I can’t believe Halloween is nearly here… Didn’t we just start the school year?! Miss G and I haven’t talked about brining something to share with her classmates this year {yet at least – I’m guessing this little tradition just dies off as the kids get older…?}, but we made these witch’s brew slime favours last year and they were such a huge hit!
Baking soda and vinegar… It just never ever gets old. This very simple fizzy eruptions activity has been a hit with so many of our little friends and guests over the years. And it doesn’t matter if they’ve just turned two or they’re nearly eleven years old – everyone who has come over when I’ve had this set out for a co-op meet-up, play date, or birthday party has pretty much loved it. I mean what’s not to love about colourful fizzy eruptions that leave your play surface looking just like that of the moon, right?
{this post contains affiliate links}Here’s the simple-as-can-be set-up… A plate of baking soda (or soda bicarbonate for our UK friends), several little jars of white vinegar coloured with liquid food colouring, gel food colouring, or liquid watercolours {my personal favourite because of the fact that they’re fully washable}, some pipettes, and a play tray to contain the mess {this one from Ikea is our fave}.
At nearly 3 years old, Sam has just really nailed down how to successfully use pipettes, but Miss G was using them when she was freshly 2, so it just depends on the kiddo!
That being said, kids who haven’t mastered pipette use can totally still create fizzy eruptions on their own! Instead of giving them the usual jar / pipette combo, just put the coloured vinegar in old glue bottles, any other squirt bottle with a small opening, or old liquid soap bottles with a pump and let them squeeze or pump the vinegar onto their plate of baking soda.
If they’re able to use a pipette, it’s as easy as squeeze to collect coloured vinegar…
Then squeeze to release the coloured vinegar onto the baking soda base and watch the fizzy eruption magic happen!
When the fizzy foam settles down, you’ll be left with the coolest coloured spots that look just like the moon’s surface {hence why we sometimes call this ‘moon painting’}.
Now if you really want to take things to the next level {like Sam does ALWAYS}, you may want to try the triple pipette method {patent pending – HAHA!}
Simply shove all three of your pipettes into a single jar, squeeze up as much vinegar as humanly possible…
And enthusiastically squeeze them out onto your baking soda in order to create the biggest fizzy eruption possible. The more force the better, really.
I mean, just look at how fun it looks!!
And when you’re nearly done, may as well just dump the rest of the vinegar out, right?? ‘Papa says sam can do it’, I’m told. Hah!
But in all seriousness, when the entire plate is flooded in vinegar like this, most often you can dump off the liquid and use the remaining {wet} baking soda below for round 2. I mean you may as well get as much bang for your buck as possible, right? {This is especially important when you live in Kuwait and you’re buying 45 of these tiny 100 gram containers of baking soda at a time.}
Are you following us on social media?
Find us on: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter
We’d love to have you!
Oh how I love putting together play dough kits! After years and years of them being one of our play staples {as well as our go-to homemade gift}, Miss G sort of moved onto really loving other types of play around the time Sam was born {#sadday}. Then when Sam was finally ready for it, we stuck with our taste-safe baby play dough and our go-to no-cook play dough for a long while before moving onto full-on play dough kits with loads of fun loose parts included, so it’s been a minute. Recently we’ve done a really awesome Little Blue Truck play dough kit {which I’ll be sure to share soon} as well as an autumn spice dough with whole spices, but this witch’s brew play dough kit is our newest kit and it’s been oh so much fun.
{this post contains affiliate links}To make it, I started out by making three separate batches of our go-to super squishy, no-cook play dough. This time around, I skipped the Kool-Aid and Frosting Creation packs and simply made unscented doughs in vibrant Halloween-inspired colours using my favourite Wilton gel colourings.
Then it was off to our Halloween bin downstairs to find some fun loose parts to add to our kit. Here’s what Sam and I found {all purchased at Dollarama in previous years}… Some small plastic rats, mini spiders, flies, and ants, some purple bats, and some monster googly eyes.
Of course a play dough kit means a GLIS divided container from Ikea, so we dug one of those out too. {Seriously one of my very favourite things to buy at Ikea. So much so that I always keep a few extras on hand for gifts and fun projects.}
Alright, so here’s how we organized our kit! Our freshly made play dough in one of the big spots {I’d first place this in a big zip-close bag if giving the kit as a gift or storing it for any amount of time as the containers aren’t air-tight}…
Our little creepy loose parts in the small slots in the front…
And some mini ‘cauldrons’ {aka apple sauce containers} and some play kitchen utensils for stirring the brew along the side.
We also tucked our rats in with the cauldrons and utensils as that’s where we had space.
Here’s the finished kit! Wouldn’t this make a lovely gift when paired with a copy of Room on the Broom? Especially for a kiddos with a birthday or party around Halloween? I also love the idea of making these and gifting them to your child’s preschool or Kindergarten class… I mean which teacher wouldn’t appreciate a ready-made sensory activity for her munchkins to enjoy??
The best thing about play dough kits like these? ANYTHING GOES.
Miss G opted to use one of the big cauldrons we use for Halloween goodies for her witches brew…
And Sam stacked his brew up nice and high and layered creepy crawlies in between.
When they were done, the kiddos removed the little bits and bobs from the play dough, sorted them back into the container {awesome sorting practice for kiddos Sam’s age}, and I popped the play dough into a zip-close bag before putting it back into our divided container and closing it up.
Are you following us on social media?
Find us on: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter
We’d love to have you!
We’re in full-on fall mode here in the Okanagan and the kids and I have been collecting beautifully coloured leaves since they’ve started falling. Some have become part of the little nature table below our autumn bucket list, some have become leaf creatures, and tonight, a pile of them become part of a fall leaf bath.
I actually set this little fall leaf bath up for Sam last fall and it was such a hit that I had to do it again.
