Coast Parents

Enter to Win the minui HandySitt!

2009-06-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

This month on Coast Parents we're featuring the minui HandySitt and we're giving one away!!! Head on over to www.coastparents.ca/shopping.htm to enter!

Looking for parents to participate in research study

2009-05-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

Click her for more information on participanting in this University of Toronto research study on immunizing children. http://www.coastparents.ca/healthcare.htm

Side Walk Art

2009-04-26T15:47:00.000-07:00

Since I left the side walk chalk out in the rain (opps!) I had to improvise and came up some fun alternatives to traditional side walk chalk.

Side Walk "Spray Paint"

Squirt bottles

Food coloring 0r liquid or powder tempra paint

Water

Shake up the food coloring or paint with water in the squirt bottle. Let the kids squirt up a storm!

Side Walk Paint

1/4 cup corn starch

6-8 drops food coloring

1/4 cold water

Mix all together in a plastic bowl

Give the kids some paint brushes and a way they go! This stuff is great for painting hopscotch grids or roads, highways for toy cars.

Earth Day Crafts!

2009-04-22T11:25:00.000-07:00

Celebrate Earth Day (or any other day!) with 3 fun earth friendly crafts! Head over to http://www.coastparents.ca/ to check it out.

Silk Tie Easter Eggs

2009-04-02T07:13:00.000-07:00

While it seems complicated, really SOOOO easy. We made these with McLean last year and he was only 2! SILK-TIE EASTER EGGSMATERIALS

Small to medium size raw eggs

Glass or enamel pot

Silk scraps(we cut up Daddy's old ties)

Cotton scraps (white or very light)

Twist ties

3 tablespoons of white vinegar

Warm water

Vegetable oil

Paper towels

Tongs or spoon

TECHNIQUE

1. Wrap a raw egg with a piece of silk, making sure the printed side is facing the egg. This doesn’t have to fit perfectly. (And the uglier and darker the tie the better it turns out on the egg!)

2. Now wrap this in a piece of plain cotton and tie securely with a twist tie.

3. Place the egg(s) in an enamel or glass pot and fill with water to cover eggs completely. Add three tablespoons of white vinegar.

4. Bring the water to a boil, turn heat down and simmer for 20 minutes (longer if you want to eat the eggs).

5. Remove the eggs with tongs or spoon and let cool.

6. Unwrap and see what you have! SURPRISE!!

ENTER TO WIN!!!

2009-03-31T09:43:00.000-07:00

This month Coast Parents is featuring the Moonjar, a cool product getting a lot of buzz. If there is a silver lining in these economic times, it might be the opportunity to teach your children some simple lessons about spending, saving and sharing money, and how to build their dreams for the future with some solid financial planning. (In fact, it’s an important lesson for us all—General Motors included!) Moonjar, with its three separate compartments for Saving, Spending and Sharing, is a great tool to help kids understand these concepts and to help parents bring the conversation about money, budgets and allowance to the kitchen table. (Available at moonjar.ca, $9.95 – 29.95)* We're giving away a Classic Moonjar and Conversations To Go, the game. Head on over to http://www.coastparents.ca/shopping.htm to enter!

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

2009-03-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

...or rather with a plastic tail and a fuzzy chick, but nonetheless we are crafting our way into Easter.
I found the bunny at Ramblings of a Crazy Woman and the chick over at Her Cup Overfloweth, and thought we'd give them a go. A few sheets of foam from the dollar store, glue, construction paper and feathers and we were on our way. Quick and easy, just the way I like my crafts!

ABC

2009-03-26T19:04:00.000-07:00

I told you it was a bit of an obsession at our house ...

It took us almost three weeks but finally we completed our own alphabet. Then plan was to take much longer but as one little three year old was asking and crying to make more letters all the time, it went by much quicker. Guess I can't complain that he was eager!

Chocolate Play Dough

2009-03-25T16:27:00.001-07:00

Playdough allows for hours of fun and is great for playdates or to occupy little ones while you make dinner.I found this recipe for Chocolate Play dough over at the Crafty Crow (amazing blog!) Check it out!

