After teaching both yesterday and the day before, it was so good to spend the day with my girl today. (Two work days in a row was new for us… I missed her.) We spent the morning at the aquarium visiting sea creatures, and decided to try something new this afternoon.
Sidewalk chalk is a usual thing around here, and we’ve done mess-free sidewalk painting a few times recently, but we hadn’t yet tried sidewalk chalk painting. It was about time.
There are TONS of sidewalk chalk paint recipes floating around the internet, but we just went for it and mixed up our own version. I wanted more of a watercolour consistency rather than a paste in order to allow Miss G to make longer brushstrokes before having to reload her brush, so we used a lot more water than cornstarch. And since I’ve read that the paint dries a lot lighter than it looks when wet, we amped it up by using generous amounts of gel colouring {hence them looking so dark in the photos}.
(FYI – The cool paint swirls are courtesy of my little lady. Who knew a good swift bump of the paint tray right as the photo is being snapped equals awesome swirls?)
Gracen didn’t hesitate to get started. The second I gave her the okay, she got busy dunking her paintbrush and creating her sidewalk masterpiece.
She honestly LOVED it. She was so focused and content that she did not put down her paintbrush once the entire time until the paint was gone. And when it was? There was a prompt, “More, Mama! More!” directed my way. Sadly, I’d used all of our cornstarch and couldn’t whip up another batch, but I’m pretty certain that this will become a regular activity this summer.
The end result was a sidewalk {and toddler} covered in beautifully vibrant colours, a very happy little lady, and much needed bath.
Sidewalk Chalk Paint
- 1 cup of cornstarch
- 2 cups (or less, depending on desired consistency) of water
- Several small globs of gel icing colouring
Using a muffin tin, put a little food colouring in each cup, varying the colour combinations and the amounts of dye. In a large measuring cup, mix together the cornstarch and water. Carefully pour a little into each muffin cup and mix well.
Take the paint outside {preferably on a tray to prevent spills} along with paintbrushes and watch your little one(s) create a sidewalk masterpiece. Give paints a little stir every once and a while to prevent the cornstarch from sinking to the bottom.
♥
To enter:
Here it is… Round 12 of 
Breakfast // Chia Goodness made with whole organic milk. Strawberries, blueberries, and apple slices.
Breakfast // Organic eggs scrambled with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, mozzarella, and herbs. Toasted Sovital bread drizzled with olive oil. Watermelon sticks. Strawberries and blueberries.
Breakfast // 
Breakfast // Organic shredded wheat cereal with bananas, strawberries, and whole, organic milk.
Snack // Frozen organic blueberries (one of the easiest and most loved snacks in our house).
Snack // Banana bites (clockwise from left: almond butter and raw sunflower seeds, almond butter with brown rice crisps and raisins, peanut butter with unsweetened coconut, peanut butter with 
Snack // Stovetop-popped popcorn.
Snack // Apple slices with all-natural peanut butter and organic oats.
Lunch // Wholewheat noodles with steamed veggies, tofu, black bean sauce, and sesame seeds.
Snacks & Lunch {on the go} // Tofu cubes. 
Lunch // Organic wholewheat 
Lunch // Spinach and tortellini soup with veggies and multigrain breadsticks.
Dinner // Homemade wholewheat thin crust pizza (on left: BBQ chicken with roasted red peppers, red onions, and herbs, on the right: roasted zucchini, red pepper, yellow pepper, artichoke, broccoli, red onion, and sun-dried tomato).
Dinner // Creamy baby potatoes with fresh dill {from our garden!} Roasted carrot. Steamed beets. Roasted chicken. Fresh corn {off the cob}.
Dessert // 
Dessert // 
We chopped up a couple of big slices of watermelon, grabbed a lemon and lime from the fridge, and clipped a couple of mint sprigs from the garden, and we were good to go.
Put your watermelon chunks into a blender.
Taste midway through to ensure yumminess.
Next, juice a lime…
And a lemon.
Pull out the seeds and pour the juice and pulp into your blender.
Next, sniff in the deliciousness that is fresh mint.
Then pop it into the blender.
Secure the lid on the blender and blend everything until smooth. (Depending on the juiciness of your watermelon, you may need to pulse and shake the blender a few times in order to build up a little liquid.)
Once fully blended, carefully pour the mixture into your popsicle moulds.
Then add the sticks and pop them into the freezer.
If there’s any leftover, let you toddler have a little taste and watch her eyes light up with excitement. If Grae’s reaction to the frozen pops is anything like the reaction she had to the juice, I know she’ll love them.
We started by gathering our ingredients. Here’s what you need: mango, plain Greek yogurt, lemons, and pure vanilla (and a blender, spoon, and popsicle moulds of some sort).
Get started by putting all of your mango chunks into your blender.
Then add a generous amount of really good, thick Greek yogurt. (We used the no fat kind this time around because it’s what we had on hand, but since these popsicles are really for Gracen more than anyone else, I’d normally use the full fat kind.)
Next up – juice a couple of lemons…
And add the juice and pulp to the blender.
Lastly, add a splash of pure vanilla for a little hint of sweetness. (Depending on the sweetness of your mango, you may want to add a tiny bit of honey or pure maple syrup at this point too, but if your mango is ripe and naturally sweet, you won’t need it).
