for things you want to read, do and get back to
when you surf the web?
Here’s 10 links that have slowed down my browsing lately. 🙂
1. Books for Treats encourages folks to hand out books instead of candy.
My mother did that when I was a kid.
I was so embarrassed.
The kids were always thrilled.
Even the big kids.
2. I just wrote an article about MilkShare
and think it is one of the niftiest organizations ever.
They match up moms with extra breast milk
with moms whose babies need it.
You can look for moms in your town or ship it
(recipients pay the costs).
What a fantastic way to use extra milk
and help a baby thrive. 🙂
3. I love the idea of using some of our new pumpkin puree
to make these pumpkin pancakes. Yum!
4. I want to make this monster flesh with the kids tomorrow.
It looks super fun
(especially when you pour vinegar on it!)
and there’s no Borax in it.
Most of you know how I feel about having children play with Borax.
Be sure to read the "why it works" page!
5. Necco Wafers are going all natural.
I’m all for any candies that don’t have artificial dyes and flavors!
They’re fun for making gingerbread houses too.
6. Speaking of candy, I wrote up
10 things to do with extra Halloween candy.
I’ve been told that there’s no such thing
as extra Halloween candy
but I’m all for at least finding another use for the stuff nobody really likes. 🙂
7. These sweet felt tissue cases from Martha Stewart
look like such a great holiday gift for the kids to make!
Victoria wants to make some ASAP.
8. Okay, another pumpkin recipe,
this time for pumpkin spice cookies.
What is it about fall that makes me pumpkin crazy?
It’s written for vegans and non, too.
9. I’m dyeing to do this fun craft with the kids soon. 😉
10. Look at these gorgeous leaves!
We have to do this craft too.
Wouldn’t they look lovely in a window?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And with that, chickadees, I’m off to bring two bowls of ice cream
to bed with my sweetie.
Any sites clogging up all your browser windows lately?
Please share!
Happy Friday!
random links
The cookies sound so yummy and those leaves (#10) are really something! Got ’em on my to-do list. Also the tissue cases to keep in purses and vehicles. Maybe that will fix our never having kleenexes handy when we need them. :o)
~Lonni
PS. #9 is linked to the same cookies as in #8, which is fine by me since I could very well make them two times in a row if you say so! LOL! But I’d still be curious about what I missed out on. ;o)
Re: random links
Ack! Thanks Lonni. It should be fixed now. 🙂
Thank you!
My browser windows/tabs are all filled up with YOUR articles and blog and links, thank you very much! I’m so glad I found you; reading your articles has given this frazzled mom a lift and something of a creative jump-start. 🙂
I just wanted to say thanks. From all the reading I have done, we seem to have a lot in common except that you seem a lot more confident as a mom… Especially when it comes to crafts. I need to get over my fears of extra messes (my 3-year-old son can create some doozies). Extra as in more than the usual messes left by my husband, meals, and two children. Any advice?
Re: Thank you!
Oh thank you! I’m glad you like the stuff. 🙂
As for messes, if you saw my house you’d know I’m not afraid of messes! I’m a fan of easy to clean messes though, and setting up a system to make it easy to put everything away when you’re done (or as you’re going).
For an example, we do a lot of playdough crafts (hand lotion playdough, kool-aid playdough, cooked playdough, etc.). I keep the recipe in with my cookbooks on the counter and get out my ingredients and mix it up with one or more of the kids, putting away each ingredient after it’s added. Then they get out placemats (those educational ones with presidents, states and such, we have a big stack for crafts) and each get a stack of each color playdough (or one color if that’s all we make). I keep the playdough supplies (rolling pins, cookie cutters, golf tees, old birthday candles, playdough toys, etc.) in a kitchen drawer right by the table and they pull out the ones they want to use. There are big ziplock bags in the drawer too, and when they’re done they know to put all the playdough in that bag and plop it in the fridge. The toys go back in the drawer, the mats go back in the cupboard, all clean.
Now granted, when my toddler uses playdough I’m the one doing most of the clean-up, but it’s so easy because we have a place for everything and it’s close by and we have a system that makes it easy.
I also keep towels and a big garbage can nearby. Towels can sop up big messes and get tossed to the laundry room and craft messes can be swept right off the table into the garbage. 🙂
You can also craft in the tub of course! That’s even easier to clean up afterwards. 🙂
Any help at all? Hope so!
Re: Thank you!
That IS a big help! I guess life gets so hectic all the time, I don’t think to think ahead much. We have a new house with wood floors, so I need to just get over it and LIVE in the house.
Both my kids are under 4, so towels are a must. The tub idea is great too! I just need to find a way to glue my son to one spot for more than 2 min. at a time. 🙂
Thanks again!
Nikki R.
This is so cute and economical!
http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/crafts-by-age/toddler-crafts/kitchen-in-a-box-667590/