year : 2015 133 results

Shadow Chalk Experiment

I love teaching my kids through play or in other words through active learning. They have fun through discovery while not realizing they are learning something new. This past weekend I taught my kids about the movement of the sun while playing with chalk on a sunny day. For this shadow chalk experiment we traced some shadows and later came back to those objects, still in the same place. The first observation my kids made was that the shadow moved. What happened and why does that happen they ...

Thanks for RISING to the Task

My kids were out of school for 3 weeks in July. We (my kids and myself) were gone for pretty much that entire time. We had 2 family reunions, went to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon then all the way down to Carlsbad Caverns (stopping at many places to see in between), up to my parents cabin, swimming, rodeo, shooting bows and arrows....a lot of family time. We had SO much fun that we were exhausted at the end. We came home to a party, had one day to regroup and prepare for school then off we ...

Animal Jokes #1

Last week I shared our first installment of Jokes for Kids - School Lunch Box Jokes. My kids had so much fun taking them to school and sharing them with their friends. Their favorite joke was "What did the pencil say to the scissors?" In fact one friend loved them so much she was sharing jokes with my daughter to use for later. This next week instead of school jokes we are doing animal jokes! 5 days full of laughs about animals. Don't forget to print and cut out the jokes before ...

Decluttering Tips

It is back to school season. One thing many people do when preparing for school is to buy new school clothes and new school supplies. Where will you put the new items?  What do you do with the old clothes and the old supplies? Are you someone who keeps them for later (“One day I might need them”) or are you one who gets rid of anything the moment it is replaced? Clutter happens over time. Slowly, as new items are added, things pile up if old, worn out, less-usable ones are not discarded ...

Watermelon Spears – How To Cut A Watermelon

We recently spent a few fun days at a family reunion. At one of the meals we had watermelon as I'm sure many people do at a large gathering. When I saw my kids eating it I thought, what a smart idea! Why didn't I think of this way to cut a watermelon? You know I love easy recipes so of course I would love this easy watermelon preparation and delivery. Before we cut the watermelon we need to pick the best watermelon. When you walk into the grocery store or farmers market you will find ...

School Lunch Box Jokes #1

I have been wanting to create Lunch Box Jokes for over a year now. I finally have completed my desire and goal. My kids love telling jokes for kids. They try to find jokes kids can actually understand. School for us started this past Monday. There were two things my kids were excited to bring to school that first day; a teacher appreciation gift and a lunch box joke. For school this year I compiled five jokes for kids each week to coorespond with 5 school days. These jokes have been tested ...

Grilled Potatoes and Mushrooms in Foil

Grilled potato recipes are some of our summertime easy recipes. Potatoes are cheap and versatile which makes great side dish. Grilled Sweet Potatoes in Foil, Dill Grilled Potatoes in Foil, and Herbed Sweet Potatoes are some of our favorites. Some of us like mushrooms, while others are not so fond of them. We occasionally cook with them and this is one of those occasional recipes. Ingredients: 4 potatoes, sliced 5 small mushrooms, sliced 1/4 yellow onion, diced 1 ...

Teacher Appreciation for the Start of School

Teacher appreciation can be celebrated year round because our teachers work hard all year. My kids go back to school today in a new grade because we are on a year round schedule. If you have noticed I have been a little MIA because my kids have had 3 weeks for their summer and we were gone all but a handful of those days. I shared about the Junior Ranger Program we did while on a 10 day vacation. We have also done swimming, parties, family reunions, movies and anything else we could cram into ...

Junior Ranger Program

Do you love exploring and learning? As a family we have just started planning some bigger adventures. I feel most of my kids are big enough now to use all their senses to see the world – or at least to broaden their horizons beyond our own community. One adventure we recently went on was to explore the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. As we paid at the entrance of the Grand Canyon the friendly Ranger saw my kids and told them about the Junior Ranger Program. Excited to hear that news, we ...

Amazon Prime Day is Wednesday!

Do you love shopping Black Friday as much as I do?! Well if you answered YES then you will want to hear about this...if you haven't already. Wednesday is Amazon Prime Day which is apparently going to be even bigger and better then Black Friday. You need to be an Amazon Prime member to get in on the action. If you are not a member you can sign up for a 30 day trial to participate this Wednesday. If you don't feel that it is worth it and want to cancel you may at any time. Bring on Christmas in ...

Duct Tape Water Bottle Holder

If you are looking for a last minute 4th of July craft I have one for you today. Easy crafts are always fun for holidays! This duct tape water bottle holder is patriotic and perfect for parades, hikes, parks or water parks. Whatever you love to do on the 4th this craft will be perfect to help keep you hydrated. Around the 4th of July we take a trip to my Aunt and Uncle's Ranch. The kids love being outside riding the horses, investigating and playing with the dogs. We pretty much spend ...

4th of July Crafts – Firecracker Crackers

Little Chef A LOVES the 4th of July! She learned so much about US history this year that she LOVES anything patriotic. I love it when table decorations serve two purposes. This 4th of July Crafts - Firecracker table decoration can be looked at as well as eaten! It is an easy craft that is fast! I saw the individual ritz cracker packages a few months ago and thought it would be fun to create a firecracker out of them. After a quick trip to the dollar store to add a spray I was off ...

