Our 3 Fun Friday Activities for Today!

Well, it's finally Friday!!  Time to keep the kids busy busy busy!  Our Fun Friday theme this week is, of course, 4th of July!  This is such a great holiday to do activities for because so many things can be made to look like flags, stars, stripes, and using the colors red, white, and blue!  Here are 3 things we will be making today...

1.  Patriotic Popsicles - Yes, we just made these, but I think we will be making a bigger batch today... 6 just doesn't go very far in our house.  If you have small disposable cups, try experimenting with those in order to make a larger batch, and use straws, popsicle sticks, toothpicks, etc. to hold them.  Also, feel free to use other fruits such as strawberries and cherries for the red, and blackberries for the blue.  You could even use a combination of several different fruits!

2.  Flag Snacks - Like most of our projects, we are using stuff we already have in our fridge/pantry for this one.  So if you would like to "experiment" with us, just take 1 graham cracker longways and spread with plain or vanilla yogurt.  Use blueberries to dot the upper left hand corner where the stars on the flag would be (you are making the background).  Place raspberries side-by-side to make the stripes part of the flag.  Eat and enjoy!  These really were yummy!  My kids want more.  Momma wants more.  'Nuff said.

3.  Star Jigglers - We found a cute ice tray where the ice cube holders are shaped like stars.  Target had them on their $1 aisle!  There is a lonely box of cherry jello sitting in our pantry just waiting to be made into star jigglers!  This should be a big hit!  If you don't have jello, use water, fruit, yogurt, or anything else you may have on hand!  I will post the results of our Star Jigglers!  Would love to see yours too!


What will you be doing on Fun Friday?  Does anyone have any kid-friendly 4th of July recipes that are simple for kids to do?

Yummy Flag Snacks

Like most of our projects, this one started out by rummaging through our pantry and fridge.  Using stuff you already have at home is great for several reasons:

1. You can use up any food that needs to be used or may be expiring soon.
2. You don't have to get your kids loaded in/out of the car!
3. You can stretch your (and your kids') creativity.
4. You don't have to get your kids loaded in/out of the car!!!

So with what we had on hand, and trying to keep with a 4th of July theme, we came up with these Yummy Flag Snacks!  They are super easy to make!  And did I mention they are delicious too!

Yummy Flag Snacks

You will need:

• Graham crackers
• Plain or vanilla Greek yogurt
• Blueberries
• Raspberries, sliced in half

To make:

1.  Spread graham cracker with yogurt.
2. Arrange blueberries in top left corner of cracker to for the "stars" area.
3. Line up raspberry halves on cracker to form the "stripes."
4. Enjoy!

For another delicious (and healthy) 4th of July snack, try these Patriotic Popsicles!

Do you have any favorite 4th of July snacks or dishes you will be making?

Homemade Patriotic Popsicles

This morning we were trying to come up with a fun 4th of July activity that we could do at home inexpensively with things we already had in the house.  Our watermelon popsicles and pear yogurt pops have been disappearing quickly, and we had some fruit in the refrigerator to use up, so we decided to make these patriotic popsicles! 

While it sounded like a great idea at the time, the assembly was a little challenging!  The raspberries and blueberries were really messy and they stain very easily, so we ended up pouring each mixture into a glass with a spout and then pouring each mixture in that way.  I would definitely recommend a funnel to make this a little less messy.  In the end, they turned out good, and we have some fun snacks to eat on the 4th of July (if they last that long)! 

Patriotic Popsicles

You will need:

• 1 1/2 cups  fresh raspberries*
• 1 1/2 cups applesauce*
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries*

            * If using frozen, thaw to room temperature

To Make:

1. Puree raspberries in food processor or blender.  Fill each popsicle mold one-third of the way full with raspberry puree.
2. Pour applesauce on top of raspberry puree and fill until two-thirds of the way full. 
3. Puree blueberries in food processor or blender.  Pour blueberry puree on top of applesauce and fill until full.
4. Freeze for at least 4 hours.

Note: If you don't have popsicle molds you could use plastic cups with popsicle sticks.  Or fill ice cube trays with each flavor and add to water for flavor.

