10 Ways to Make Today Magical

Happy Monday!

I’m up early, thanks to a spring thunderstorm and hailstorm.  I am apparently a softie as a plant mama, as I immediately worried about the fate of our new plants in the garden.  The fact that Victoria has a freshly painted dresser and drawers outside in the storm isn’t so great either!  I’m sure it will have extra character now.  😉

Here’s a few ways to make a little magic this week….

1.  Check out The Ultimate Book of Kid Concoctions from your local library.  This fantastic out-of-print book is responsible for the wonderful Wacky Watercolors that we’ve been making for years, though I only recently found out that the recipe originated there.  You’ll also find recipes for spray sidewalk chalk, puffy paint and tons more.  See if you can try a different concoction each day of the week with your kiddos.

2.  Play hide and seek with your kids.

3.  Tape paper to the bottom of the kitchen table and let the kids paint or color it from below, like Michelangelo with the Sistine Chapel.  Tell them that it took him four years on his back to finish that project!

4. Or teach the kids (even little ones!) how to paint simple impressionist flowers like Monet.

5.  Sit and tell your kids about what it was like when they were babies and when they were born.  We had this conversation in the car the other day and I shared little tidbits with each child about my first thoughts when they were born, neat things about each of them and so on.  For instance, I told Anna how her hair was so soft that I kept petting her new little head, told Victoria how her daddy held her for the first time and said to me, “Let’s have eight more,” and told Jack how I kept him in my arms nonstop in the hospital as I dealt with scary complications from his birth and how he made everything okay.  I didn’t realize how much it meant to the kids until the next day in the car when Jack piped up from the back seat, “Tell me some more about when I was born” and the others joined in.  They loved the stories!

6.  Put up a tent in the back yard and play games in it.  If you like, have supper inside or even camp out if the weather cooperates.

7.  Get a pack of rocket balloons (they’re about a dollar) and head to a wide open space to shoot them off again and again.  Be sure to gather up all the balloons and any popped pieces afterwards to keep wildlife safe.

8.  Pick somebody to do secret nice things for.  Dedicate this week to making that person smile and feel special from afar.

9.  Make some goodies with edible flowers.  I’ve been writing a series about these fun and tasty treats and so far I’ve written up…

• Ten edible flowers and how to use them
• From capers to pesto to flavored vinegars: Great ways to cook with nasturtiums
• Wonderful ways to cook and entertain with violets and pansies
• Ten terrific ways to cook with tulips

Along with these that I wrote a year ago…

• For the love of dandelions
• Ten more dandelion recipes to make with kids

10. Set a goal for yourselves, either individually or as a family.  It can be wacky or serious or just plain fun (try a new flavor of ice cream every night this week, hula hoop for 20 minutes straight, write a poem a day, make 10 strangers smile per day…).

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And with that, my dears, I’m off to glare at my house until it cleans itself.  Or soak in the bath while things are still quiet.  I haven’t decided really! 

Kiss your babies, count your blessings, and don’t forget to take care of you! 

~Alicia