Chocolate Play dough

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup salt

1/2 tablespoon cream of tartar

1 1/2 tablespoon oil

1 cup water

Mix dry ingredients in a medium size pot. Add wet ingredients and stir together over low heat until a ball of dough forms. Remove play dough from pot and knead by hand until dough is smooth and evenly colored. Store in airtight container.

Another great one (as long as you have no allergies) is Peanut Butter Play dough

1 cup of peanut butter

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup powdered milk.

Mix together and chill.

And then there is Koolaid Play dough

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
4 tbsp. cream of tartar
2 tbsp. oil
2 cups boiling water
2 pkgs unsweetened koolaid mix (I like the grape or orange the best!)
Keep in airtight bag (ZipLoc type). It is a super play dough. I often half recipe, as is plenty, or can then get two colours out of one recipe (cream of tartar is expensive!). Also, I sometimes add more oil as makes it more pliable, you'll see as you go.

Hello ... FUN!

2009-03-21T04:19:00.000-07:00

Tracing the outlines of the shadows is a great way to compare the shapes of the different trees/objects around you, and to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. Spring is here! Right?
It's an easy craft without a lot of supplies needed. You should have everything you need at home already. Big paper, little paper, paint, crayons, chalk, it really doesn't matter.

Trace it, then paint it up!
If you keep the pallet basic (two colors per painting works wonderfully) the pictures will always turn out great no matter how experienced the little artist is!
For a less permanent but equally fun activity, grab some sidewalk chalk and trace interesting shadows on the pavement.

Mother of a Deal!

2009-03-19T13:16:00.000-07:00

Check out http://motherofadeal.com for fantastic coupons for all the best stores like the Gap, Old Navy, Children's Place and so much more. You simply enter the store you're looking for, if there are any coupons available all you have to do is print them out, then shop 'til you drop! Best of all, the site is operated by a local Mom on the Lower Mainland so all the savings are within reach of the Sunshine Coast!

Super Easy Easter Art

2009-03-19T07:27:00.000-07:00

Cheep cheep!

To make these cute Easter chicks all you need is some yellow poster paint, or stamp pad, an orange pen and a black pen. Children love making thumbprints, anything they can get dirty and messy in! Even the youngest children will enjoy trying this with your help.

Pour a little yellow paint onto a pad of folded newspaper or a paper plate and gently dip the child's thumb into it. (The second print was usually the best!) When your thumbprints are dry, add details with a black and orange pen.

Older children may enjoy adding speech bubbles with "cheep cheep" or other chick-like noises inside!

Just another teaching gem. Ed Emberleyis amazing. He can create ANYTHING from a thumbprint, with simple lines and curves. Check out some of his other thumbprint creations.

http://www.edemberley.com/pages/main.aspx?section=db&subSection=thumbPrintPages

Here is a link to a couple of his books. You can order them online, but I would always encourage you to order from Talewind Books. They are super friendly in there and the books usually arrive within a couple of days.

http://www.cricketmag.com/ProductDetail.asp?pid=1028

Feeding the Ducks

2009-03-17T15:51:00.000-07:00

One of our favourite activities is to head out to feed the ducks. We can easily spend an hour feeding the ducks, looking at the beaver dam, walking around the pond and picking up sticks and rocks. I'm not sure the name of the pond, but it is just next to the Lighthouse Pub (and we all know where that is!), and makes for a nice morning outing. Parking is easy to find, the path is very kid and stroller friendly and there is no hike in or long walk to get there.

What is one of your favourite outings on the Coast? Leave us a comment below and let us know. We'll publish a list for others to read and maybe we will all find somewhere new to visit with our kids.

Dancing Raisins

2009-03-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

These little guys can groove!

This was always a favourite when I was teaching Kindergarten or Grade 1, but equally loved by my three year old, who giggles like mad when they move up and down inexplicably. Too hard a concept for him to really understand but enjoyed nonetheless. (The amount of pop consumed and raisins eaten mid-experiment can vary from child to child, so have extra on hand.)

Materials Needed
tall clear glass
raisins
club soda (or other clear carbonated beverage) that has a lot of bubbles (This won't work if the club soda is flat.)

Instructions

First, pour the club soda in the glass.
Next, drop in a raisin.
Wait at least 20 to 30 seconds and watch what happens to the raisin. (The raisin should rise and fall.)

Add a few raisins and watch them 'dance' at different times.