(Servings: 6)

Easy Cheesy Quinoa Recipe

For anyone who may be unsure about cooking quinoa, you should give it a try!  It is one of the healthiest foods and has tons of health benefits.  Plus it is extremely easy and versatile to cook with!  If you haven't tried it, it basically has a texture similar to couscous or a light rice, but it is actually in the spinach family!  Great way to sneak in something healthy to unsuspecting family members!!

Easy Cheesy Quinoa

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 5 green onions, chopped
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions  

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
2. Add remaining ingredients and stir.

(Servings: 4)

Busy Mom's Menu Plan for Monday 6/25 {with link up}

Read More about our Busy Mom's Menu Plans Here!

This time of year, I know a lot of people are either on vacation, packing for a vacation, or are just in "easy summer" mode, so you are getting a super easy menu plan this week!  Every recipe is only 5 ingredients!!!  You really can't get much simpler than 5-ingredient meals!   So spend less time in the kitchen and more time at the pool with your kids (hey, they will hopefully sleep well this week from all the swimming they will be doing!)

Monday  

(Prepare mixture during lunch)

Smothered Green Chile Pepper Chicken

Cornbread
Strawberries

Tuesday  

(Dinner in under 15 minutes!)
Taco Tuesday - (from freezer)

(If you made this meat with me for the freezer, 

you will just need the meat, 

taco shells, and your choice of toppings)

Wednesday 

(Stock Your Freezer- double batch of meat)
Fabulous Beef Tenderloin
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Steamed Veggies
Rolls
Fruit

Thursday

(Dinner in 23 minutes!)
Chicken Tortilla Pie

Chips and Salsa

Pineapples

Friday 

(Quinoa can be prepared ahead of time)
Rotisserie Chicken (from the store)
Easy Cheesy Quinoa --> I will post this recipe tomorrow!!
Crusty Bread
Frozen Lemonade Squares

Saturday  

(Dinner in 20 minutes!)
Sun-Dried Tomato & Walnut Pesto Pasta with Salmon & Asparagus
Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

Sunday  
Dinner with Family

What's on your menu this week?  Link up with us or leave in the comments!! 

Link up with us to share some yummy recipes!!!

To link up:

1. Please mention that you are linking up with us or grab our button! (on the left panel)
   

Check out our menu plan on Menu Plan Mondays hosted by the Organizing Junkie,

and On The Menu Monday hosted by Stone Gable

Ritzy Chicken Recipe

Ritzy chicken is a staple at our house.  It's quick, easy, and delicious!  You can do steps 1-3 ahead of time and then store in your refrigerator.  When you are ready to bake, do steps 4 &5.  It is really one of the easiest recipes to make.  We like creamy mashed potatoes and corn on the cob with it!  If you try it I would love to hear what you think!

Ritzy Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 pound cooked chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 (10.5 ounce) low-sodium cream of chicken soup
• 1 (8 ounce) fat free sour cream
• 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
• 1 sleeve Ritz crackers (low sodium), crushed
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  
2. In a medium bowl, add first 4 ingredients.  Stir.
3. Pour into greased casserole dish.  
4. Top with crackers.  Drizzle butter on top.
5. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until sides start to bubble up.

(Servings: 4)

Our 3 Friday Fun Activites for Today!!

Well it's Friday which means we will do anything to keep the kiddos busy in order to make it to the weekend faster!  All of our fun activities today are frugal activities (completely free!)  And honestly, who wouldn't turn down a little extra help with household chores!  I don't know about you, but laundry is a never ending battle at our house!  Here is what we will be doing today:

1.  Fun with Laundry {Seriously!} - So a few days ago, I had a mound of laundry sitting in my laundry room just waiting to be folded, and a very energetic (almost) 3-year-old looking for something to do.  So we dumped a pile of towels in her room and started folding!  My daughter had the best time helping me fold the towels, and then jumping onto the pile of towels after they were stacked!  So we would have to re-fold and stack again.  This kept her entertained for a good 30 minutes and by the end, she knew how to fold a towel all by herself!!  So... we will be doing more laundry today :)

2.  Homemade popsicles and yogurt pops - We will be making more of these to get us through the weekend!  They go pretty fast at our house!  We may experiment with some new flavors... I will post next week.  Clean out your fridge and use up any fruit/veggies or yogurt that is about to expire!

