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Home Made Foam Soap Refill

June 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment
soap

Over the years, we have spent a lot of money on fancy hand soap and especially foam soaps.  Cute bottles, neat scents, and kid friendly designs and themes… and the reason?  It’s simple, the kids love them and they don’t leave a goopy mess in your sink!  We decided to try making them on our own.  Honestly, we didn’t think it would work, but to our surprise, it did.  The process was quick and painless, and you don’t have to be an extreme couponer to stretch your soap usage!

You do need to first purchase a foam soap dispenser, which you can get at any grocery or super store.  First take three tablespoons of your favorite dish or hand soap and gently stir into 2/3 cup of water.  The key is to stir gently.  You do not want to shake and stir too quickly, but just enough to blend the soap into the water.  Next, pour the mixture into your foam soap dispenser and give it a few pumps.  You should start to see the foam right away.

We used Ajax grapefruit scented dish soap and it has been working great!  We love it and with kids, it is so affordable and they can even help make it, so that’s a plus!

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Kool-Aid Finger Paint

March 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
kool_aid_man_glass

At a loss for what to do this Spring break?  How about breaking out the good old Kool-Aid Finger Paints?  Kool-Aid has a wide assortment of colors to choose from and it will be a lot of fun your your child too!  You have to make the finger paints first, but if you are anything like this family, you have a stock of Kool-Aid in your cabinets!

Making Kool-Aid Finger Paint is super easy to do!  All you need are the following ingredients:

2 cups of flour

2 packages of unsweetened Kool-Aid

1/2 Cup of salt

3 Cups of boiling water

3 Tablespoons of oil

Mix all the ingredients together and allow to cool before using.  Then let your kids loose and see all the beautiful Kool-Aid creations they can make!  Feel free to share their artwork here!  We will be uploading our own very soon too!

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St. Patricks Day Crafts

March 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
handprintshamrock

St. Patrick’s Day is just a few days away and what better way to celebrate this wonderfully green holiday then to spend an afternoon creating crafts with your little one. It always makes the holiday’s even more special when you have a piece to hold on to long after the holiday is gone. When my oldest son was just 8 months old, we attended a wonderful playgroup on St. Patrick’s Day. To celebrate, we all created Handprint Shamrocks. But, of course, parents help is always need. I still have his original Shamrock handprint framed and hanging on the wall. He is now almost 4 years old.

There are 2 different types of Handprint Shamrocks, painted one and paper ones.

Handprint Shamrocks – paint

When my oldest son was just 8 months old, we attended a wonderful playgroup on St. Patrick’s Day. To celebrate, we all created Handprint Shamrocks.

Items you will need:
Construction paper- white works best
Green finger paint or poster paint
baby wipes or wet wipes (for clean-up)
your child’s hands
paper plate or paint pallet
paint brush (optional)

1. Place a small amount of the green paint onto a paper plate or pallet. Enough to cover your child’s hand but not so much to make a mess. Press your child’s hand in to the paint or paint it onto your child’s hand directly with a paint brush.
2. Carefully place your child’s hand onto the construction paper and press down. Be sure to leave room for all 4 clover leaves. Palms together in center or fingers touching in center, either way, makes a great clover.
3. Repeats steps 1 and 2 to create a 4 leaf clover.
4. Use the paint brush or finger to create a stem for the clover.
5. Let dry.

Shamrock Handprints – Paper

Items you will need:
Construction paper – green and other colors.
Scissors
pen or pencil
Crayons, markers, glitter, etc.
Glue

1: Trace your hand pattern on 3 pieces of green construction paper
2: Cut out the 3 hand patterns
3: Glue the palm portion of the hands to each other so they fan out in a shamrock pattern
4: Use crayons, markers and glitter to create beautiful handprint shamrock
5: Glue decorated clover onto another piece of construction paper.

There you have it! It’s a really fun and easy craft for your kids to do, but so much fun!!! Makes a great keepsake for proud moms and dads and grandparents! This has been tried and tested and came out PERFECT! Enjoy and have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day. Don’t forget to wear your green!

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Kool-Aid Play Dough

January 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment
koolaidplaydough

This has been around for quite a while but it’s so fun that we thought we’d share it here for you too!

(parents need to help or pre-make this recipe)

Ingredients:
1 Cup Flour
1 TBSP vegetable oil
1-2 packages of unsweetened Kool-Aid
1/4 cup salt
2 TBSP cream of tarter
1 cup of water

Directions:
Mix flour, salt, cream of tartar, and Kool-Aid in a medium pot.   Add water and oil.  Stir over medium heat 3-5 minutes.  When mixture forms a ball in pot, remove.  Be careful!  It will be hot!  Knead until smooth.  Put in a plastic bag to keep from hardening.

Enjoy!

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Ways to Create Lasting Memories this Summer

July 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment
family1

… (without breaking the bank!)
by Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC

Kids remember the strangest things. Ask any teen what he remembers about his childhood and he will most likely tell you about the adventurous things that his parents did with him. You can tell it has impacted him because it brings a smile to his face when he retells it.

Summer is a perfect time to do things with your kids that just might make some lasting memories. These times will never present themselves again, because next summer your child will be one year older (you will, too), and he may not appreciate the family experience as much as he would this year.

Here are some suggestions. This isn’t a mandatory list, so there’s no need to become compulsive and do everything. In fact, one or more of these might give you your own ideas. It may be one of the things that bring a smile to your child’s face long after he becomes an adult.

10 activities that won’t break the bank

  • * Plan a fall garden with your child. Let him help decide what goes in the garden.


  • * Re-decorate one aspect of your child’s room. Whether it’s painting her wall, buying new curtains, or a bedspread, let her be a part of it.


  • * Have a picnic at night with your whole family. Everyone is responsible for making one dish.


  • * Take the family ice-skating at an indoor rink if there is one in your area.


  • * Get the family up early and drive to the beach to watch the sunrise. Pack small snacks for the humans and food for the birds the night before. Helping with this part can mean a lot to a child, and add excitement to the trip.


  • * Make the World’s Largest Ice Cream Sundae and let your child help add the toppings. Let her invite three of her best friends to share the sundae.


  • * Plan a short weekend getaway that involves camping and a hike. Kids really love the idea of getting away, and they like to see mom and dad relaxing and playing with them. A bonfire is a wonderful way to end the perfect family day.


  • * Make bubbles, and invite the neighborhood kids (and their parents) over. Parents enjoy relaxing with other parents, and kids like blowing bubbles. Something about seeing kids blowing bubbles and parents relaxing makes me feel happy…it will do the same for you (be sure to keep this activity outside).


  • * Have a movie day at home when the rain keeps you indoors. Serving popcorn and hot dogs adds to the overall event.


  • * Go out in the evening and catch fireflies with your child. Let him keep them in a jar overnight and then free them in the morning.


Have a wonderful summer –building memories!

Mary Jo Rapini, MEd, LPC, is a licensed psychotherapist and co-author with Janine J. Sherman, of Start Talking: A Girl’s Guide for You and Your Mom About Health, Sex or Whatever. Read more about the book at www.StartTalkingBook.com and more about Rapini at www.maryjorapini.com.

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