The reason why the raisin floats to the top is because the bubbles stick to the sides of the raisin and make the raisin more buoyant. Buoyant means that something floats more easily. The bubbles make the raisin float the way a life jacket makes a person float.

A visit from a Wee Little One

2009-03-15T06:28:00.000-07:00

There is a Leprechaun out there gearing up to visit our house on Tuesday morning.
From the kids bedroom there will be a little trail of footprints to the fridge, where, WHAT?!, the little mischievous fellow has turned our milk green. (If you're kids are older there could be notes and a bit of a hunt, mine are 3 and 8 months so a trail is just fine.)From there he headed to the dining room table where he has left his pot of gold (see earlier post), Lucky Charms for breakfast (I never buy 'junk' cereal so this will be a treat!),
green shirts for both the kids (from Extra Foods, $12 for both, and they can wear them again, at at that price I thought worth the extra addition) and Mike and Ike's Candies for Daddy!

That combined with Steak and Guinness Pie for supper (another earlier post), some shamrock cookies and green jello make a fun day, and simple for Mumma to put together.

Sifting for Treasure

2009-03-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

This is a challenging sensory activity for preschoolers, they will likely scoop the sand and treasure into a 2nd bowl. Children have to use a steady hand to gently sift the sand to expose the treasure, this is definitely a great activity for working on patience.

Gather your materials.

You will need some sand, and small objects to hide in it. Try using pom poms and plastic coins/cars/animals. You will also need a small sieve and 2 bowls.
Pour your sand into a bowl, and pop in the objects.
Cover them with sand.
GO OUTSIDE (too big a mess for in the house!)

Start searching for treasure.
Older children should take the time to sift out all the sand so the little bowl only has the treasure in it ,no sand.
Younger ones can just explore and scoop, having plenty of fun doing this over and over.

Not on the Blog

2009-03-13T08:46:00.000-07:00

As I stopped to say hi to a friend on my way home the other day, she caught a peek of the bags in my car and teased 'That's not on the blog.".

We all have those days, that despite watching what we eat, going to Weight Watchers, running to stay in shape, whatever it is we do to lose that baby weight (unless we are gifted with the good 'genes') that we give in. Wednesday was mine. So, here it is, 'on the blog'.

(In my defense I had been running that morning and gone swimming with my family, and it was my husbands encouraging our son to ask for a 'eeseburger' that got us there.)

"The Mom Song"

2009-03-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

I thought this was pretty funny and I needed a good laugh today!

2009-03-10T13:24:00.000-07:00

We are lovin’ children’s author Mo Willems and his fantastic books! My sister, kindergarten teacher extraordinaire, sent us “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus” and we were hooked. Mo’s books are hilarious, the Pigeon series is totally interactive, my little guy loves telling the Pigeon “no, you can’t drive the bus!” Our newest fav (available at the Sechelt Library) is Knuffle Bunny. Find out what happens when Trixie loses her beloved stuffie at the laundry mat. It’s a riot for the kids to listen to and I think we can all relate to Trixie’s Dad reaction upon discovering his daughter’s favorite stuffie is gone!

All Mo’s books are available at Chapters. http://www.chapters.indigo.ca

Fingerprint Rainbows

2009-03-09T21:06:00.001-07:00

... saw these at Lucky Me. How do I not think of these things on my own???? So easy, so fun, so cute!Supplies needed:white and blue paper
cotton balls
glue
ink pads or paint

Make Your Own Pot of Gold

2009-03-09T20:49:00.000-07:00

As that lucky Pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow can be tricky to find, I found this one over at Make and Takes and decided we will definitely give it a try. With a few supplies and in little time, you’ll have a fun centerpiece filled with gold.

Supplies for Pot of Gold:
pot - terracotta pot, or a black pot you may already have
black paint and paint brush
Easter grass
yellow wrapped candies - these can be gold chocolate coins, yellow foil wrapped chocolates, pipe cleaner , all colors of the rainbow

Paint your terracotta pot with the black paint using your paint brush. I even went an inch down on the inside with paint. Then let it dry. Next, fill your bucket with Easter grass all the way to the top, as it gets pushed down with the candy. Then add in your ‘gold’, filling it to the top.
Line up your pipe cleaners into a rainbow. I stuck them all in the pot at one time, but you could put them in one at a time, starting with the bottom one first.

