tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65951622963400112332024-03-14T06:57:46.864-04:00Lesson Plans PlusThis blog is an extension of my website (www.LessonPlansPlus.com) and is a place to share and receive practical parenting and teaching ideas. I will share fun preschool crafts and field trip ideas as well as other things related to teaching and raising preschool aged childrenKimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.comBlogger153125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-68518170455738748132016-02-10T11:50:00.001-05:002016-02-10T11:50:48.027-05:00Valentine Silly Slime! When I was teaching preschool, the children loved to play with homemade goop / silly slime. I made it a few times each school year for the kids to enjoy. It can be a bit messy so I had the children put an over sized t-shirt or apron on over their clothing. I also gave each child a tray / cookie sheet to keep their small batch of slime on while they played with it.<br />
<br />
I came across this recipe for <a href="http://thenerdswife.com/valentine-slime.html">Valentine Slime</a>. It's the same recipe that I used but I usually added food coloring to white glue and sometimes I added glitter too. I like the ides of buying colored glue and also adding confetti for some extra Valentine sparkle! Enjoy!Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-68600189176022407302015-09-22T12:33:00.002-04:002015-09-22T12:33:26.671-04:00Halloween, Treats and Food AllergiesIf you have a child with food allergies, you know how scary a holiday like Halloween can be, and I'm talking about more than just scary costumes or creepy yards. Most kids who participate in activities such as trick or treat, trunk or treat or even church harvest festivals will unwrap and pop a piece of candy in their mouth before you even notice. <br />
<br />
Last year, I heard about the teal pumpkin project. Basically, if you have a teal pumpkin outside, it is a symbol that you are offering non-food treats for the kids. Although I had already bought candy before I heard of this, I thought it was a good idea. I have a daughter who has struggled with some dye allergies so I can appreciate it when something other than candy is offered. It's also nice for kids with braces who can't eat the chewy treats. I did not put out a teal pumpkin because I had candy but I also offered non-food items like spider rings, Play-Doh, sunglasses, etc. I let the kids decide which bowl they wanted to choose from. Glow sticks would be another fun alternative and you can get them inexpensively from Dollar stores. For anyone who might consider participating, here is more information on the <a href="http://www.foodallergy.org/teal-pumpkin-project#.VgF7et9Viko">Teal Pumpkin Project</a>.<br />
<br />
This year, I'm thinking I will buy some books of Frosty coupons from Wendy's. A book of 5 Jr. Frosty coupons is only $1.00 and the proceeds go to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. 100 coupons for $20.00 seems like a great deal. The money goes for a great cause and I think most kids would love a <a href="https://www.wendys.com/en-us/foster-care">free frosty</a>.Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-67395898821975736952015-09-08T15:40:00.001-04:002015-09-08T15:40:31.995-04:00Autumn Leaf Mason Jars & Fun Idea's with Leaves!Although the heat of summer is still here, Autumn is quickly approaching! I've already noticed some of the leaves on the trees starting to change. Most of the leaves are still green but I see splashes of orange, red and yellow here and there. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
When I was teaching preschool, I took my students on a leaf collection nature walk every fall. I gave each of the children a bag to collect pretty leaves on our walk. The leaves were used for sorting, rubbings, our sensory tub and all sorts of fun activities. I recently found a really easy and pretty fall craft to do with my own children. Autumn leaf mason jar candle holders. All you need is a collection of leaves, a mason jar, Mod Podge and a paint brush or sponge brush. Even very young children can help collect leaves for this project. When working with young children, the adult may want to do the Mod Podge but older children can do this with supervision. The festive jars would be a beautiful decoration for the Autumn months. I think they would look really pretty on a table decorated for Thanksgiving. Put a tea light candle inside and enjoy! Check out the link for pictures and directions. <a href="http://www.sparkandchemistry.com/craft-it-blog/leaf-mason-jar-candle-holder">Autumn Leaf Mason Jars</a>.</div>
Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-42425770564004338712015-06-30T00:04:00.000-04:002015-06-30T00:04:55.992-04:00Fourth of July Fun Ideas! Fireworks Art & Food!This would be an easy & fun patriotic art project for preschool and Kindergarten children. You will need a fork, red, white and blue paint and construction paper to make these <a href="http://athriftymom.com/fireworks-painted-with-a-fork-quick-and-easy-craft-project-for-kids-july4th-usa/">Fireworks!</a><br />
<br />
How cute and yummy is this Fourth of July toast for breakfast? Give it a try and find out! <a href="http://www.tasteandtellblog.com/4th-of-july-week-4th-of-july-toast/">Patriotic Flag Toast!</a><br />
<br />
For a fun and healthy Fourth of July snack, make fruit kabobs into the shape of the American Flag. <a href="http://lovinourchaos.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/4th-of-July-Party-2012-002.jpg">Patriotic Fruit Kabobs!</a>Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-62620615720439102402015-06-10T12:11:00.002-04:002015-06-10T12:11:21.818-04:00Free Family Friendly and Kid's Activities.I recently found out about this really cool program in Michigan. You can use your library card as a pass for some great free activities. Print a pass that is good for 7 days ands gets you free access to many state parks, campgrounds, museums, etc. I don't know if other states are doing this too but what a neat idea! Check out the link and if you live in Michigan, type in your zip code to see what is available. <a href="http://www.plymouthrockets.com/prmaps/code/index.cfm?mn=628322">Michigan Activity Pass.</a>Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-23592541829128206212015-03-27T20:57:00.000-04:002015-03-27T20:57:50.619-04:00Fun Easter Crafts & Homemade GiftsEaster will be here soon and I found some super cute and easy to make gifts. I'm thinking about doing a couple of these with my kids. <a href="http://lilluna.com/egg-cellent-easter-gift-idea/">Cute & Crafty Easter Gifts!</a> Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-27351132068189334682014-10-06T20:18:00.001-04:002014-10-06T20:19:06.722-04:00Fall Leaf Art & AnimalsI found this adorable art project today. Another fun way to use the beautiful leaves that kids love to collect. <a href="http://www.kidsomania.com/15-cool-applique-ideas-from-autumn-leaves/">Leaf animal art</a>. I especially love the fox and hedgehog! So cute! Happy fall!Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-38229671975562221342014-08-29T00:48:00.000-04:002014-08-29T00:48:16.268-04:00Looking for some Creative Inspiration? Check out our Preschool Lesson Plans!Do you need some creative inspiration? It's back to school time and preschoolers like to stay busy. Be sure to check out our lesson plans over at the Lesson Plans Plus website. They are fun, educational, easy to use and inexpensive. You can even download a sample lesson plan for free! <a href="http://www.lessonplansplus.com/About%20the%20lessons.html">Preschool Lesson Plans at Lesson Plans Plus.</a>Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-16066990437474527152014-08-25T01:26:00.005-04:002014-08-25T01:26:35.849-04:00 Our Summer Fun & Books to Read for Back to School Time!Here in Michigan, we are entering our final week of summer. I've had a super fun and busy summer with my family. We've enjoyed lots of adventures including camping, an amusement park (first time my kids rode roller coasters!), a trip to Wisconsin and lots of sightseeing in northern Michigan and Michigan's upper Peninsula. We've enjoyed beaches and the beauty of three of the great lakes this summer. Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Superior. As always, I'm sad for our summer fun to end but I also look forward to fall fun. Next week it is back to school time! One of my favorite books to read to little ones is "The Kissing Hand" by Audrey Penn. Such a sweet book! My girls used to really enjoy this one. Another cute book to read before the first day of preschool is "Maisy Goes to Preschool" by Lucy Cousin's. "Miss Bindergarten Get's Ready for Kindergarten" by Joseph Slate is another fun book. Best wishes to all of the moms, teachers and children for a wonderful new school year! It seems like yesterday when I was trying to hold back tears (not very successfully) and sending my twins off to Kindergarten. Let me know if you have any favorite back to school books. Enjoy!Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-66295491754322699762014-07-10T18:24:00.001-04:002014-07-10T18:24:46.483-04:00Our Dog Kissing Our New Baby BunnyI love summer fun and being home with my kids. My husband and I gave our girls an old cell phone and they have been using it to take videos of our animals. Sometimes they get really into movie making by creating and using props. Our bunny Peppermint is usually the star of the show. They call it "Pep TV". It's been a fun summer activity for them. I recently went through some older videos and found a super cute video of our dog Charley meeting and interacting with our bunny, Peppermint. There are no props or planned scenes in this video. Just Pep and Charley giving each other some love. It's one of our favorites. The kids wanted to put the video on You Tube so others could enjoy it too.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/IGfox6RskD0" width="480"></iframe><br />Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-3235924051008781482014-01-27T11:14:00.000-05:002014-01-27T11:21:17.312-05:00Lot's of Snow!Here in Michigan, we are getting dumped on with snow! Today is a snow day at our house. Usually on snow days, my kids love to go outside to build forts, sled down our side hill in the yard, and make snow art. I fill several plastic spray bottles with water and food coloring. My kids go outside and spray paint designs in the snow. My yard usually fills up with neighbor friends too so it's nice to have a few spray bottles handy. Today (and tomorrow) it's too cold to go outside. When my kids were toddler and preschool age, I used to bring the snow inside. I also used to put snow in the sensory table bins when I taught preschool. At home, I used a big plastic Rubbermaid style bin or filled the bathtub with snow. Just have the kids wear mittens, put towels on the floor and let the fun begin. Snow ice cream is also lots of fun to make and eat. Here is a recipe that I posted awhile back for some yummy <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6595162296340011233#editor/target=post;postID=8000439990716425039;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=9;src=postname">snow ice cream</a>. Another fun thing to do is have an easy arts and crafts day. Coffee filter snow flakes are always fun and easy to make. They look pretty hanging in the windows. <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6595162296340011233#editor/target=post;postID=8852356270508545022;onPublishedMenu=posts;onClosedMenu=posts;postNum=21;src=postname">Homemade play dough</a> is great for keeping those little hands busy on indoor days too. I recently saw a recipe for super soft play dough. The ingredients are 1 part conditioner to 2 parts corn starch. You can also add a couple drops of food coloring if you want to add color. Put the conditioner in a bowl and add the corn starch. Stir together and then add the food coloring and work it through with your hands. I suggest wearing some latex or vinyl gloves so your hands don't get stained. I have not personally tried this version of play dough but it sounds like it would be worth a try. Happy snow day fun!<br />
Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-80048600933070145402013-08-11T22:23:00.000-04:002013-08-11T22:23:11.182-04:00Field trip tips everyone needs to know!I just finished a new field trip article on the Lesson Plans Plus website. This is a must-read for anyone who is thinking about planning a field trip. Let me help take the stress out of planning by sharing my tricks and tips. I even added a handy checklist to make your planning as easy as can be. Check it out and tell me what you think.<br />
<br />
