric Links

BUY

▬ Capes and Masks from babypop designs
▬ The Superhero Starter Kit from Klutz
▬ Super Capes from the Dress-Up Drawer

Crafty CD Case

 Last month on Making Memories blog I saw a CD Holder idea made with paper that I knew I had to make.  I've downloaded lots of free music specifically for my mom and needed something to hold the CD's.  I love how these turned out.  I tweaked the measurements after I made the first one.  My husband mentioned that he thought paper could scratch CD's so I also added the foam circle.  The foam helps the CD to stay in the case a little tighter too.

Here's my picture tutorial.  Click on each pic for instructions.:

 

 

 

 

**Skip step 3 if you want to make the case with one piece of cardstock.

National Bird Day

Today, January 5, is National Bird Day!

◘ Make a craft to watch and feed the birds:

     -easy t.p. roll binoculars 

     -bird feeder with a bottle or a pine cone

◘ Take a Bird Call Quiz!

◘ Do you know your State Bird?  Utah's is the Common American Gull (a.k.a. Seagull) and they eat trash and are noisy! ☺

◘ Print a bird picture for coloring!

Peep and the Big Wide World

-Image from uen.org-

Peep and the Big Wide World is a fun learning show for preschoolers and recommended for ages 3-5.  It explores basic science concepts with nature.  A little about the show: "Set in and around a pond, a bush, and a tin can, the show follows a newly hatched chicken named Peep, and his friends Chirp and Quack (a robin and a duck), on their daily adventures. Surrounding them is a large urban park — a place of great wonder and mystery, a place they are forever eager to explore, a place they call "the big wide world.""

We've checked out Peep DVD's from our library many times and enjoy it!  A new season begins Jan. 2010 on public television- it's a WGBH program.  In Utah you can watch Peep and the Big Wide World on digital channel 9.1 (uen).

For every story there are 2 recommended books!  Just like Sesame Street, this can be an easy and fun preschool time with your child.
* Play games with Peep and Friends or find some activities!
* It's narrated by Joan Cusack.  See why she loves this show!

Reindeer Memory Game

I made a fun reindeer memory game with these free printable Reindeer Tags from babalisme.  She uses scribd.com to share her printables so if you want the reindeer you have to sign-up!


Here's my tutorial if you'd like to use packing tape to cover them!

 

Supplies: 2 sheets of reindeer, card stock, glue stick, good packing tape, small baggie

1- cut out all reindeer

2- cut card stock squares (height 1 7/8"x width 2"-- measure exact to fit packing tape size)

3- (skip to #4 if only using squares) cut card stock circles-- if you don't have a circle punch/cutter it might be easier to glue reindeer first and then cut around them

4- glue reindeer to card stock with a small dot of glue  

5- lay down a 4½" or 5" piece of packing tape sticky side up and place one square/circle face side down to right half of the tape carefully making sure it fits in tape height and then fold over the rest of the piece to cover the back-- cut off extra tape

6- tape 'Reindeer' and some of the festive border on a snack-size bag to hold game

7- Have fun playing memory!!

* I made my game with both circles and squares to hopefully make it easier for my 3 year old to find matches. *

Button Fun for the Season

Homemade Gifts for Kids to Make:

◘  Button Bookmarks on Family Fun  ◘

◘  Button Baubles on Family Fun  ◘

Crafts for Kids:

◘  Snowman Button Mosaic from Flipflops and Applesauce  ◘

◘  Button Snowflake Ornament on Parents  ◘

Peppermint Candy Ornaments

Two years ago I saw a segment on Decorating with Peppermint on Studio 5 (a morning show in Utah) and I got excited about the peppermint ornaments.  I made 20+ for my tree and they're my favorite ornaments.  These would make great neighbor gifts and a whole set could be a unique gift for newlyweds!

• Arrange 5 to 6 peppermints on a foil lined pan with space in between each candy (start with making 2 or 3 first to see how they turn out)
• Bake at 250° for 10-15 minutes-- watch closely 

After all the melting is complete:
• *Spray one side with sealer-- allow to dry
• Spray the other side with sealer-- allow to dry
• Tie a ribbon around each ornament

*Spray in a well-ventilated area with newspaper down and wax paper under the ornaments.

A big bag (over 3 lbs.) of Brach peppermint candies at Walmart is under $5.  I made some green ones with the Great Value brand and they still turned out. I spent around $11.00 to make 30 ornaments (includes mess-ups).  You will have plenty of mess-ups-- sometimes they cracked after cooking and many times just one candy didn't want to melt good and it ruined the whole ornament.  When storing, layer them on wax paper in a small box and keep in a normal/cool temperature area if possible.

Barbie Kelly Dolls

 Barbie Kelly Dolls are cute and age-appropriate for my 6 year old daughter.  She has a Kelly Club 5 set (the 'hair stylist' gave them updated looks last Christmas Eve) and has a fun time with them.

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CONS: Changing outfits can be difficult for little hands.  The shoes are even smaller than regular Barbie so they're even easier to lose!  The legs won't do a complete 90° angle to sit right.  Kelly Dolls are almost non-existent in local stores.  Every little girl wants a wardrobe for her doll but you have to search for clothes online and most of the time pay unreasonable prices for them.

PROS:  Like I said, they're age-appropriate for little girls.  They have adorable clothes that are cutesy and girly.  Role playing with Kelly Dolls is a lot less dramatic than with Barbies.  They take up very little space since they don't drive cars or own homes.  They're too young to have boyfriends or bras.

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Search 'Kelly Club 5 Dolls', 'Kelly Dolls'  or 'Barbie I Can Be Kelly' on Amazon and eBay.  There are seller stores on eBay that sell individual dolls, clothes, outfits, shoes and accessories (on the left side do a search for 'kelly dolls' under where it says 'Search for a Store').


♥ My daughter's getting the Barbie I Can Be... Kelly Professions set from Grandma for Christmas.  Tip- On Amazon the picture isn't always the exact product.  If you look at this picture or view all the images you might be confused.  Scroll down and look at Product Features and 4 dolls are listed.
2/2010- After playing with this set with my daughter I noticed they're slightly larger than the Kelly Club 5 dolls she has.