DIY Koolaid Playdough

It's hot outside. Enough said. Southern Utah is especially toasty right now. Like 110 degrees everyday. Bluck. The heat really never used to bother me, it meant going to the lake, and laying out. But now I have kids. And I have to worry about sunscreen and if they are drinking enough water. It's a lot more stressful! So the more activities we can do inside... the better!

Playdough is the perfect solution to those boring 'inside' days. And anything that can keep my little guys attention for more than 10 minutes, is okay by me!!

 

Koolaid Playdough

1 cup of flour

2 TBS of cream of tartar

1/4 cup of salt

2 pkgs. of  Kool-Aid of one color/flavor

(as in: don't mix grape and orange... you'll get grey playdough)

1 cup of room temp. water

1 TBS vegetable or canola oil

 

In a medium saucepan, off the heat, mix together everything but the oil.

Mix everything well. and THEN add the oil and stir.

Place the saucepan on the stove, and cook for 3-5 minutes on medium heat. Stir the whole time.

When a ball starts to form, turn off the heat and remove the pan. The playdough will be very HOT, so be careful.  Remove the ball of dough from the pan and allow to cool for a second. Once the playdough is cool enough to handle, knead until it becomes a soft ball.

Store in a ziplock baggie in the fridge. Mine has kept for at least 6 months!

Rolled Fabric Flower

Seriously... is she not the cutest little nugget you've ever seen!? I can't get enough! There's a joke amongst our family that this girl never wears the same headband twice. And while that's not entirely true... it isn't far from it!

But I just can't help it! Headbands are SO much fun! And a really in-expensive way to accessorize! ;)

Fabric flowers are one of my very favorites! They are so easy and cheap and fast! You can make one for every outfit for just pennies! You can even use scrap fabric!

You'll need:

Fabric (1 strip = 1.5 inch x 3 feet)

scissors

hot glue

felt (or more fabric)

elastic headband material (or a clip)

 

 1. Tie a knot in the end of your fabric strip.
2. Begin rolling the fabric around the knot. As you roll, add small dots of hot glue to keep the coils in place. The tighter you roll, the smaller the 'coils'.
3. Keep rolling... and rolling... and rolling.
4. Once you have about 2 inches left, glue your coil around the back, and once its dry, cut off the excess.
5. Glue a circle of felt onto the back, to keep the coils in place.
6. There you go! All there is left to do is add a clip, or an elastic headband (you can find those on etsy or, even at walmart and joannes!)

 

What are your favorite headband's to make?

Bella Comfy Spot by Crypton {Product Review}

Lets face it, kids are messy. Well, at least my kid. Another fact, kids love to have a 'spot'. You know, their spot, whether it be a mini chair, a designated floor space, orr.... one of these!

 I was so excited when Crypton offered to send me on of these pillows for my little boy to review! I knew he would love it before it even came! And I was right! I can't get him off of it! It's his favorite napping spot, his favorite movie seat, and the best part is, it's 100%....

Stain Resistance

Moisture Resistance

Microbial Resistance

Odor Resistance

so you dont have to worry about the snacks or the sippies on the pad! It's like a dream come true for moms with a 2 year old! :) No worries about if they are spilling or wiping, you just send them to their spot, and... voila! total peace of mind! It repells liquids, sticky messes or anything else your little one throws at it, they are amazing!

 

They don't just stop at these pads either! They have fabric, furniture, blankets, pillows and so much more! Go check them out!

These comfy spots would make amazing Christmas gifts for all the little ones on your list! I am definetly keeping them in mind for the next little one!

Kids Vitamin Chart {Free Printable}

I have the hardest time remembering to give my little man his vitamins every day! And then if I do, I have to remember not to give them TWICE a day! (I get a little scatterbrained) So I made up a chart to help me remember! So far it's worked like a charm!

 Here's what mine looks like... if any of you also have a little mister Blake at home!

 And for everyone else... ;)

Download Here

Hope this helps with your vitamin regiment!

Carrot and Oatmeal Muffins for your picky toddler

My little buster loves muffins! So I added a few things to bulk up the nutrition!

This is such a quick, easy recipe! You need 3 things...

Oatmeal muffin mix (okay, and the stuff to fix it, mine took and egg and 1/3 c milk)

1 carrot, grated

2 TBS wheat germ

Mix and bake according to package directions.

Easy peasy!

Kiddo Clothes {Stocking up}

 I am a BIG believer of stockpiling.

I have...

 a cereal stockpile.

a toothpaste stockpile.

a wedding gift stockpile.

a laundry soap stockpile.

and... okay I have a lot of stockpiles.

But the one I want to ramble about today is for my little man.