It couldn’t be easier, which I love. Just give your leaves a good rinse and place them on the surface of a tub of water.
This time around I also put some up on the wall – a trick Sam discovered last year. All you have to do is get either the leaf or the wall wet, and so long as the leaf is fairly flat, it’ll magically stick to the wall.
What he discovered this time around? That he could stick a leaf onto a leaf!
While he was playing, we also briefly talked about the different types of leaves in his fall leaf bath… Well, the ones I knew at least. {#momneedstodosometree/leafresearch}
And of course there were leaf hats, leaves stuck on legs and bellies, and several rounds of leaf peek-a-boo.
After Sam was done, it was Miss G’s turn for a bath, and this is what I walked into when she was done… She had separated the leaves by colour and created a game for me by having one misplaced leaf on each wall that needed finding. : ) Gosh, how I love my girl…
Are you following us on social media?
Find us on: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter
We’d love to have you!
Creating a seasonal bucket list of things we’d like to do is sort of becoming a thing for Miss G and I… and I love it. Last year we created this Holiday Bucket List full of all the things we wanted to do throughout the winter holidays and although I didn’t create a digital version, this spring we did the same – only in handwritten form. Our most recent one is this printable autumn bucket list that is currently hanging on the wall in our main living space.
The bucket list includes everything from splashing in puddles to making autumn spice play dough to doing a good deed and taking a family bike ride.
Ours is hung right above the kids’ table that’s turning into a bit of a nature shelf with all of the lovely autumn treasures Grae and Sam have collected while outdoors. It’s low enough for them to access it easily and it’s nice and big as I actually printed it on 11 x 17 paper to make it just a little more kiddo-friendly. {I just took the file down to my local Staples print shop and printed directly from my phone to an 11 x 17 which cost me around 15 cents if I remember correctly.}
No surprise that Grae’s the one who stays on top of updating it and we’ve actually already checked off a pile of items on the list.
That being said, we’re pretty low key about our bucket lists… If the things happen, fantastic, but we certainly don’t stress about completing each and every activity / task. It’s really just there to give us ideas should there be a time when we’re looking for something fun to do and don’t have anything in mind already.
Our space is quite minimalist {okay… maybe ‘stark’ would better describe it} and filled with loads of white with little bits of brick, grey, black, so our black and white minimalist version is a perfect fit, but if you like a little more colour and whimsy in your life, I also created this pretty pastel fall bucket list for CBC Parents:
It doesn’t include quite as many tasks as the black and white version does, but sometimes less is more, right?
Pop over to our Embrace the Changing Season with This Printable Fall Activity Bucket List post on CBC to print the pastel version or print our black and white version here:
MINIMALIST PRINTABLE AUTUMN BUCKET LIST
And if you’re looking for a custom fall bucket list? My friend Stesha of Stesha Rose. tipped me off about Belle Bucket – a company that creates beautiful minimalist bucket lists that can be printed out on architect’s paper so they’re HUUUUGE.
Are you following us on social media?
Find us on: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter
We’d love to have you!
You know what I’m really good at? I’m really good at doing different kinds of creative projects and activities with the kids, photographing them, and then never ever getting around to sharing them here. Like REALLY good. I’ve got hundreds of projects photographed and waiting to be written up from years previous… There just aren’t enough hours in the day. {Sidenote: Can you believe that for the first 5 years of Miss G’s life, I published a blog post every nearly every single day?! SOOO crazy. Though most of those years were during a time when blogging meant sharing photos and words… There was no need to worry about SEO, pinnable images, amazon links, or getting people to your site via social media, so I guess it makes sense that I’m lucky to get a couple of post up a week nowadays.} Anyways, my goal is to make time to share some of those projects from years past and the first is this easy DIY no-sew parrot costume.
{this post contains affiliate links}I mean, how cute is this little parrot of mine?? This was actually Sam’s very first Halloween costume and because it’s actually a parrot cape, he was able to wear it while being worn in the Ergo, which I absolutely loved. I just popped him in the carrier and then put the hood on his head, flattened the cape out over the Ergo like you would a blanket, and loosely tied the ribbon around his little neck. It was perfect.
How did our littlest bubba become a parrot for Halloween? Well, it all started with this pirate princess costume for Miss G… Her first ever purchased costume. She fell in love with it while shopping at Costco and I’ve always said that I’ll make her costumes for as long as she’s happy to have me make them, so… As much as it sort of killed me to buy one after years of getting to make something from scratch, a store-bought costume it was.
And of course every little pirate princess needs a parrot, right? {One that was happy to let his mama make his costume, thankfully.}
Everything required for this little getup? An old red cape we had in our dress up station {though you can find these inexpensively on Amazon and even dollar stores sometimes}, cheap craft store felt, and a glue gun. Seriously, that’s it.
Don’t they make the sweetest little pair?
For a detailed parrot costume tutorial, pop over to CBC Parents and check out our Easy No-Sew DIY Parrot Costume post.
Are you following us on social media?
Find us on: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter
We’d love to have you!
No joke – I think I’ve had ‘layered apple caramel dip’ in my idea book for a full 3 years now… It’s on a random page of fall ideas and says ‘layered caramel apple dip – like 7 layer bean dip but sweet – for apples’ – hah! I’ve wanted to make it for ages now, but we just finally got around to it and I’m so happy we did. Because daaaaang – is it ever delicious!
We made a plated version to enjoy immediately as well as several little pots to keep in the fridge and let me tell you – they didn’t last long! Brad and I enjoyed some as a treat while watching a show, Miss G got to take one in her lunch one day, and the others? I’m not sure, but they disappeared.
The best part? I was really hoping to include a caramel outside of my usual date ‘caramel’, and I was able to make a delicious version using coconut milk, pure maple syrup, and coconut sugar. Definitely a still a treat in my books, but no dairy, no butter, and no white sugar. We also used a non-dairy cream cheese for a fully vegan recipe.