3.  Filling a bucket with water - I know you are probably reading this and thinking that this sounds incredibly boring, but this kept my {VERY active} child entertained for 45 minutes!!  We have a large tub that we found to keep all of our outdoor toys in that she emptied out, climbed inside, and we turned the hose on to trickle out and she held it in to slowly fill the bucket.  She loved it!  Anything involving water is usually a big hit!  This will be one of our fun activities today!

What activities will you be doing today to keep busy? 

Awesome Cookbook + Steaks with Herb Butter Recipe!!

Ok so I promised you the recipe for Steaks with Herb Butter and here it is!  This recipe is to die for!!  It literally takes less than 2 minutes to mix up the herb butter and it is finished!  Also, the recipe calls for rib-eye steaks... we have used several different types of steaks and it always turns out yummy just the same.  We even take the leftover butter and eat it with fresh bread... delicious!!!

The Steaks with Herb Butter recipe is from the cookbook Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Weeknight Cookbook .  This cookbook is truly one of my favorites out of my entire collection!  If I am in a pinch and need a quick meal, I know I can just grab this book.  It offers meals that are 20 minutes or less  from start to finish, 30 minutes from start to finish, and make ahead options.  The best part is that the recipes are quick, healthy, and use fresh ingredients.  In the back of the book, there are also tons of helpful tips on:

• meal planning
• what foods to pair together
• seasonal foods
• pantry tips
• making a shopping list

Some of our family favorites are definitely in this cookbook! The Steaks with Herb Butter recipe happens to be one of my husband's favorites!! 

The Herb Butter... So delicious!!

Steaks with Herb Butter

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 Tbs. snipped fresh chives
• 1 Tbs. minced fresh rosemary
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 4 rib-eye steaks, each about 1 inch thick

Directions:

Prepare the herb butter
In a small dish, stir together the butter, chives, rosemary, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.

Cook the steaks
Meanwhile, prepare a gas or charcoal grill for direct-heat grilling over high heat and oil the grill rack. Or, preheat a broiler (grill).

Season the steaks generously with salt and pepper, patting it firmly into the meat. Place the steaks on the grill rack, or put them on a baking sheet and place under the broiler. Cook, turning once, for 6-8 minutes total for medium-rare, or until done to your liking.

Divide the steaks among 4 plates, top with the herb butter, and serve.

Recipe from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series, Weeknight, by Melanie Barnard (Oxmoor House, 2006).


Does anyone have a favorite go-to cookbook?  Has anyone tried this recipe and are as obsessed with it as I am??  Please let me know in the comments!!

Creamy Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions  

1. Add potatoes to a saucepan.  Cover with water and boil for 20 minutes, or until fork tender.  Drain.
2. Run potatoes through Potato Ricer and into a bowl. (If you don't have a potato ricer, you can use a masher, however they may not turn out as creamy).
3. Heat milk and butter together in the microwave for 1 minute.  Add to potatoes.  Stir.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

 
(Servings: 3-4)

The Secret to Lump-Free Mashed Potatoes

Do you want to know the secret to perfectly creamy potatoes with NO lumps?  I know it may sound impossible, but trust me, you won't find a single lump!!  If you have ever wondered how gourmet restaurants are able to make perfect cloud-like and creamy potatoes, this is their secret!!!  Oh and did I mention you can throw away you potato masher?  The secret to perfect potatoes is this... 

Busy Mom's Menu Plan for Monday 6/18 {with link up}

Incredibly Creamy Mashed Potatoes

 

Read More about our Busy Mom's Menu Plans Here!

Monday  

(Prepare skewers during lunch.  Stick in fridge until dinner!)

Chicken Yakitori

White Rice

Tuesday  

(Dinner in under 15 minutes!)
Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich

Fruit

Wednesday 

(Stock Your Freezer & Prepare in the morning)
Slow Cooker Pulled Pork - (double batch)
Incredibly Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Apples

Thursday

(20-Minute Dinner!!)

Seared Scallops with Lemon Orzo
(can use shrimp, pork, or filet!)

Friday 

(Ready in 10 minutes!!)
Steaks with Herb Butter --> I will post this recipe this week!  These are amazing!!!
Baked Potatoes
Salad
Fresh Bread

Saturday  

Dinner Out!

Sunday  
(Under 10 minutes)
Heart Healthy Spaghetti Sauce (From Freezer)
Pasta
Breadsticks

What's on your menu this week?  Link up with us or leave in the comments!! 