I call it my "Someday he'll be that big" stockpile.

Because honestly I have to say that to myself everytime I buy for it. I am in denial that my baby will be a big kid someday.

Anyways.... So about once every 2-3 months my craft room floor looks like this.

Let me break it down for you.

Far right-2T

Middle- 3T

Left- 4-5T

Simple enough, right? I started 'stockpiling' when I found t-shirts at target for $1.00. I mean, who can resist $1.00? Even though a 3T shirt seemed like light years away for my baby who was still in 3-6 month clothes at the time. But I bought them. A lot of them. And that's where it began.

It's actually pretty simple when you know where to look, and what to look for. My favorite places are Walmart and Target. Walmart doesn't always have the cutest clothes... but sometimes you'll find some great stuff, or even just some play clothes. Target has a lot of cute stuff, but it goes fast (at least at mine) so I have to be patient and quick!

  Here's a few more tips....

1. Look for the signs. No, not 'signs from above'. Clearance signs. Those Big yellow clearance signs at target are my best friend. Stickers are another buddy of mine. Most are red, so watch for them!

2. But don't be tricked. Always make sure it's really a good deal. There may be a sign, but if it's only like 10% off, it's usually not worth stocking up on. I usually watch for 50-75% off to stock up. Now I'm not saying don't buy things that are 10% off, but thats just not a great stock up sale. Most likely you will be able to find a better deal later on.

3. Track the sales. This one takes time, but it's usually worth it. When you find an AMAZING sale, write it down somewhere you wont lose it, that way next year you will know when to start watching. Stores usually Clearance their items towards the end of the season, like right now most places have winter clothes on clearance because it's going to start warming up soon!! (well at least here in Southern Utah it is! ;))

4. When in doubt... buy it. If it's a super super SUPER great deal, I say get it. The other day I was randomly at Kmart (not my usual stop, but we had time to kill) and I found 4T long sleeved shirts for an awesome price! The only thing was, I had no idea if my little one would be wearing 4T when it was cold out. But, I figured I could always hem up the sleeves if he needed that size in summer. So I got them! Short sleeves are always a safe bet because you can always throw a long sleeved shirt underneath. Usually, even if you end up giving it away, or donating it, you wont be out much $$.

5. Make sure you have room. I am lucky enough to have a spare room and an extra dresser for just such things, but really, if you don't have room for 50 extra items of clothing... don't buy it. This is how I store mine...

 

Hope this helps you start your stockpile for little ones! And believe me, it's SO much fun to pull out a huge pile of clothes that you paid hardly anything for!

Toddler Smoothies

My poor little buster has been trying to get these darn molars for a few months now :( Some days are worse than others, especially for eating! Some days I'm lucky if I can get him to eat a handful of blueberries (his FAVORITE food!) So on those days, in order to get nutrition in him, I make him a smoothie! They are really basic and SUPER cheap to make!

I start with a base...

1 cup vitamin d milk

1/2 cup vanilla yogurt

a handful of spinach leaves

then I add a grain...

either 1/4 cup wheat germ, or 1/4 cup of oatmeal/rice/multigrain baby cereal

then a fruit... or 2... or 3.

hand full of strawberries/blueberries/banana/peaches/whatever

then I will usually add a baby food to it. I keep these on hand just for this reason.

these are some of my favorites to use...

and if it's hot out, add a few use cubes to make it a true smoothie!

then all you do it toss it all in a blender and whir it up until it will easily pass through a sippy cup! If it's too thick, add more milk.

It's a great way for me to get nutrients into my little one when he wont eat anything!

Oh, and I don't in anyways claim to be a professional, nutritionist, or a doctor. This is just something I use in my family!

Tot School Ideas

I have been attempting to do Tot School with Katelyn each day. I have always wanted to do something with my children to help teach them. I got the idea from following several blogs, but mostly from three amazing ladies who have so many ideas. All three of them have been either kindergarten or first grade teachers so I know that their 'curriculum' is age appropriate and educational. First off is 1+1+1=1. She has such brilliant ideas and tons of free printables and suggestions. I am so excited to start using her ABC weekly lesson ideas for Katelyn.


I also follow Alison from Oopsey Daisy. She has great ideas and also does her version of mommy school with her 2 year old little boy. This last week she offered a new themed packet that I am so excited to use with Katelyn.



And finally for more great {free} printables and ideas you can visit Michelle of Musings of Me. She has so many adorable themed Tot School printables - they are wonderful! I have used several of hers and we have enjoyed them.

happiest toddler {and baby} on the block.

Buy this book. It's awesome! 
There is another version,
Happiest Baby on the Block. 
buy that too. haha. 
great books!

LINK HERE.