For the full recipe and all of the details, pop over to CBC Parents and check out our Layered Caramel Apple Dip post.
Are you following us on social media?
Find us on: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter
We’d love to have you!
Welp, the first official day of fall is nearly here and I’m doing my best to embrace it despite the fact that the arrival of fall means we’re that much closer to another loonnnnng winter in our small town. A loonnnng winter in our small town that nearly did me in last year. Now if it were to stay fall for a few months and we got to soak in that crisp fall air mixed with little bursts of sun, the beautiful autumn colours, and sweater weather for a while before transitioning into the snow, freezing cold, parkas, and permanently feeling like a block of ice, I’d totally be down for that. Come on Mother Nature, work with me here! {Pleeeaaase.}
I usually switch up our play dough and play dough kits each season despite the fact that our go-to homemade play dough can last even longer than that {our black, sparkly play dough that was part of our tinker play dough activity is still going strong!}, so this week Sam and I whipped up the most delicious smelling autumn spice play dough.
It’s just our basic no-cook play dough recipe {made without food colouring or flavour packets} with a few of our favourite fall spices added to it, and let me tell you – it smells divine! {We chose to use cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, but if we would have had allspice on hand, I would have added that too!}
To make it, we measure out our dry ingredients plus our vegetable oil and glycerine into a large bowl.
Then we whisk it up really well.
Next, I add the boiling water and immediately mix it {quite vigorously} to get the texture as uniform as possible. As soon as it’s cool enough to handle, I get my hands in there, bring it all together in a ball…
And then dump it out onto a clean, dry countertop.
The one question I always get asked about our play dough is how we get such a smooth texture, and it’s all about the kneading! I knead our play dough for probably a solid 2 or 3 minutes, or until it’s pretty much cool. I know that there’s a proper way to knead doughs, but when it comes to our play dough recipe, I start with it all in a mass close to me…
Then I push it away from me while using a decent amount of pressure to flatten it right out. Then I pull it back and repeat. (Many, many times.) I find that this method works well when the dough is still a little sticky {our recipe tends to feel a little wet until completely cool} and it really works to get rid of any little lumps an bumps that might be hiding in the dough. By the time it’s completely cool, the dough should be smooth as can be and should no longer be sticky.
Can you tell how smooth it is?
I’m pretty sure we’ve made some version of this play dough every fall since Miss G was one or two years old, and I love pairing it with natural loose parts. We often go out on a nature walk and collect conkers, acorns, pinecones, and pretty leaves to pair it with, but another favourite over the years has been whole spices and that’s what we decided to go with this time around.
Sam and I popped by our local bulk store and picked up some cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, whole allspice, whole nutmeg, some anise stars, and some whole cloves – all of which smell amazing and have interesting shapes and textures. Then I popped everything into one of my favourite divided trays {I got this one in Kuwait at City Star in Egaila} and set it out on the table with a couple of placemats for the kids to discover after school.
I love having some sort of invitation to play or create out on the table in the afternoons… It’s always something that is open-ended and requires very little / no adult help, which means that they can just dive in and play or create independently, which I think is good for all of us, but especially Grae.
After a long day at school, I really find that she just needs some time to unwind and decompress… Some time when there’s nothing expected of her and nothing she has to do on a timeline – and creating or reading seem to be two really good options for her.
I often pick a chilled out, calming playlist on Spotify and play that too, which really sets the mood for some low-key, focused play.
Of course with play dough and loose parts, there’s really no end goal. Miss G usually works on some sort of careful creation…
While sam loves to burry and poke and dig and hide.
Both of which are equally valuable, important ways to play.
Here’s our autumn spice play dough recipe…
Autumn Spice Play Dough
Place all of the ingredients, save the boiling water, in a bowl and whisk well. Measure the water using your dry measuring set and add it to the bowl. Give the mixture a quick mix with a wooden spoon, banging off it off every once and a while. At this point, the mixture may seem too wet and sticky to make good play dough… Do not fret! Once the dough has cooled just a little, use your hands to carefully bring it into and ball and then dump it out onto the countertop and knead really well. You’ll know you’re done when the dough is fully cooled, soft and squishy, and no longer sticky
Enjoy!
Are you following us on social media?
Find us on: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter
We’d love to have you!
This post is sponsored by Back to Earth, my very favourite place for all things health, wellness, and personal / home care. I’d venture to say that the majority of all of the products in our home – from cleaners to shampoos and conditioners to soaps to candles and sunscreens – are all from Back to Earth. And it’s been that way for years. {Even when space was at a premium and we were bringing many of our personal care and cooking items in our luggage to the Middle East, I made room for a year’s supply of my Back to Earth favourites!} There are so many things I love about their products, but what I love most is that a) the company is based right here in the Okangan, and b) that the founder, Kiley, who has completed several certified herbalist and aromatherapy educational programs herself, works with a team of naturopaths, biochemists, herbalists, and aromatherapists to ensure that her carefully crafted products are as pure and natural as possible. Plus I love that the products truly work. {Because what good is a natural, locally crafted product if it doesn’t do the job it was intended to do, right?}
Well, I hate to say it, but summer’s officially over. We’ve been back in school for nearly two weeks now
and though I miss the slow mornings, carefree days, and having both of my kiddos at home with me, I will say that the transition hasn’t been horrible. Miss G was fairly excited about going back to school and because we didn’t stray too far from our usual bedtimes and routines during the summer, that part hasn’t been a struggle either thankfully. Now that being said, we definitely stayed outside too long, ate dinner too late, and rushed through our usual bedtime routine too often, so it’s been nice to get back into a solid rhythm of slower, more routine bedtimes.