<strong><a href="http://www.lessonplansplus.com/Field%20trip%20tricks%20and%20tips.html">How to plan a successful field trip.</a></strong>Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-31169931066786131572013-08-04T22:08:00.000-04:002013-08-04T22:08:01.119-04:00Fun at the AirportI had a spontaneous and fun evening with my family tonight. We packed up dinner (my yummy chicken salad and fresh picked blueberries) and had a picnic at the airport viewing area. At our local airport, there is a nice area with picnic tables where you can sit and watch the planes come in and also take off down the runway. It was neat to watch the airplanes up close. We also found a radio station where we could hear the air traffic controllers and pilots. Pretty cool. My kids did not want to leave. I'm pretty sure we will do this again sometime.Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-52437719276429892022013-07-11T10:47:00.000-04:002013-07-11T10:47:46.758-04:00Tour and Breakfast on the Farm.While shopping at a farmers market over the weekend, I noticed a poster at one of the tables that said "Breakfast on the Farm". I talked to the farmer about it and she offered me free tickets to the event. As it turns out, the breakfast on the farm event is a Michigan State University Extension. Families get a tour of the farm, learn about milking cows, get to pet a calf, see the farm equipment, take wagon ride, learn where food comes from, eat ice cream and also eat a farm fresh breakfast. I'm really excited to take my kids to this event. It should be a really fun learning experience for our whole family. Breakfast on the Farm is hosted at various farms in Michigan. If you live too far to take advantage of one of these great events, you could do a search or ask around at farmers markets in your area to see if something similar is offered near you. I love finding new, fun, educational activities for my family. <a href="http://www.breakfastonthefarm.com/about"> Breakfast on the Farm.</a>Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-47006900460803280502013-07-03T14:33:00.000-04:002013-07-03T14:33:14.617-04:00Getting Ready for Fourth of July! Baking Day with the Kids!My kids and I have been busy in the kitchen today. I let them create some fun designs in our cupcakes before baking. They had so much fun with this and the cupcake batter turned out really cute. I almost hate to decorate them and cover up their creativity. I'm sure they will have fun with the frosting part too though. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1fA8xnduof-Qwld_fAVf7DN4U8FiJ7xCtuFMLm77eyvQR1CMOUh1fJPRIfihROMZUiStSyQm1kpaQv-KGr-OMFbMWg8G6E9T2KlS24ftZOD7SB1KSJkVbeYqgm1CkR8EEWwFVxLHlNM/s1600/IMG_8209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO1fA8xnduof-Qwld_fAVf7DN4U8FiJ7xCtuFMLm77eyvQR1CMOUh1fJPRIfihROMZUiStSyQm1kpaQv-KGr-OMFbMWg8G6E9T2KlS24ftZOD7SB1KSJkVbeYqgm1CkR8EEWwFVxLHlNM/s320/IMG_8209.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbmnSWG7TqEGDxCeDEpNKNzgflAdjbGarLfys5QJSnHTxa7Wu9asu3sz8KnamAe8lMAvxoKzts5DFVixzrMPIAge2t1_8YKs50Aj2gCWxUWDxRWku7sA4wbJTUTgn-5zSbuq4q7j93qw/s1600/IMG_8229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbmnSWG7TqEGDxCeDEpNKNzgflAdjbGarLfys5QJSnHTxa7Wu9asu3sz8KnamAe8lMAvxoKzts5DFVixzrMPIAge2t1_8YKs50Aj2gCWxUWDxRWku7sA4wbJTUTgn-5zSbuq4q7j93qw/s320/IMG_8229.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIr9vezdyOf-N1NTBOVi0UIcVq2Tz4IrxaTLwyMeVuU4PzyNm39ab5wLeQNRHtQ11jQHwCgbUBnuknQVsZDMoaZBevQ9v2EKoW79INUS1pyIP16ew3sWXyq00g_aOHQ5pUXwQe5s8GPA/s1600/IMG_8243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxIr9vezdyOf-N1NTBOVi0UIcVq2Tz4IrxaTLwyMeVuU4PzyNm39ab5wLeQNRHtQ11jQHwCgbUBnuknQVsZDMoaZBevQ9v2EKoW79INUS1pyIP16ew3sWXyq00g_aOHQ5pUXwQe5s8GPA/s320/IMG_8243.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTmFut4_vby-_9IR7JmkqDVFPFFCIXOb86rLVoxCiI_BCOVA4B4Y0gYjaQe66OpYDfiSbTA93dmHDXWYqmn8FXlp1U322yaKfql3JOC_7qqiJbuVfmco0pSS1rcqdIrVuORWKNAmnMRg/s1600/IMG_8246.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTmFut4_vby-_9IR7JmkqDVFPFFCIXOb86rLVoxCiI_BCOVA4B4Y0gYjaQe66OpYDfiSbTA93dmHDXWYqmn8FXlp1U322yaKfql3JOC_7qqiJbuVfmco0pSS1rcqdIrVuORWKNAmnMRg/s320/IMG_8246.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CceHmgoMserFuRG7v068KJB0cTu4B_hb-mlKd1XWAgVav0Eg_shBztj4F38KCNdmjhHNDo0ZwDLk3ax8ryikqCIWIbB90jivwHwvaSPr3uSn1j4oG9O-xrzeriioibngidj1SJxWITc/s1600/IMG_8245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_CceHmgoMserFuRG7v068KJB0cTu4B_hb-mlKd1XWAgVav0Eg_shBztj4F38KCNdmjhHNDo0ZwDLk3ax8ryikqCIWIbB90jivwHwvaSPr3uSn1j4oG9O-xrzeriioibngidj1SJxWITc/s320/IMG_8245.