Now it’s ready for display. But have extra gold on hand, as it doesn’t last long in the pot! Little Leprechauns keep trying to sneak it!

Walk the Plank!

2009-03-09T20:43:00.001-07:00

Activities like this are insanely easy to do, and so beneficial. Using a balance beam is a great gross motor activity that of course encourages development of balance but it also is fantastic at confidence building, and you don't need to go to a gym class to do all that!

Gather your materials.
Use a left over 2 x 4. Make sure it is smooth before bringing it inside.
Pop it on the floor and that's it !

Pretend to be pirates walking the plank, sneaky foxes on your tippy toes or play follow the leader all using this little piece of wood.
Sometimes the very simplest things are the most fun !

Muffin Tin Mondays

2009-03-07T21:43:00.000-08:00

I'll admit it, I live in blog land and am addicted to Mommy Blogs. Stay at home Mom's like me who blog their life, activities and great kid ideas that I lift to entertain my own kids and maintain some sort of sanity within my household. It's a long day to full don't you know!

One thing I keep seeing everywhere is Muffin Tin Mondays. All it is, is serving lunch in a muffin tin, pretty easy, but the kids seem to love it. It's a great way to break the monotony of daily lunch preparation. Kids love something that seems like a treat and is a little bit different from the norm. Here's one with an orange theme.So, off we go tomorrow to have McLean choose his own muffin tin (build on the excitement and have him take some ownership.), and from now on Muffin Tin Mondays it is.

Smock Dress

2009-03-07T21:12:00.000-08:00

When Little Miss Lucy Lu was born my girlfriend made and sent her the cutest little smock. Paired with a onesie and pants it's a darling top, but my fave is with a onesie and babylegs as a sassy little dress. ( I can just picture it a bit bigger with bloomers for a summer dress.)

This last week a girlfriend had a beautiful little baby girl and I decided a smock was in need, so searching for a pattern I went, and, finally, found one.

http://www.themayfly.com/weblog/smock_pattern.pdf

Next, off to the fabric store I went for some fun fabric and a contrasting back (although the smock is reversible I always tend to have the pattern on the outside). And finally, down I sat at my grandmothers ancient sewing machine (I'm not a sewer so for anything I do this, too, must do.)

And an hour later ...

(I'm more into the sixties patterns but, hey, polka dots, stripes, flowers, you name it, it could be done.)

Green Beer is Great But...

2009-03-07T20:21:00.000-08:00

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with something other then “green beer!” Jamie Oliver's Good Old Steak and Guinness Pie is so delicious and easy you’ll serve it again and again, not just on March 17th! (Serves 6)

1.5lbs Stewing beef, diced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 heaped tbs flour

Olive oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

4 sticks celery, washed and chopped

2 parsnips (or potatoes) , peeled and chopped

1 handful of mixed fresh herbs (ie rosemary, thyme, bay)

2 ½ cups of Guinness

2 x 15oz tins of chopped tomatoes

1 pack of puff pastry

1 egg beaten

1. Season beef generously with salt and pepper, sprinkle in flour and toss until coated. Heat 2-3 glugs of olive oil in a large pan and fry meat until golden brown.

2. Add the onion and fry another minute, then add carrot, parsnips, celery and herbs. Fry for a further 4 minutes and then add Guinness and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 2 hours or until meat is tender. Season to taste.

3. At this point, you can move the stew to the fridge until ready to serve. This will also intensify the flavor.

4. To make pies, preheat the oven to 375F.

Put meat filling into individual dishes (or one large dish, if making one pie). Cut pastry to circles about 1 inch bigger than the top of the dishes. Brush the rims with beaten egg, place the pastry on top and squash the excess down the sides to secure. Lightly score the top in a criss cross pattern and brush with remaining beaten egg. Bake for 45min until golden brown and bubbling.

E is for Elmer

2009-03-02T09:23:00.000-08:00

okay, I know it should be 'Elephant', but Elmer is our favourite book right now, so 'Elmer' it is. We're going to go with this letter theme for a bit, too much excitement in our house over all the letters we see everywhere.