Sam’s bedtime routine is pretty much the same as Miss G’s was when she was a toddler because it’s worked both for our kiddos and our family as a whole… And why change a good thing, right?
Now, before I share how our evenings go down with this little sweetheart of ours, I will say that our kids are early-to-bed kiddos and always have been. I was that new mama who read and researched every last thing while pregnant with Miss G and the one thing I came across again and again on the topic of sleep was how beneficial early bedtimes are for little ones – so we went with it. At this point, Sam {who is 2.75 years old} is usually in bed around 6:30 or 6:45 p.m. and Miss G {who is newly 8} is in her room at the same time but has a full hour to read before going to bed. Of course bedtimes that early don’t work for all families, but we love them because a) they allow our early risers to get a full 11 or 12 hours of sleep and b) because they give Brad and I some time on our own at night {which is especially important since that’s when I work}.
So. Here’s how a typical night goes at our house…
First up, dinner. Dinner happens around 5:00 / 5:15 in our house and we all sit down together for a family meal pretty much every night.
Now, if you’ve ever seen Sam eat, you know that most nights it’s a complete and utter disaster, so he heads straight into the tub afterwards. {We’re talking stripped down at the table and carried directly to the tub.} And even if it’s not a messy night, he still has a warm, chilled out bath simply because he enjoys it and it’s part of our evening routine.
Our bath time essentials?
Several small vehicles and more recently, this air pressure water sprayer that was a favourite this summer {hello, DIY car wash}…
Our easy homemade coconut oat bath milk bath that is naturally cleansing, moisturizing, and soothing {this is all we use on nights when his bath is for the routine of it and he’s not actually dirty}.
And this Moon Baby Shampoo & Body Wash from Back to Earth whenever his hair or body needs to be washed. It’s free of all the usual yuckies (SLS, parabens, sulphates, cocamide-DEA, formaldehyde, and perfume) and full of good stuff, like organic oils, aloe vera juice, pure liquid castile soap, and calming kiddo/baby safe organic essential oils and smells like clean babies!
By about 5:45 or 6:00 p.m., it’s out of the tub and over to our bedroom where we get ready for bedtime.
Oftentimes we’ll find a little ‘getting ready station’ all set up on the bed courtesy of Miss G, which I just think is the sweetest thing. She’ll pick out a pair of cozy jammies and a bedtime story, plus have all the essentials (a Wet Brush, a Seventh Generation disposable diaper and our Sweet Pea Herbal Balm, our Trust Mother Nature Magnesium Salve, our Memories Roller, and some vitamin D drops} neatly set out and ready to go.
We keep all of our bedtime essentials in one of these little carry caddies in a cupboard in our room, so everything’s in one place and super easy for her to find.
Alright, so once Sam’s out of the tub, here’s how it all goes down…
First up, Back to Earth’s Sweet Pea Herbal Balm on the tush. We’ve used this stuff since Miss G was a baby and we just love it. It’s this amazing combination of local beeswax, pure extra virgin olive oil, and Canadian Kisameet Glacial Clay, infused organic calendula, arnica, lavender, chamomile, and comfrey flowers, vitamin E, and pure lavender essential oil and it works for EVERYTHING. Both of our kiddos have super sensitive skin and this stuff is our go-to for bug bites, rashes, dry patches, owies, and preventing bum rashes over night.
Next up, diaper. We’ve always used disposables at night, simply because they can handle being worn for 12 hours at a time without leaking and I’ve mostly made peace with that choice {though in a perfect world, we’d never have to use disposable diapers at all}.
Next up, a small amount of Magnificent Magnesium Salve rubbed into his back. We began using magnesium on-and-off when I first started to get serious about getting our little non-sleeper to sleep, but it’s become part of our regular bedtime routine since moving to Vernon. There are so many factors at play that it’s hard to determine what’s at the root of our sleep success, but Sam’s definitely become a better sleeper over the course of the past year and a bit, so I’m not messing with what we’ve been doing. I always get loads of questions about our magnesium salve and while I’m far from an expert, my understanding is that magnesium is an essential mineral and something many people don’t get enough of {the body doesn’t produce magnesium – it’s something we have to get from outside sources}. One of its many roles is aiding in restful sleep {by maintaining healthy GABA levels – a neurotransmitter that promotes sleep} and many people notice a marked difference in the quality of their sleep when they use a transdermal magnesium (magnesium applied to the skin).
Now two quick things to note about the Magnificent Magnesium Salve… First up, while it’s not an actual Back to Earth product, the fact that Back to Earth carries it means that Kiley {Back to Earth’s founder} has given it her personal stamp of approval – huge given her standards and dedication to producing the purest, most natural products. Secondly, this particular magnesium salve does contain a very small amount of rosemary essential oil, which is something I generally avoid using on / around the kids due to it’s 1,8-cineole chemotype, but I personally make an exception for this one product. I love it because it’s super moisturizing compared the usual magnesium oil sprays and rollers that I find can be quite drying and even stingy sometimes (though Back to Earth carries those options if you prefer). This one contains coconut oil, cocoa butter, shea butter, sweet almond oil, beeswax, aloe vera, and vitamin E, plus the most amazing smelling combination of essential oils – rosemary, marjoram, black pepper, and vanilla.