Link up with us to share some yummy recipes!!!



Check out our menu plan on Menu Plan Mondays hosted by the Organizing Junkie,
and On The Menu Monday hosted by Stone Gable

Our 3 fun activities for today!

Since Father's Day is right around the corner, our Fun Friday activities are all going to be about Father's Day!  You still have a few days to get everything you need to spoil the fathers in your life!  We prefer homemade gifts!  If you need some homemade ideas, here are 3...

*Image courtesy MySunshineAndButterflies.blogspot.com

 1.  Make a Father's Day coupon Book!  I found this cute book on Sunshine + Butterflies.  It gives you step by step instructions on how to do it!  Plus, you should have all of the supplies already at your house.

2.  Make his favorite dessert!  Load the kids in the car and head to the grocery store to pick up the ingredients for dad's favorite dessert!  I'm thinking this Oreo Cheesecake just might do the trick!  If you are looking for a new recipe idea, you can't go wrong with a recipe from the Kitchenaid Best-Loved Recipes Cookbook!

3.  Make a card!  Grab a piece of printer/construction paper and get to work!  Use paint, crayons, markers, or anything you have laying around the house!  (If you couldn't tell from this, our daughter is sort of a minimalist when it comes to coloring in pictures!)


Happy Friday!!!

DIY for Kids: Wipeable Placemats!

This is such a fun project to do with kids!  My 2 1/2 year old just loves making her own placemats!  She is so excited to use them that she will eat just about anything I make her for the first few uses of it!  (She even ate some of the veggies from this meal!) Her interests change just about every day, so when we didn't have a Hello Kitty placemat to use one day, she was not a happy camper.  So we decided it would be way more fun to make our own! You can evenpersonalize them by adding your child's name!

You Will Need:

• Paper (Construction paper, coloring book, plain white paper, etc.)
• Something to color with (Crayons, Markers, Paint, etc.)
• 1 roll of Contact paper
• Scissors  
• Stickers, letters, glitter, etc. (optional)

To Make a Placemat:

1. On a piece of paper, have your child color/paint a picture or a page from a coloring book.  
2. Decorate with stickers, letters, glitter, etc. (optional).
3. Place the picture on the contact paper to measure for desired size, leaving a 1" border around paper.  
4. Cut 2 pieces of contact paper to equal sizes.
5. Carefully peel the backing off of one of the cut pieces of contact paper.  Place picture on sticky side.
6. Slowly peel the backing off of the second piece of contact paper and align, sticky side down, to one corner of the contact paper with the picture on it.
7. Carefully peel off all of the backing, pressing down as you go in order to get rid of air bubbles.  
8. If the sides are a little uneven, just trim them up with the scissors! 

Note: To make a double-sided placemat, have your child color 2 different pictures of the same size.  Put them in back to back when placing in contact paper.   

To Clean Placemat:
Wipe with damp cloth or sponge.  (Baby wipes work too!)  Dry with towel.

After finishing this placemat, my daughter decided she wanted to add stickers to it.  If your child wants to add more "embellishments" after the contact paper has been stuck together, simply add stickers, etc., and then another layer of contact paper on top to make it wipeable again!

1-Ingredient Peach Ice Cream Recipe

Peaches are definitely one of the summer's yummiest fruits!  We look forward to enjoying this delicious food in any form!  If you are looking for a quick and healthy recipe for a refreshing summer treat, whip up a fresh batch of this homemade 1-ingredient peach ice cream!!  This recipe is extremely easy and takes about a minute to make, and is a delicious way to keep cool this summer!

1-Ingredient Peach Ice Cream

You will need:

• 1 cup frozen peaches

To Make:

1. Add peaches to blender or food processor and mix until smooth.
2. Grab a spoon and enjoy!

Menu Plan Moday 6/11

 
Read More about our Busy Mom's Menu Plans Here!

Monday  

(Dinner in under 20 minutes)

Heart Healthy Spaghetti Sauce (from freezer)

Angel Hair Pasta
Salad
Bread

Tuesday  

(Stock Your Freezer)

Taco Tuesday!  

(Make a double batch of meat to freeze)

Wednesday 

(15-Minute Dinner!!)