Next, blend away!
While your mixture is blending, get your moulds out and ready. (I love these old-school Tupperware ones from Gma Char… They remind me of summers on the back deck as a kid!)
When your mango mixture is smooth and creamy, pour it into the moulds, leaving a little room at the top for expansion.
That’s it! Let your little one slurp up the extras, put the lids on the moulds, and pop them in the freezer!
Our popsicle stash has taken a major hit these past few days… If this weather is going to continue like this {and hopefully it will}, we’d better get on replenishing our stock asap.
Floral sunglasses: Joe / Hooded sweater: Joe / Purple tee: Joe / Black leggings: H&M / Runners: New Balance, thrifted / Muscleman pose: Directed by Papa
Crossover ballet sweater: Baby Gap / Yellow tee: Next / “Cousin” Jeans: H&M / Fluorescent sneakers: H&M / Vintage Kermit: Belonged to Papa when he was little
Felt flower hair clip: Handmade by Mama / Fuchsia tee: Next / Floral sundress: H&M / Multi-coloured sandals: Joe
Butterfly headband: Handmade by Mama (
Sunhat: Baby Gap / Hooded sweater: Levi’s / Babydoll dress: Old Navy / Multi-coloured sandals: Joe
Hair clip: Kulai Klips / Plaid button-up: Joe / Pink onesie: H&M / “Cousin” jeans: H&M / Fluorescent sneakers: H&M / Vintage doll: Belonged to Mama when she was little and Manmaw Sue before that!
Felt heart hair clip: Handmade by Mama / Quilted sweater: Joe / Polkadot dress: H&M / Leggings: H&M / Ruffled flats: Unknown (gifted)
But after a long day, I must say that I’m perfectly happy having the evening to clean my house, work on some 
This little girl never ceases to amaze me. This morning, she chose to wear red glittered Dorothy shoes, but after having them on for a minute, we realized that they, like many of her other shoes, are now too small (sad day). I asked her to go to the closet and pick out another pair, and this is what she came back with… Of all pairs, Mama’s red ballet flats.
Our little lady seems to be on an eating binge these last few days. If we didn’t know her better, it’d almost be alarming. She piles away huge portions of food during her snack and meal times, and then just after we get her hands and faced washed, she’s asking for something more. It’s quite amazing, actually. She’s like a bottomless pit. Luckily, we know that she goes through these stages every now and again. She eats everything in sight for about a week, and then everything suddenly levels out and goes back to normal again. Here is some of what she ate the past week:
Breakfast // Organic Greek yogurt with bananas, blueberries, strawberries, and a sprinkling of chia.
Breakfast // Multigrain bagel with all-natural cream cheese and avocado. Strawberry slices.
Breakfast // Wholewheat oat waffle with Greek yogurt and fresh blueberries.
Breakfast // Toasted wholewheat cinnamon raisin bagel with all-natural peanut butter, banana slices, and organic raisins.
Breakfast // Toasted Sovital bread (dark 11 gain rye) with olive oil and avocado. Cottage cheese. Blueberries.
Snack // Homemade pita crisps.
Snack // 
{Outdoor Picnic} Snacks // Watermelon slices. 
Snack // ‘Lulu Mix’ ( pecans, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, organic raisins, organic cranberries, organic corn puffs).
Snacks & Lunch {on the go} // Watermelon chunks. Blueberries. Apple slices. Mozzarella slices. Mini turkey and oat meatloaf. Veggie penne noodles. Raw almonds. Avocado.
Lunch // Veggie sandwich on Sovital bread (all-natural cream cheese, cucumbers, spinach, avocado, and red onion). Steamed edamame. Blueberries and strawberries.
Lunch // Grilled {all-natural} turkey, mozzarella, and spinach on chia bread. Orange slices.
Lunch {on the go} // Turkey and oat meatballs. Cheddar cubes. Carrot coins. Strawberry slices. Avocado chunks. Veggie penne noodles. Multigrain flatbread.
Lunch {out with Mama on Mother’s Day} // Bradner Farms Flatbread Pizza (organic free-range chicken, nut-free pesto, roasted red peppers, and red onions) from the 
Lunch // Tortellini Salad (all-natural cheese tortellini, avocado, sun-dried tomato, artichoke hearts, toasted pine nuts, olive oil, red chili flakes, and freshly-ground pepper).
Dinner // Quinoa bowl (organic quinoa with spicy piri piri sauce, sautéed red onions, red peppers, and yellow peppers, grated mozzarella, and avocado chunks).
Dinner // Baked vegetable ziti (veggie penne, zucchini, broccoli, spinach, homemade tomato sauce, ricotta, and mozzarella). Mini turkey and oat meatloaf.
Dinner // Seedy turkey and oat burger topped with fresh veggies and cheddar on a multigrain flatbread bun.
Dinner // Teriyaki chicken on sticky rice (a special treat). Steamed edamame. Steamed broccoli.
Dinner // Chicken roasted with garlic and fresh rosemary. Roasted carrots, baby potatoes, and beets.
Dessert // 
Dessert // 
{A Special} Drink // Frothy raspberry milk.