"Elmer " by David McKee has a great message. Elmer is different, he isn't gray like all the other elephants. He's not so sure he likes that though. Like all of us it takes some time for Elmer to accept who he is but in the end he sees that patchwork is just who he is, and a bit of a goofball as well!

Fave Product

2009-02-25T19:11:00.000-08:00

... of the moment.

As do most of us, I have stainless appliances and they are NOT magnetic (I know the newer ones are, but not mine!), so how do I display all of my son's beautiful artwork? Well, no more cleaning tape off my fridge.

Post-It has saved the day! A Post-It note sketch pad for kids, what better idea could there be!?

All things Dino

2009-02-25T13:24:00.000-08:00

It's all about dinosaurs at our house these days, McLean has even taken to sleeping with a really hard, pointy red stegosaurus, so when I asked him what kind of craft he'd like to do he said 'Dino', so Dino it was!We started out with the outline of a dino I had drawn for him to paint. (I don't cut out until the painting is done, as this eliminates a lot of mess and clean up for me!) I used a cereal box for the dino form as this made it a little bit more sturdy. We painted some clothespins, for the spikes, and we were good to go. Once the painting was done, we went for a snack and by the time we were done, it was dry, ready to be cut out and assembled.
Mac loves his 'dino', although I had to convince him, really, this one is not for sleeping with!

Mom, I'm hungry!

2009-02-23T14:03:00.001-08:00

Is there anything a Mom does more than cook for her family? Besides, maybe, laundry!

There are two things I couldn't live without, that keep my recipes on hand, easy to find, and clean.

First, there is my three-ring binder recipe book. Full of page protectors it allows me to slip in any recipe I'm given, have torn out of a magazine or printed from the computer. And I can pull out a recipe at anytime, use it and not have the whole cookbook in front of me, trying to balance items on it to keep the book open (come one we've all done that) and it's protected from splatter and grimy 'helping' three year old hands.

Next, there is my recipe stand. Here I can pop in any recipe I am using, it's upright, easy to read and follow and I'm not searching around the kitchen as to where I put that recipe. Also, easy to clean/wipedown when it does get splattered or grabbed with yucky hands.

Any kitchen items that make YOUR life easier? Please do share, I am always looking for anything that makes life easier, and I am sure there are a million other parents who would love the tips as well.

Chicken Tortellini Soup

2009-02-22T13:29:00.000-08:00

this soup is super easy.

i found the recipe somewhere on-line but can't for the life of me remember where. made it, it was good, no leftovers, so that must say something.

(i'm not a recipe follower per say though ... I used fresh, chopped spinach instead of broccoli... leftover chicken from a roast chicken ... added some chopped orange/red peppers ... used italian seasoning instead of basil AND oregano, you get the picture)

chicken tortellini soup

9 oz. frozen broccoli

8 cups water

4 tsp. of chicken bouillon (i used 8 cubes)

3 cans chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 cups cubed chicken (i added more, but i like a lot of chicken)

1 cup chopped onion

2 cups sliced carrots

2 cloves or tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. oregano

1 package cheese tortellini

mix everything together, except the cream of chicken soup, & bring to a boil. add the cream of chicken soup, heat and then serve.

delicious with some crusty italian bread!

Busy Little Beans

2009-02-22T08:51:00.000-08:00

Have you tried this?

Basically it’s an indoor sandbox, except easier to clean up. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not EASY to clean up…there are beans all over the kitchen. But, it is so good for hours of entertainment. It amazes me how long they’ll keep busy just pouring and dumping etc.

Before Mumma, there was a teacher...

2009-02-21T23:34:00.000-08:00

and that life seems so long ago, but it does help in pulling ideas out to go with whatever my child is interested in. Here are a few alphabet ones off the top of my head.

Alphabet Cookie Cutters - these are great for cookies, playdough, sandwiches, you name it!

Flash Cards (Upper and lower case) - play memory, a letter version of 'Go Fish'

Coffee Break (My Favourite!) - Make yourself comfortable at the table with the newspaper, coffee, cup of tea etc. Give your child yesterdays paper, a mug of hot cocoa and a highlighter.)If you wish, you can use an egg timer.) Start by calling out a letter of the alphabet. Your child searches for that letter and 'jabs' each one with the highlighter. Reinforce skills by counting how many of each letter were found.