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-67452095166823159532013-07-03T12:27:00.001-04:002013-07-03T12:27:44.430-04:00Fourth of July Treats!My sister's birthday is on July 4th and every year we have a family get together for a combined holiday / birthday celebration. My girls and I are making cupcakes. I was thinking of doing either red, white and blue cupcakes or a flag cake. I did some searching and found the best of both worlds, a cupcake flag cake! So easy and cute! <a href="http://www.wilton.com/idea/One-Flag-for-All">Cupcake Flag Cake.</a> <br />
<br />
Another cute and easy idea that would be fun for little kitchen helpers is <a href="http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/07/red-white-and-blue-patriotic-strawberries/">Red, White and Blue Strawberries.</a> Instead of using white chocolate, you could substitute yogurt instead. Of course, the yogurt would not harden and you would need to keep it cold.<br />
<br />
When I was growing up, my grandma used to make a fun flag cake each Fourth of July. It was so easy and cute. She made a white cake, frosted it with whipped cream and then used blueberries and strawberries to make it look like the USA flag. I was always so impressed with that cake as a child :) It looked a lot like this <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/red-white-and-blue-strawberry-shortcake/">flag cake.</a><br />
<br />
My kids and I went sweet cherry picking a couple of days ago and we are also making sweet cherry muffins today. We'll eat them for breakfast Fourth of July morning. I'm going to try this<a href="http://www.lovingmydomesticlife.com/2009/06/fresh-cherry-muffins.html"> cherry muffin recipe</a>. We're not going to add blueberries this time but I was just thinking you could make them more festive by adding blueberries too.<br />
<br />
For those of you celebrating America's birthday, have a fun and safe Independence Day! <br />
Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-70441631458308624372013-06-07T09:53:00.001-04:002013-06-07T09:53:49.041-04:00Fun Themed Summer ScheduleAre you ready for summer? I know I am. It was a wonderful school year but we are all ready for a nice long break! Of course, there will be plenty of learning opportunities and adventures but it will be fun!<br />
<br />
I want to share a cute and fun themed summer schedule with you. This is perfect for moms and kids who are home all summer. Thanks goes to my friend Sarah for sharing this list on another site.<br />
<br />
<li><strong>M</strong>ake-it <strong>M</strong>onday (building projects with K’nex and Lego's or the wood we have in the backyard for the kids to use in building forts, craft projects, art projects, a visit to the library to learn about artists and inventors and engineering – art and building and invention are big things in our family)</li>
<li><strong>T</strong>ake a trip <strong>T</strong>uesday (the park, a museum, a bike ride, a field trip to a historic place, a factory tour, a picnic, a friend’s house…We often invited other kids or other families along)</li>
<li><strong>W</strong>et <strong>W</strong>ednesday (swim/go to a splash pad/play in the sprinklers, often with friends and neighbors)</li>
<li><strong>Th</strong>inking <strong>Th</strong>ursday (research something from our “wondering list” – a list of things we’re wondering about. Last summer we had a great time finding out how to make yogurt, how cars are made, where baby carrots come from and how monster trucks work thanks to YouTube, Wikipedia and library trips)</li>
<li><strong>F</strong>riend <strong>F</strong>riday (everyone can have a friend over – nice to do it all at once and protect our family time during most of the rest of the week. Plus we always have Family Movie Night on Fridays)</li>
<br />
