Parents! Never buy paint for kids again!!!

Attention all moms and daycare teachers!!! I found this today, while on Pinterest and just had to share with all my mommy friends. This is super easy to make and you have all the ingredients at home!! Instructions are right on the picture for you. Salt,water,food coloring and flour! How easy is that?! The squeeze bottles are a great added idea! 

While we're on the homemade art supplies subject, and with spring here, I have another cheap and easy idea for the kids. Buy a few spray bottles from the dollar store and in each bottles drop In a color of chalk. Then add water. Walla! Spray Chalk!! My 3 year old son LoVES to make colorful pictures on our driveway. Just have fun and enjoy the time with your littles ones, while they are still little. They grow up to fast.

Create Memories with your kids this Xmas Eve

                     Christmas traditions with kids.

 

 

Christmas Eve celebrations can be as fun as the big day itself.

Enjoy the lead up to Christmas with special day-before celebrations and traditions.

Holiday traditions ake your family’s Christmas memorable and fun. Small or big, holiday traditions are about the memories you create and the anticipation of everyone's experiences.

 

Spend the day thinking of others

Create aChristmas Eve tradition of giving back by volunteering. There are so many local charities that need our help during the holidays, including soup kitchens serving Christmas Eve dinner, homeless shelters that are out in the community handing out comfort packs or sandwiches and so many more options. Do some research beforehand to find a local organization where your entire family can volunteer. It's a good feeling that's sure to stick with you all through the rest of the holiday season.

Pajama party/Xmas Eve gift

Kids can never have enough pajamas and Christmas Eve is the perfect excuse to get them a fresh pair. They also beg, "Please,Please  just ONE present tonight?!" So mom, dad...Now you can give in! We still pick the gift, but they wont mind once its opened! Your Xmas Eve gift box/bag should incude, New Pajamas)christmas-y or charecters) Mom Dad go get your xmas pj's on (or any jammies) and Join in Pajama Party all night long!!!...back to the xmas eve box.... a christmas movie for the entire family to sit and watch together, and ont forget a tub of popcorn. All the perfect family Christmas Eve pajama partys needs. My family chooses this as one of our Christmas Eve traditions.


 Baking Cookies for Santa and his Reindeer

Its very important to bake sugar cookies on Xmas eve that way Santa and his reindeer get nice warm cookies for the cold night of delivering presents to around the world. Its another great way to get involved with the kids and spend some quality time with them. Letting the kids decorate gets them involved and knowing they are for Santa and his reindeers, is a pretty exciting thing. PS dont forget the glass of milk to!


The Elf on the Shelf

Yes! The elf on the shelf! This holiday tradition is becoming quite popular,their faces are caught on instagram doing sneeky things around the house when the children are asleep. I've asked a few friends of mine who have the elf on the shelf, a little bit about how it works for those of you who have never heard of it. She says, Elf on the Shelf and the accompanying book is a must-do holiday tradition that she enjoys with her kids every year. Choose an elf and place him on the shelf each holiday season. The kids aren't allowed to touch him, but he's very important! He watches everyone and reports back to Santa, helping keep the 'Naughty or Nice List' in order. Make it your own tradition by choosing an elf that represents your family, naming him and making him a part of your family during the holidays.

Easy Monster Cupcakes!!

Have a little monster who loves cupcakes? Who doesn't! I'm so excited about this find i just had to share with my readers. This is a very simple recipe which means get the kids involved! This looks very fun, and colorful. Guaranteed to put a smile on any little monsters face.

With some marshmellows, sprinkles, and edible marker it doesn't take long to transform normal cupcakes into  scary googly eyed monsters...more cute then scary!
Choose from any of your favorite cupcake and frosting recipies. Find cupcake liners, decorating bags, sprinkles and the edible marker in craft stores or food markets. After baking your cupcakes, allow them to cool.
Supplies

Cupcakes
Frosting
Cupcake liners or wrappers
Food coloring (orange, green and purple) use any color you prefer
Sanding sugar or sprinkles (orange, green and purple) use any color you prefer
Small, shallow bowls
Spatula or disposable decorating bags
Mini marshmallows
Regular marshmallows
Black edible marker for eyes...or your own ideas?!