Building the Alphabet - build letters (upper and lower) from partly cooked spaghetti, playdough 'worms', Q-tips, lego etc. Squeeze white glue on cardboard in the shape of letter and sprinkle with sand, uncooked rice, sparkles, sawdust, cornmeal etc.

Fast Five - You and your child take turns being the 'teacher ' in this game. Use any print you have on hand, such as books, magazines, flyers, mail etc. The 'teacher' uses a pointer to quickly point to five different letters while the player(s) call out the name of each letter. Take turns so everyone has a turn to use the pointer.

And check out this blog for tonnes of alphabet ideas and preschool fun http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/

The 'A' says "aaa", the 'A' says "aaa",

2009-02-21T17:34:00.000-08:00

every letter makes a sound, the 'A' says "aaa".

Ever since we discovered "The Letter Factory" movie, put out by Leapfrog, not only is it the only kids program watched in our house, but the song is sung over and over and over again. I think I may even be singing it in my sleep. I have to say it has had such an impact on McLean. In a matter of a week he is attempting, if not correctly saying, all of his letter sounds and he notices letters everywhere we go. It's so neat to see your three-year old excited about learning and being the one to initiate it!

Letters seem to be a common thing amongst a lot of his friends, quite an age appropriate fixation, I guess. So much so, in fact, that it has inspired an "Alphabet Party" amongst our regular playdate friends. Now we've done Halloween playdates, Valentine's, Easter, Birthdays, but never an Alphabet theme. I guess that is what being a stay-at-home Mom is all about, taking interest in your kids interests and going with it, encouraging their learning and development.

Here is a little craft inspired by the alphabet. 'V' is for Volcano. 'C' is for Cloud.

Fruit Pizza

2009-02-18T07:12:00.001-08:00

Another 'Canadian Family' magazine favourite (have I mentioned this is my fave mummy mag!)

Ingredients
2 tbsp cornmeal
1¾ lb prepared whole wheat pizza dough
1 tbsp melted butter
3 tbsp coarse raw sugar
1 cup cream cheese, softened
1 lemon zested and juiced
2 cups each strawberries and blackberries
¼ cup vanilla-flavoured yogurt

Chef's Tip: Prepared pizza dough from the grocery store comes in a 26 oz ball. For thinner dough, use ⅔ of the package

Cake Balls

2009-02-18T07:07:00.000-08:00

Saw this in Canadian Family and think it's the great idea for a toddler/preschooler birthday party, ever!

You can do this with any flavours you like, but here’s a great combination for cakeballs:

Bake a chocolate fudge cake according to directions on the box.

Let cool, and then break up cake into tiny pieces (use the food processor for this).

In a large bowl, mix in one can of chocolate frosting with the cake crumbs.

Use a one-inch ice cream scoop to form balls of cake.

Freeze on sheet pan until hard.

Melt one bag of coating chocolate over a double boiler.

Dip cakeballs in chocolate and let excess drip off.

Decorate with sprinkles or different coloured chocolate.

Enjoy!

Boredom Buster

2009-02-18T06:48:00.000-08:00

On those rainy coast days, here is one idea I found to occupy the kids. Try colouring in a whole new way. Yeah, these things only last 10 minutes at most, but with no set up, so why not give it a try!

5 minute Chocolate Cake

2009-02-18T04:21:00.000-08:00

This has come to me again and again via email. I don't know where it comes from, but who doesn't love chocolate cake, and fast. My son loves making this one with me, a perfect quick dessert when one is needed and Mumma has no baking in the house.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

a small splash of vanilla extract

1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT!

Mini Oreo-Peanut Butter Surprise Cupcakes

2009-02-18T04:15:00.000-08:00

After my husband came home from work raving about the cupcakes one of the other wives made for Valentine's I had to track her down and get the recipe. I know it is the days of peanut allergies, but should you not have any in your household these are a must try to have at home!

Yields: 24

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe:
3 cups Flour
½ cup Cocoa or 5 oz unsweetened chocolate squares, melted
2 cups Sugar
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
2 cups Warm Water
2 tbsp Vinegar
2/3 cup Oil
2 tsp Vanilla
--Can also use box of Chocolate Cake mix. Prepare as directed.