{If we could only have three bedtime products, I’d pick these… The Sweet Pea Herbal Balm, the MagNificent Magnesium Salve, and the Memories roller.}
While Sam’s still laying on his tummy, I run our Memories roller across the back of his neck and gently rub it in. True story? At some point during our sleep journey I went into the Back to Earth store in Lavington {basically in total zombie mode because Sam hadn’t slept well in months} and said, ‘My child doesn’t sleep… HELLLP.’ This little Memories roller was the second thing recommended to me {after the magnesium} and is easily my favourite part of our bedtime routine now. You know how certain smells are so connected to particular times / things? Well to me, Memories is the smell of bedtime. It’s a pre-diluted combination of lavender, rosewood, frankincense, ylang, patchouli, vanilla, vetiver, sandalwood, roman chamomile, sweet marjoram, blue tansy, and spruce, and dang – beyond it’s benefits, it’s got the most delightful, relaxing scent. The blend was actually designed to address symptoms of ADD / ADHD, and it’s amazing for promoting better concentration, less excitability, and less anxiety / nervousness too. {I regularly use it at night when I’m trying to cram a full day’s worth of computer work into 3 hours and I truly find that it helps me buckle down and stay focused.}
After putting Sam’s jammies on, we do vitamin D drops, and most nights – a quick nursing session, depending on if he wants to. We’re definitely near the end of our breastfeeding journey, but he nurses for a short time first thing in the morning and just before bed most days and we’re both perfectly happy with that at the moment.
Next – teeth! Thankfully he outgrew his aversion to having his teeth brushed and our days of pinning him down and prying his mouth open while he screams are long gone… Nowadays I floss first, he has a minute to floss, I brush, and then he has a turn to brush. If nothing else, he goes to sleep with very clean teeth. :D
I’m not particularly invested in a certain kid’s toothpaste at the moment, but I do really love these reusable flossers we ordered for the kids a year or so ago. Prior to that, we had been using those little disposable flossers you can buy in big packs because they made flossing their tiny teeth so much easier, but I felt sick about all of the plastic we were throwing away. My brother and I had these reusable contraptions growing up and while they weren’t super easy to find, I’m so happy I got my hands on a couple. You just swap out the floss and you’re good to go.
Alright… Now for the most important part of our bedtime routine… Stories! {See Sam’s all time favourites here. Spoiler alert: they’re all about things that go.}
Because Brad and I tag team our evening routine, Sam reads one story with me upstairs and then heads downstairs to his bedroom to read one or two more with his Papa.
Not always, but oftentimes I’ll have his diffuser going while we’re getting him ready for bed, and then I’ll turn it off before he’s actually down for the night. I know that many people let their diffusers run all night, but I’m on the cautious side when it comes to kids and essential oils and there’s research that has shown that diffusing for long periods of time doesn’t actually add extra benefits, so most often I just run it for a short period before bedtime.
My go-to for both kiddos at bedtime? Back to Earth’s Lil Cherubs Synergy Oil Blend. It’s a combination of lavender, rosewood, geranium, lemon, bergamot, and chamomile and I find it to be such a calming, feel good blend. A little goes a long way, which I love, and I usually just add a few drops to a diffuser full of water. My other go-to, especially during cold and flu season, is straight up cedarwood essential oil as it not only has natural sedative properties, but is also known to reduce coughs and provide respiratory support – all while being kiddo safe {when used properly, of course.}
Next up, Sam has a drink of water, turns his Gro Clock to the sleep mode {we’ve used this clock with success with both kiddos}, turns on his air purifier {which doubles as white noise while he sleeps}, and turns off the light.
Brad then sings him a few songs, tucks him in tightly with his Loulou Lollipop Finery muslin quilts {these blankets are the coziest, most wonderful things}, and by 6:30{ish}, he’s in his crib for the night.
And that’s it… We close the door, turn on the monitor, and he falls asleep on his own and stays asleep until 6 or 6:30 the next morning usually. {Which is huge for our little preemie nugget who basically had to be held in order to sleep from the time he came home from the NICU to the time he was 14 months old.} It seems like a lot when you write it down step-by-step, but it really doesn’t take all that long and I think it does set Sam up for a restful night’s sleep.
Back to Earth products are available in select stores across Canada (see which ones here) and can also be ordered online and shipped anywhere across the country (see shipping info here). And if you’re on their website and you’re not sure what other products to also try, my absolute cannot-live-without items are:
Are you following us on social media?
Find us on: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter
We’d love to have you!
The very first thing you do when gifted several pounds of zucchini? You make healthy chocolate zucchini muffins of course! The *very best* healthy chocolate zucchini muffins that are also vegan, naturally sweetened, and made with whole grains, that is. {WINNING.}
Just check these beauties out, will you? I don’t know if this photo does their size any justice, but they’re huuuuuuuge.
And begging to be turned into these insanely good chocolate zuchinni muffins by Relishing It. For real, they taste more like cake than any other muffin I’ve eaten before. Insanely good. We’re talking by far the very best healthy muffin I’ve ever tasted… To the point where I regularly pass them off as chocolate birthday cupcakes {and even our pickiest little guests gobble up TWO}.
Now here’s my public service announcement… If you’re just a regular person wanting a regular healthy muffin recipe, pop over to Laurie’s post and make them exactly as she tells you to. They’re absolutely perfect as is – no need to change anything.
Now if you’re like me and are attempting to minimize the amount of animal products your family consumes, try our version below. They’re every bit as delicious, but they don’t contain the egg or honey, which makes them healthy, whole grained, naturally sweetened, and VEGAN.
{this post contains affiliate links}Here’s our line up of ingredients… First up, whole wheat pastry flour. Every bit worth the effort it takes to find, in my opinion. In Kuwait we used this one by Bob’s Red Mill and in Canada we use one from Nature’s Fare. Whole Foods stocks whole wheat pastry flour too and my guess is that it is decent. Next, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, sea salt, and dark chocolate chips that are optional, but delicious. The wet ingredients include coconut oil, flax ‘eggs’ {which is just ground flax seeds and water}, and vanilla, and of course you’ll need the zucchini too.
The most important part of any baking session though? Little helpers. Little helpers who undoubtedly make the process longer and messier and way more fun.
Here’s how this recipe goes down… First, measure out the dry ingredients and whisk them together well.