 

Directions
Prepare your marshmallow eyes by using the black edible marker to make a dot on the flat end of regular size marshmallows and mini marshmallows. You’ll need either one regular marshmallow or two to three mini marshmallows for each cupcake. Set aside. If you are displaying these cupcakes on a table at a Halloween party, draw dots for eyes on both sides of the marshmallows so the cupcakes will watch you from behind, too.
Prepare cupcakes according to the recipe and let cool completely.
Prepare frosting according to the recipe. Divide and tint orange, green and purple(or colors of choice). If desired, fill a disposable decorating bag with each color and snip about ½-inch from the tip. Otherwise, omit the decorating bag and just use a spatula.
Top your cupcakes with orange, green and purple (or same as frosting colors) sprinkles in three separate bowls and set aside.
Working with one cupcake at a time, use the decorating bag or a spatula to pipe or spread frosting on a cupcake. Dip the frosted top immediately in a coordinating color of sprinkles.
Place the cupcake on a tray right side up, then place either a regular marshmallow, or two or three mini marshmallows on top of the cupcake, on their sides so the eyes look forward, pressing the marshmallows into the frosting. If necessary, use a dab of frosting to adhere the marshmallows.
Meaghan Mountford
Contributor

My son's 3rd birthday is this coming Halloween, so I am super excited about finding this recicpie and i will be making these....a lot!

Get the Kids Outside, Get them Active

Tim Jr (my son)

With summer coming to an end and the weather slowly starting to cool off. I'm trying my best to keep the little ones outdoors as much as possible before the wintry New England weather comes rolling in and were all stuck in the house. Here's just a FEW simple outdoor activities you can do with your little ones. Get outside, Get active!
**Also make for great day care ideas**

-Sand Fun!!**A rolling storage bin filled with sand and toys makes a great sand/moon dough box. When the kids are done simply put the cover back on so is safe from the elements and or, roll it back into the garage.(ages 3 and up)

-Giant Monet's**Take big pieces of paper on the side of the house or garage or fence and let the kids paint giant pictures. Best part is its outside! (i recommend this for ages 6 and up)

-Eco Friendly Crayons* Cookie cutters, old crayons and tin foil and watch the crayons bake in the sun!(ages 2 and up with help from adult)

-Paint rocks with water colors or your choice of paint.You can also cut out pictures in magazines and glue them on to the rocks then varnish to seal and protect

-Bug Hunt!!** Grab some magnified glasses and a note book go on a back yard bug hunt. Have the kids record what bugs they see and any cool information they find interesting. (ages 4 and up)

-Have a backyard toy car wash- pretty self explanatory (ages 2 and up)

-Have a family dinner outside one evening.

-Make a leaf scrap book** Have the kids collect the different kids of leaves and iron them between 2 pieces of wax paper (adult supervision please) then staple them together as a book and have the kids even go further and have them identify the names of the leaves as well.

My First Post is Mommy *Me* Time! Sippy Cups Down!!

No matter how busy you are with kids and work, it's important to set aside a little "me" time every week. Its not only okay, its required! Have someone else watch the kids, even just for an half hour or so. Take a bubble bath with all your favorite soaps, salts and oils (maybe even light a candle or two) ,put on some music or read gossip magazines, or put your feet up and watch TV, maybe catch up on your DVR. Give yourself a home facial or manicure... or better yet, take a quick trip to a salon. As a mom you never get a break otherwise and at times we feel overwhelmed and unappreciated. We all get a little frazzled with the day to day craziness of running a family and a work schedule. Its ok to allow ourselves to recharge. When we are tired and stressed out we aren’t any good for the kids nor ourselves. Once a week I go grab a DD coffee, turn the radio on loud and go for a little drive. I don’t have much time away from my son so this works perfectly for me. I get to release any of the bad energy I was feeling and I really do feel better as I pull back into the driveway. You are still your own person and although you may have to change a few things in order to get your "me time" it is VERY important for you to stay tapped into the person you were before the family. ~Kat