Other ingredients:125 g (1/2 of 250-g pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Brick Cream Cheese, softened
1/4 cup KRAFT Smooth or Crunchy Peanut Butter
1 egg
2 Tbsp. sugar
24 Mini OREO Cookies
Directions:

HEAT oven to 350°F.
PREPARE cake batter.
Mix dry ingredients together.
Make 3 holes in dry ingredients. Add Vanilla to first. Vinegar to second. Oil to third. Pour water over all and mix for one minute. If using chocolate squares instead of Cocoa, mix water and chocolate together then pour into bowl.

For Peanut Butter Surprise. Beat cream cheese, peanut butter, egg and sugar until blended.

SPOON 2 Tbsp. cake batter into each of 24 paper-lined muffin cups; top each with 1-1/2 tsp. cream cheese mixture and 1 cookie. Cover with remaining cake batter.

BAKE 20 min. or until toothpick inserted in centres comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in pans 5 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

TOPPING- Top as you wish. I would do icing, but you could use whipping cream or leave them blank.

Blue Goo

2009-02-18T04:01:00.001-08:00

That is what it is referred to in our house.

It's a horrible mixture that makes my skin crawl when I touch it and pick it up, but my son couldn't go without it! We have played with it at StrongStart, friends houses, etc. but only have lately dared to bring it into our own house.

Let me tell you, when your son wakes up in the morning, smiles at you and the first words out of his mouth are 'blue goo' you know you've hit on something good!

(Not to mention on a two ferry boat ride to the island, a ziploc bag of this created tonnes of entertainment, where I didn't have to perform!)

Now to get busy making the stuff!

Solution A

1 cup water

1 cup white glue

2TBSP. liquid tempera paint or 7-10 drops food colouring

Solution B

1 1/3 cups warm water

4tsp. Borax laundry booster

1. Mix ingredients in Solution A together in a medium bowl.

2. In a second medium bowl, mix the ingredients in Solution B together until the Borax is completely dissolved.

3. Slowly pour Solution A into Solution B. DO NOT MIX!

4. Roll Solution A around in Solution B 4-5 times.

5. Lift Solution A out of Solution B and knead for 2-3 minutes.

6. Store in an airtight container or plastic zip bag.

Forewarned, this stuff spreads out if left to it's own devices, so put away as soon as you are done. Also comes off fabric easily if removed fairly quickly, otherwise you are cleaning hardened glue off of everything!

Creating Independence

2009-02-18T03:39:00.000-08:00

My son always wants to help me and I never in hesitate to let him. For those of you who have met my son, McLean, you can just see this little person trying to help Mumma out, but you can also see the mess that would follow.

Sometimes I am not in the mood to clean up a mess if it were to happen, BUT how is my son ever going to learn and get better at something if I don’t let him try? So, I try my best to ignore any hesitation. or thoughts of how much quicker the job would get done if I did it on my own. and let him help, encourage independence and building self-esteem at the same time.

While things at my house may be a bit different, as McLean has CP and the challenges are a bit different and the helping a bit more modified than the typical preschooler, here are a few things

that are age appropriate and could be done all on their own.

1. Making their own Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich.

2. Folding Socks.

3. Pouring Milk and Cereal. (This one is trickier. That milk jug can be heavy and no one wants to clean up spilt milk, but if the milk is less than half way gone go for it, or pour it into a little jug for them to do on their own.)

4. Unloading the cutlery from the dishwasher and putting it away. (While I take out the knives ahead of time, McLean loves doing this one. The cutlery may just be dumped in the drawer at this point, as my husband and I dig through the piles to find what we need, but the pride on Mac's face makes it all worth it!)

They will get better at these jobs each and every time, the mess will become less and they will become more confident. (And maybe you can stay in bed a few extra minutes if they can grab more than a piece of fruit for themselves in the morning.)

Here’s a few more posts found regarding helping Encourage Independence in Kids:
MomAdvice - Chores for the Clark Kids
Simple Mom - Chore Chart for Preschoolers
Momaroo - What Age to Start Chores

Grit your teeth, ignore the mess and let your child soar with independence!

What are you willing to let your kids help out with?

( adapted/added and blog lifted from Makes and Takes, as such a worthy topic to read about)