Then in a separate bowl {we use a big glass measuring cup}, measure out the wet ingredients and give them a good whisk before adding them to the dry mixture.
Lastly, add in loads of finely grated zucchini that will pretty much just disappear during the baking process and leave you with the cake-iest, most delicious muffins ever.
Gently stir it in…
And then enlist your little ones’ help to prep the muffin tin {silicone muffin liners like these are the BEST} and divide the batter evenly between the 12 cups.
Patiently wait as they bake….
Let them cool for a couple of minutes…
And dive in!
SOOOO good. {Find Sam’s construction spoon here.}
So good that we almost always make a double batch – otherwise they disappear too quickly.
The Very Best Healthy Vegan Chocolate Zucchini Muffins (adapted from this recipe on Relishing It)
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl, measure out the ground flax seed and warm water. Stir to combine and set aside to thicken. {This mixture is two flax ‘eggs’.}
In a large bowl, add the flour cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined and sprinkle the dark chocolate chips on top.
In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the liquid coconut oil, pure maple syrup, and vanilla.
Add the liquid mixture and the flax eggs into the dry mixture and gently mix until almost combined. Add the finely grated zucchini and give the mixture a few more gentle stirs. {A word on the zucchini… If you pre-grate your zucchini like we usually do, by the time you go to use it, there will most likely be some liquid that has drained off. No need to include this. Simply pick up the zucchini by the handful, allow it to drip over the bowl for a few seconds, and then add it to your mixture, tossing out any liquid that’s left in the bowl afterwards. Do not squeeze your grated zucchini dry before adding it… The moisture from the zucchini is what makes these muffins so dang good.}
Line your muffin tin with silicone muffin liners and distribute the batter evenly amongst the cups. Bake for approximately 20 – 25 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.
Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to sit for several minutes before removing them from the pan and placing them on a cooling rack.
These will last for several days in an air-tight container on the counter, but because of there high veggie content, I pop them in the fridge if they’re going to be around longer than a few days.
Are you following us on social media?
Find us on: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter
We’d love to have you!
Anyone who knows me well knows how much I love putting together fun gifts for kids. It’s my jam. There was a period in time when Miss G was a preschooler where I’m pretty sure every one of her friends got a play dough kit of some sort when their birthday rolled around, but we’ve also done LEGO kits, writing kits, art kits, car kits, baking kits, sensory play kits, craft kits, science kits, peg doll family kits, travel activity kits – wheeew. The list could go on. The kit-style kid gift is obviously my go-to. It requires no actual making of things… Simply collect items, pop them into a container of some sort, make the kit look somewhat pretty / organized, and you’re good to go. Truthfully, when we make kits as gifts, we don’t even bother wrapping them. We just add a tag with some baker’s twine and call it good.
This DIY slime kit is one of our more recent diy gifts put together for my sweet, slime-loving niece Kinslee for Christmas last year. Well, apparently it was well liked, because guess what we’re putting together for her for her upcoming birthday…. Yup – another DIY slime kit! {G’s also got one on her birthday wish list, so maybe I should just shop for two while I’m at it?}
Here’s a peek at our collection of kit items once we had done our shopping…
The first step in the collection process? Picking out a slime recipe book to include in the kit. There were a surprising number of options at our local bookstore, and while they all looked pretty good, I ended up picking The Slime Book over the others simply because I liked the fact that it didn’t advertise its recipes as ‘borax free’ like the others did. {Silly, I know… I don’t know why it bothers me, but slime recipes that are made using laundry starch, detergent, contact lens solution, etc. all work because those products contain some form of borax. Therefore, not borax free. Hmmm…}
I also really liked how it included this little shopping list in the front… Made the job of collecting things super easy!
We were able to find everything else between our local dollar store and the big box grocery store we often shop at, which I thought was pretty good. Here’s exactly what we included in the kit…
– 2 bottles of this clear glue {though this clear glue is a much better deal and what I was looking for in the first place}
– Bausch + Lomb re-nu fresh contact lens solution
– a large bottle of Elmer’s white glue
– a box of baking soda
– a can of shaving foam
– a container of cornstarch
– a couple of bottles of glitter {which is terrible for the environment, I know… we’ve stopped buying it for use at home, but I’d love to find a more earth-friendly version for situations like these… any suggestions?
– a package of neon liquid food colouring
– a package of regular liquid food colouring
– a set of silicone spatulas
– a set of silicone measuring spoons
We also included loads of fun add-ins, some of which were from the list at the front of the book and some of which were inspired by flipping through the slime recipes themselves:
Of course you could really add any fun little bits and bobs you find to your kit!
We also picked up some little containers to put all of the little bits in:
– taller glass craft bottles {these ones are similar but have cork tops}
– interlocking craft containers
The containers aren’t necessary, but I do think it makes it easier for slime kit recipient to manage all of the loose parts and it certainly makes the finished kit look more put together.
With everything ready to go, we placed everything neatly in a white bin we’d picked out…
And that was it.
To finish it off, we slid the book into the back and attached a big old-school mail tag that said ‘Kinslee’s SLIME KIT’ onto one of the bin’s handles, and our DIY slime kit gift was done!
Are you following us on social media?
Find us on: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter
We’d love to have you!
Sometimes the very simplest things turn out to be the biggest hits, don’t they? Take these insanely easy paper tunnels for example… A totally random idea, thrown together on the spot, and yet Sam just loves them.
Do all little car lovers have a ‘thing’? I once nannied a little car lover who was obsessed with speed bumps. Like LOVED speed bumps. And Sam’s thing? Tunnels.
I don’t know what it is about them exactly, but he just freaking looovvvves tunnels. He’s constantly searching them out for his toy cars and will basically transform anything he can into a tunnel. Even if it’s your leg – hope you didn’t plan on moving any time soon {hah!}
So this afternoon when he woke from a nap talking about a tunnel for his purple concrete mixer, this little paper tunnel idea popped into my mind and it couldn’t be easier.