This list is from<a href="http://powerofmoms.com/2012/05/do-it-yourself-summer-camp/"> Power of Moms</a>Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-69380029253472111762013-04-29T11:18:00.003-04:002013-04-29T11:18:30.534-04:00Hydrangea Cupcakes for May Day or Mother's Day!I was searching for a cute May Day treat and I came across these adorable<a href="http://www.glorioustreats.com/2010/07/hydrangea-cupcakes.html"> Hydrangea Cupcakes!</a> They would be really cute for a Mother's Day dinner / lunch dessert too. I love hydrangeas, especially the light blue and purple color! I have three big hydrangea plants in my garden. They are so pretty. I have several Wilton cake tips and I'm pretty sure I have the one used for these cupcakes. I'm going to give it a try! My kids love decorating cookies and cupcakes. It's fun for them to take part in baking / decorating even if the end result doesn't always look exactly as we've envisioned. Here is another link with a <a href="http://www.duncanhines.com/recipes/cupcakes/mqcupcakes/hydrangea-cupcakes">Duncan Hines hydrangea cupcake recipe.</a> Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-1835328230110048062013-04-01T22:06:00.001-04:002013-04-01T22:06:16.846-04:00Fun April Fools Day Prank!Since it's April 1st, I wanted to pull a fun prank on my family today. My kids did a great job pranking me so I thought about what to do all day. Inspiration finally hit a couple of hours before dinner. I decided to make muffin tin meat loafs look like cupcakes. For the frosting, I made mashed potatoes and dyed them blue. It was a fun surprise. My husband thought it was pretty awesome. The kids thought it was funny but they were a little disappointed that we were not having real cupcakes. They were really happy to find out that I also made real (not a prank) chocolate chip muffins for dessert . They had to eat their cupcake before they could get a muffin though. :)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJpWl3WiREVX-jojoK7gPJHFpnSH2uRte14agwym29n16aHyIwsiKv5lEMVSv_URD3ZeSNdCOhoav5co6oiveHkgH36HwWZV-wPyz-s5iqZcQdzmNqHIN9iuUT79-K7uHjoenFr0G4zg/s1600/IMG_7252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKJpWl3WiREVX-jojoK7gPJHFpnSH2uRte14agwym29n16aHyIwsiKv5lEMVSv_URD3ZeSNdCOhoav5co6oiveHkgH36HwWZV-wPyz-s5iqZcQdzmNqHIN9iuUT79-K7uHjoenFr0G4zg/s320/IMG_7252.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5EPOEMGWX71ZlNuXD8GCizqRU5GYWZhzjgePWgKm9hyBFkIhm26kpGF1mICaCgbYIj8-7ct2nF_UoXKpenGbD8ZGbprSfMgIHkwfnHgYiX7kPBSkw8xCNmDvX40pUzLy94_v_b1qqffg/s1600/IMG_7253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5EPOEMGWX71ZlNuXD8GCizqRU5GYWZhzjgePWgKm9hyBFkIhm26kpGF1mICaCgbYIj8-7ct2nF_UoXKpenGbD8ZGbprSfMgIHkwfnHgYiX7kPBSkw8xCNmDvX40pUzLy94_v_b1qqffg/s320/IMG_7253.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-72124666820442390352013-03-23T20:06:00.000-04:002013-03-23T20:06:17.494-04:00Free Homeschool Book on KindleI just noticed a free book on Kindle today. It's called "How To Teach Your Child". I have not personally read this book so I can't give a review or recommendation but you can't beat free! I hope someone finds this helpful! <br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BXX42SY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00BXX42SY&linkCode=as2&tag=sarsdea-20">How To Teach Your Child</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-66727151731045840892013-02-13T10:11:00.000-05:002013-02-13T10:11:18.157-05:00Snow Cups!Most kids love snow cones and Italian Ice treats in the summer. For an easy winter treat give snow cups a try! I scooped some fresh, clean snow off the deck and poured some cranberry juice over the top. My kids thought it was the perfect afternoon treat. They enjoyed eating their flavored snow cups outside where it would not melt.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOKIWhNn8vZUfp1oQBqjNRBIYv5kn21fBBZ3ljk_HrW1e_o7KMbLH6UIrGZjNF0B7mt-ntW118g6NNEO16eZsaLttvmms_0NZLASldLpN2rmrGTK3xiWsTWX61LdFWvY39MQuz9KijO4/s1600/IMG_5874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOKIWhNn8vZUfp1oQBqjNRBIYv5kn21fBBZ3ljk_HrW1e_o7KMbLH6UIrGZjNF0B7mt-ntW118g6NNEO16eZsaLttvmms_0NZLASldLpN2rmrGTK3xiWsTWX61LdFWvY39MQuz9KijO4/s320/IMG_5874.