Lime Grilled Chicken Breast

I'm always on the lookout for quick dinner recipes. Chicken recipes are even better! Sometimes I need a last minute chicken recipe because it was a busy day and I didn't plan dinner. I love lime and pretty much anything. This recipe is great because I have everything on hand. I open my pantry and measure out the few ingredients and dinner is halfway done! This grilled chicken breast recipe marinates while the grill is heating up. Little Chef A has been helping out a lot with the cooking ...

Seattle City Pass

Recently we took a trip to Seattle. We only had a couple of days there and we wanted to see as much as possible. So we decided to purchase a Seattle City Pass. We were able to visit 5 attractions at a discounted rate. Seattle City Pass Woodland Park Zoo The map looks daunting. Looking at the map you would think it would take all day. However, the enclosures were surprisingly closer together then I expected. We were only able to see about half of the animals. The first half of our visit was ...

Avocado Butter

In the summer we grill a lot of chicken, steak and fish. This Avocado Compound Butter is an easy recipe that can be made in advance. When you pull your meat off the grill place a slab of butter on top and watch it melt. We had a bunch of avocados that were all ripe at the same time. I needed to find something to do with them all so they would not be wasted.  We could only have homemade guacamole two days in a row. I created a compound butter that we put on top of Grilled Lime Chicken. ...

Minion Thank You

Sometimes I like to thank someone for a kind deed. A quick note or small gift makes the thank you extra special. This Minion Thank You Note is just that - an easy craft that takes just a few minutes to create. Thank you notes with candy are extra special. I love printables, but sometimes I want a craft that isn't a printable. This fun minion thank you note is easy to create and easy to replicate. Minion Thank You Supplies Needed: Yellow card stock Blue card stock Black card ...

Father’s Day Card – Super Dad Envelope with Candy

Do you remember our Super Dad Father's Day Card? I decided to make another version of it, this time with a candy bar. Sometime kids (mine) like to give a gift not just a card. To them a candy bar counts as a gift. This Father's Day Card Super Dad version is simpler and quicker which makes it an even easier easy craft! Even though we consist of mostly girls in our family we still love comic book characters. Little Chef Dad has made sure to expose my girls as much as he can to super ...

Dill Grilled Potatoes in Foil

We are loving the weather and the opportunity to grill. My Little Chefs enjoy helping with easy recipes like these Dill Grilled Potatoes in Foil. The preparation is easy and the clean up is even easier.   I love cooking with potatoes because they are cheap and versatile. Peeling potatoes is an easy task my Little Chefs are able to do. I have so many helpers I have had to buy more potato peelers! I also love cooking in foil packets. Usually packet meals are easy to prepare because ...

Summer Reading Programs 2015

A great way to keep your kids brains working is to have them read when they are out of school for the summer. Here in Utah we have some great summer reading programs. I have compiled 10 programs that include some fun incentives. Visit your local library. This year my library has a Super Hero theme. After completing the program we get to choose a book and get a pass to the Museum of Natural History. Toddlers through adults may participate. Barnes and Noble- 2015 theme is Imaginat...

How I Reward Myself at the End of the Day

Dinner is put away, chores are done, kids are showered and in bed, now it is time for ME. What can I do to reward myself for making it through the day? I ask myself this question on those especially hard days. The answer varies of course for me as I'm sure it would for you. Some nights it is very unhealthy but for those nights when I want to be more healthy I turn to Muller Dessert Inspired Yogurt. This is not like the yogurt you have for breakfast, a quick lunch or a snack for my ...

Father’s Day Card – Super Dad

Father's Day is right around the corner. It's the time of year where we want to find a special way to tell our Dad's why we appreciate them. A personalized father's day card is my favorite because it is an easy craft and easily customized. This year why not tell Dad why he is a Super Dad. The younger kids can draw a picture while the older ones can write a personal message. Super Dad Father's Day Card Materials Needed: Printable card with logo and tie 4 1/2 x 4 1/2 patterned piece ...

Homemade Guacamole

Summer cooking to me means easy recipes. I always ask myself, "What can I make that is fast and will not heat my house." We like to get chips from a local restaurant then dip them in salsa, pico de gallo or some creamy homemade guacamole. These chips come in a large bucket so that means a few days worth of meals. We reheat them a little at a time in the oven on a cookie sheet until they get nice and oily, then add a dash of salt. One thing my kids love to eat is nachos for dinner ...

Travel Tips – Snacks and Water

Spring is when we gear up for car travel. We plan our road trips, wish, dream and hope we can go everywhere we want. I am always searching for more car travel tips to make it easier, like how I pack clothes. Today I want to share my travel tips for snacks and water. Traveling with kids in a car can be hard for many reasons. My first child screamed in the car everywhere we went. Now, 11 years later that same child may scream in the car for other reasons. One thing I have found helpful ...

Travel Tips: Clothes Packing Tips

Welcome! I’m so glad you are here to find out my secret clothes packing tip! Do you love to go on family vacations? We do, I do, but the thought of packing makes me want to cry because it is SO exhausting. Do you ever feel like that? I have 5 kids, one still in diapers and I need to figure out how many changes of clothes they will each need every day while keeping it all organized and efficient. I do not like having one bag per person because, that is a lot of bags for my ...
Bitnami