{this post contains affiliate links}Basically you need two things – washi tape and card stock {I love this stuff from Ikea – it’s super sturdy and the colours are gorgeous}. Oh, and a hard surface of some sort. All I did was cut some of the card stock in half and kept some whole, then folded little tabs on each side, and washi taped them to our coffee table to form little rainbow tunnels.
Easiest thing EVER.
He collected up a bunch of different cars and trucks, placed them in the middle of the table, and then drove them around and through the paper tunnels one-by-one.
One thing I really love about this activity besides it being so easy is that while the paper tunnels are fairly crash proof, the fact that they’re just paper taped down onto a table encourages Sam to practice slow, controlled, gentle movements – something that doesn’t always come naturally to him.
These remain on our coffee table currently and probably will for a while, but when we’re done with them, we’ll just take them off and tuck them away until next time, probably reusing the same paper tunnels several times over.
Are you following us on social media?
Find us on: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter
We’d love to have you!
Oh, how we love homemade popsicles in our house… Summer weather strikes we begin the ongoing cycle of whipping them up in an attempt to stock up our freezer while devouring them on the daily. And you know what? I don’t mind one bit. For the most part, they’re fairly nutritious and they’re so easy and fun to whip up with the munchkins.
Some of our favourites from over the years?
The perfect addition to our favourites list? These dairy-free strawberries and cream popsicles made with fresh, locally grown strawberries. Gosh, they’re good! I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like Sam slurping back his first strawberries and cream popsicle before in my life… I don’t even know how to describe it. Maybe a mixture of pure bliss and complete desperation all at once? {Hahaha!}
Now I probably wouldn’t let Grae and Sam eat these popsicles for breakfast like I do other varieties {popsicles can totally be breakfast!} because I see them as more of a treat, they are absolutely delicious and we *will* be making them all summer long, even if we have to start using typical grocery store strawberries.
For the full recipe, check out our Strawberries and Cream Popsicles post over on the CBC Parents website.
Are you following us on social media?
Find us on: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter
We’d love to have you!
Oh my land… We’re officially into the last week of school and I couldn’t be more excited about it. Miss G had another absolutely fantastic teacher this year and for that, I’m incredibly grateful. In our experience, the teacher really does make {or break} the school year, and her teacher this year, Ms. Graber, certainly made her {our!!} year a positive, happy one. Despite being new to the school this year, Grae made loads of friends, was happy to go to school each day, and got to take part in all kinds of really cool process-based, collaborative, and creative projects.
While we’re still working on putting together her end of year gift {we’re doing a rest & relaxation kit filled with products that are either local or handmade by Miss G}, Grae’s had this sweet little thank-you-for-being-my-teacher printable ready to go for weeks now and I just think it’s so simple and sweet. I’m not sure if we’ll frame it or laminate it just yet, but either way, it’ll go with the rest & relaxation kit we’re putting together and will hopefully make the finished gift a little more personal.
To download and print our thank-you-for-being-my-teacher printable, pop over to our Personalized ‘Thank You For Being My Teacher’ Printable To Go With Your Teacher Gift post on CBC Parents!
And if your school principal is leaving like ours is {don’t even get me started – I don’t think I’ve fully accepted it just yet}, check out this ‘Thank You for Being My Principal’ printable Miss G has also been working on.
Are you following us on social media?
Find us on: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter
We’d love to have you!
If you know me well, you know that one of the many things I would LOVE to do one day is facilitate sensory-rich art and play classes for little ones and their parents or caregivers. It’s been a dream of mine ever since Miss G was four months old and she and I attended Kindermusik classes in a fellow expat mama’s home during our first stint in Kuwait… I just loved that the instructor was creating this awesome little community of expat mamas while doing something she loved and getting to stay home with her kiddos all at once – a dream come true, really.
I was lucky enough to get a little taste of facilitating sensory and art classes when I taught at a creative play and learning centre during our second stint in Kuwait, but what I’d really love is to have a gorgeous little studio in the backyard {I’m picturing bright white walls and loads of light pouring in through big windows} dedicated to bringing parents and their littles together through playing and creating. As much as it would be a space for parents to connect with their kids, it would be a space for parents to connect and form friendships too… There would be time for free play, books woven into our time together, and the projects would be as sensory-rich and open-ended as possible. Ugh – doesn’t it sound amazing?? {ONE DAY!!}
Until then, I’ll enjoy all of the fun play and art projects with my own kiddos and since the weather recently perked up in the Okanagan, Sam and I have been doing just that!
Below are 5 open-ended, sensory-rich art activities that he’s absolutely loved recently… In all of these, we used one or more products from Crayola’s ‘My First Crayola’ line aimed at meeting little ones in the early stages of their development. The art tools are sorted by stages rather than ages, which I love because as we all know, all kids develop and progress differently. The 3 stages are:
1) Scribble – for kiddos making their first random marks
2) Doodle – for little ones who can repeat different types of lines
3) Draw – for kids who can draw shapes and basic pictures
Now while I’d say that Sam is pretty much in Stage 2: Doodle at the moment, there are definitely Stage 1 tools he still loves using and there are even a couple of Stage 3 products he’s able to use independently. In the end, you know your child best, so go with what works for them!
This post is sponsored by My First Crayola. I’ve been a Crayola fan for pretty much my entire life… {tell me – was there anything better than opening a brand new jumbo box of crayons with the sharpener built into the back as a child?! Nope. There really wasn’t.} as always, all of the opinions in this post are my own.