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-24930903205791975252013-02-12T14:50:00.001-05:002013-02-12T14:50:48.906-05:00Outside Snow Art!Do you have snow where you live? We have snow and plenty of it. We had a snow storm a few days ago which gave us a snow day on Friday and plenty of snow for the weekend. I filled some plastic spray bottles (I bought new bottles from a dollar store) with water and food coloring. I gave the kids some rules such as no spraying people, clothing or anything other than the snow and the trees. Then I let them loose in the yard to go make some snow art! I helped them build a snow fort earlier in the day so that made for some extra special fun. They even painted a snow chair in the fort. My kids and several neighbor friends joined in the outdoor snow art fun and it kept them all busy for a long time! Easy art with no mess / clean-up and everyone was happy. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ohp7d7Z9hoPfMHMZxSRsVINo1SwmXFKjAMaMJqd8tbAsIZR5DnK6aZrs3HJmmVK77vlpWMwf4XKaI2bWrtNSv8Bbn72fFaVh_2QDl1lCR0nlXo_w1QuuWx55J_9GO-Fkj2AzavU2Jbg/s1600/IMG_5848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ohp7d7Z9hoPfMHMZxSRsVINo1SwmXFKjAMaMJqd8tbAsIZR5DnK6aZrs3HJmmVK77vlpWMwf4XKaI2bWrtNSv8Bbn72fFaVh_2QDl1lCR0nlXo_w1QuuWx55J_9GO-Fkj2AzavU2Jbg/s320/IMG_5848.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkv84T1bzLgnXu8chyUHRVvZFPRBg7hqFuqtCLBMymaDzovAz5FUduhOAyBS4Jv7WEHeDls_Oq74BugNKVY3RMxRLD61mguArX4nWmtS0BwhTBTAx1ll7U9T1rwwdw2gaue0wouccmHE/s1600/IMG_5857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkv84T1bzLgnXu8chyUHRVvZFPRBg7hqFuqtCLBMymaDzovAz5FUduhOAyBS4Jv7WEHeDls_Oq74BugNKVY3RMxRLD61mguArX4nWmtS0BwhTBTAx1ll7U9T1rwwdw2gaue0wouccmHE/s320/IMG_5857.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsVBuHmT-cG-DuChSa4i1O6KbZyjFoB-XULAxsVXPs9kEpc3bK8cwuUaZHR4xH8aiYIs888_JHNmag2vREukEVEzdFbaEpZTODerAW9llFkpvauHprw-tJdsUvHgmYP9XfKCnZ56cMio/s1600/IMG_5854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsVBuHmT-cG-DuChSa4i1O6KbZyjFoB-XULAxsVXPs9kEpc3bK8cwuUaZHR4xH8aiYIs888_JHNmag2vREukEVEzdFbaEpZTODerAW9llFkpvauHprw-tJdsUvHgmYP9XfKCnZ56cMio/s320/IMG_5854.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-58172273146770239432013-01-23T11:57:00.000-05:002013-01-23T11:59:02.025-05:00Valentine BINGOWhether you're planning a classroom party, a small party at home or just want to have fun with your kids, BINGO is lots of fun. The great thing about BINGO is that you can customize your cards to reflect the theme / holiday you are focusing on. For Valentine's Day I like to replace the word BINGO at the top of the cards and write HEART instead. For markers, I like to use conversation hearts. I usually just make my own BINGO cards but I also found some printable cards over at DLTK. If you don't want to make your own, this is a great and easy option. They even offer customized cards. You can print them in color or black and white (and color them yourself). You can also choose from picture cards or cards with words, colors or ABC's. Have fun! DLTK's<a href="http://www.dltk-cards.com/bingo/"> BINGO cards.</a>Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-41066849268264701162013-01-21T14:28:00.000-05:002013-01-21T14:28:43.326-05:00Valentine Marshmallow Treat Pops!I was looking for an easy Valentine's Day treat for my kids to help make when I found these! So cute and easy! I'm sure they will be a hit. <a href="http://peppermintcreative.com/blog/2011/02/easy-valentines-crafts-how-to-make-marshmallow-treat-pops/">Marshmallow Treat Pops.</a>Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6595162296340011233.post-28036348932798968672012-11-10T22:54:00.002-05:002012-11-10T22:56:26.723-05:00Veterans DayFirst of all, I want to say thank you to all of our US Veterans! I appreciate your service...past and present. My dad was an Army Veteran. Tomorrow (Veterans Day) would have been my mom & dad's 45th wedding anniversary so it was always an extra special day for our family! Be sure to say thank you and show appreciation to the Veterans in your life. My kids made cards for the residents of the local Veterans home.<br />
<br />
I also wanted to share a website. It's geared more for school age kids but parents / teacher's of younger children still might gain something useful from it. <a href="http://www.va.gov/kids/k-5/multicontent.asp?intPageId=3">VA Kids</a><br />
<br />
Also, this is a really simple but sweet flag that your child could make and hand deliver to a Veteran that you know. <a href="http://aninvolvedparent.wordpress.com/tag/veterans-day-craft-for-kids/">Veterans Day Flag Note.</a>Kimberlyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12108905652645087664noreply@blogger.com1