Alright, ready?? Here are 5 super fun, open-ended, sensory-rich art activities to try with your little one…
The materials:
The set-up:
Cut out several construction paper frames, adhere them onto a large roll of clear contact paper, and then cut away the extra contact paper. Hang the frames up onto a wall or window sticky side out and include a little basket or tray of small construction paper squares and the safety scissors {if including them} nearby.
The process:
Invite your little one to rip {and or cut} the construction paper squares into small bits. Sam’s not quite ready for scissors just yet, but he was very interested in them and gave them a go. Ultimately, we went back to ripping because it’s more appropriate for his current abilities and he loved it! While it can come off as simply destructive, ripping paper actually provides a great fine motor skill workout and provides both auditory and tactile feedback – win-win!
With the paper bits ready to go, invite your little one to stick the bits up onto the frames. The contact paper is a great way for little ones to explore the concept of sticky and makes creating collage-style art a breeze.
Another perk? A contact paper collage means no glue necessary, so this is virtually a mess-free activity.
The finished project:
Isn’t this beautiful with the sunshine streaming through the window? I especially love this project because it can be left up for days and added to when the mood strikes.
No Paint Watercolour Painting
The materials:
The set-up:
Using painter’s tape, secure the watercolour paper to a flat, easily washable surface. This will not only keep it in place as your little one creates, but will also leave a beautiful white border around the edge of the piece that will make the finished project pop and look super polished. Remove the caps from the tripod markers and stampers and place them in a tray for easy use and prepare a jar with some water and the paintbrushes in it for a little later on.
The process:
Invite your little one over to draw and stamp on the large piece of watercolour paper.
The more colour the better in this case, so it’s perfect that the little shape stampers we used basically beg to be coloured in. {Just look at that concentration, will you?!}
This is also the perfect time to experiment with different types of lines… Slow ones, fast ones, straight ones, wavy ones, crazy ones – anything goes!
Alright, now for the magic! Once your little one is done colouring and drawing, tuck the markers and stampers away and bring out the water and paintbrushes.
Invite your little one to paint their picture with water and watch as they observe with wonder.
When the painting process is complete, leave the piece to dry. Later on, gently remove the painter’s tape to reveal white border.
The end result:
Stunning, isn’t it?
Upside Down Drawing
The materials:
The set-up:
Using masking tape or painter’s tape, secure a piece of bristol board to the underneath side of a low table {coffee tables and kid-sized tables are perfect for this}. Trim the bristol board first if needed. Set out a variety of crayons in a tray or basket under the table.
The process:
Invite your little one to draw upside down! Sam totally got a kick out of this.
While this may seem like such a simple activity, the upside down element really brings a sense of excitement to the project and requires some gross motor planning that just isn’t required when drawing or colouring in the usual manner.
Depending on your little one’s interests and abilities, he or she may experiment with different kinds of lines and formations like Sam, or he or she may compose more of a traditional picture – both of which are great. There’s no right or wrong here and the activity can be left out and added to for as long as you like.
The end result:
This is what I found under our coffee table a few days ago after more than a week of adding to it. Obviously Miss G jumped in on the fun at least once and fun was had. It may look like nothing more than scribbles, but the purpose with open-ended art is the process of course.
Foamy Painting
The materials:
The recipe:
Simply place everything into a blender and blend on high for approximately 30 – 45 seconds. Repeat for each colour, working quickly as the foamy bubbles do disappear over time.
The set-up:
Trim your watercolour paper so that it will fit on your tray or baking sheet. Whip up foamy paint, place it into a tray of some sort, and set it out with Crayola’s Jumbo Paintbrushes {I love the sensorial element these add to painting projects}.
The process:
Invite your little one to create a masterpiece using the foamy paints you made. I tend not to give Sam any instructions with projects like this one… The more open-ended the better.
Although the foamy paint will thin out with time, the beauty of pairing it with these Crayola Jumbo Paintbrushes is that their sponge-like textures totally have the ability to reactivate the bubbles. Sam discovered this on his own as I sat back and observed and he was so pleased with himself.
Allow your little one to explore the paints with his or her hands too if desired! This is as much a sensory play activity as it is an art activity and this homemade paint is super washable, so nothing to worry about there.
When done, carefully remove your little one’s piece from the work tray leaving all of the bubbly foam in place and set it somewhere to dry. If you have something that will allow it to get some airflow on the bottom too, even better! {The cooling trays you use while baking are amazing for this purpose.}
The end result:
How unique is this finished texture?! It almost reminds me of the moon’s surface.
Bubble Wrap Stomp
The materials:
The set-up:
Set your drop cloth out and secure the bristol board to it using the white border method. Place your paints into a paint tray of some sort and designate one paintbrush per colour. Trim a piece of bubble wrap so it’s the size of your bristol board or smaller.
The process:
Invite your little one to paint on the more textured side of the bubblewrap. For this project, you may want to encourage him or her to be generous with the paint as it tends to turn out better when a good amount is used.
Next, flip the bubble wrap over onto the bristol board canvas and invite your little one to {carefully} walk, dance or stomp on top of it. You want the bubble wrap to stay as flat and still as possible, so if you can hold down the edges while your little one dances and stomps, I’d recommend it.
You may also want to put on some tunes for this step – I mean, what doesn’t a little ‘Baby Shark’ make better??
Carefully lift the bubble wrap and invite your little one to do some more painting on it.
Then repeat the walking / dancing / stomping process again and again until the bristol board is covered in layers of textured, bubbly-looking paint.
And if all that stomping and dancing tires your little one out, why not let them have a little lay down on their artwork, right? {HAHA!}
The end result:
Beautiful, right? I love how the colours gently blend together in some spots while the individual bubbles are quite evident in others.
Well, that’s it. Five super open-ended art activities for little ones that are all about experiencing the process rather than creating something with a specific finished product in mind.
What do you think… Would your little one enjoy any of these?
Are you following us on social media?
Find us on: Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter
We’d love to have you!