 Barefoot Contessa's Scallops Provencal

Whole Grain Minute Rice
Pan-Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Garlic

Thursday

(Morning Prep)
Melt In Your Mouth Chicken
(Do steps 1 and 2 in the morning... 
Step 3 before dinner!)
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Corn on the Cob

Friday 

(Nap time prep)
Hamburgers and Hotdogs
Baked Sweet Potato Fries
(Chop sweet potatoes.  Add all ingredients to a ziploc bag.  
Shake and put in the fridge until dinner!)

Saturday  

Out to Eat!!

Sunday 
Pizza Night

*Check out our menu plan on Menu Plan Mondays hosted by the Organizing Junkie,
On The Menu Monday hosted by Stone Gable,
and Meal Planning Monday hosted by Finding Hope

What's on your menu this week? Please leave in the comments!!


 

Monday Night's Dinner - Yum!

Super Yummy and Healthy (Shhh!) Shake Recipe

During the summer months, nothing sounds more refreshing than a nice cold shake!  This shake is a healthy way to enjoy a refreshing drink without the added calories of ice cream.  Pureed bananas take the place of ice cream for a healthy alternative!  Also, the spinach adds tons of nutrients and you can't even taste it!! We use the Vitamix Pro 200 Blender for these, but a regular blender works too!

  Super Yummy and Healthy (Shhh!) Shake 

Ingredients

• 2 cups chocolate almond milk
• 2 frozen bananas*
• 1 handful baby spinach, washed
• 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

* The best way to freeze bananas is to peel them, break them in half or thirds, and put them in a freezer bag.  This way if you have bananas that are about to go bad, or if your child only eats half of a banana for breakfast, you can just keep adding bananas to the bag and freezing. 

Directions  

1. Add all ingredients to a blender or Vitamix.
2. Mix and enjoy!

(Servings: 2)

3 Fun Things to Do With Your Kids

Our week is usually filled with activities, running errands, and other weekly chores.  By Friday, sometimes we have run out of ideas for things to do.  Here are 3 fun things to do today to stay busy:

1. "Paint" your house - Grab paintbrushes and buckets of water and let your kids have fun "painting" the outside of your house with water!  Sneak in some learning and have them draw letters, numbers, and pictures!  
2. Visit the Library - Stay cool indoors while letting your kids explore new books!  Sign up for the summer reading program at your local library to keep your children motivated to read all summer long!  If you have already signed up, go get some new books to read over the weekend!
3. Play dress-up - Get out old Halloween costumes and other fun outfits and let your kids have fun changing clothes and playing dress-up.  You can even have them act out their favorite books or movies that relate to the outfits you have picked out!

What fun things will you be doing today? 

Chicken and Veggie Chinese Chicken with Pineapples Recipe

This is such a great recipe because it is so versatile.  Any combination of veggies can be used to accommodate what you have on hand.  I have made this recipe using all fresh veggies as well (red peppers, broccoli, carrots, water chestnuts, etc.)  Both ways turn out beautifully.  If you have veggies that need to be used up and extra time to chop, feel free to throw them in!

 

Chicken and Veggie Chinese Chicken with Pineapples

 

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (16-ounce) bag of frozen stir-fry veggies*
• 1 cup frozen pineapples
• 2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce (optional)

*If using fresh veggies, make sure you have about 4-6 cups.  You can also use a mixture of both fresh and frozen, depending on what you have on hand.

 

Directions  

Warm 1 TBSP oil in a large wok or saucepan on medium heat.  Add chicken and season with sea salt and pepper to taste.  Cook for 5 minutes, or until slightly browned and cooked through.  Transfer chicken to plate.  Warm remaining 2 TBSP oil on medium high heat.  Add onion, veggies, and pineapple.  Stirring occasionally, cook for 8-10 minutes, or until veggies are crisp-tender.  Add cooked chicken and soy sauce (if using).  Stir to heat through for 1 minute.  Serve over whole grain rice. 

 
(Servings: 4)

Toddler Tuesday: Clif Kid Z Bar

I have a very picky eater on my hands.  She basically eats 2 things right now... bananas and this yogurt.  We were so excited to discover these... 

Z Bars for kids!  They are organic and all natural, and contain none of the following:  high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, preservatives, artificial flavors or colors, or trans fats!  We have found them to be the perfect mid-morning snack.  Our little one loves Honey Graham and Peanut Butter the best.  Momma likes the Peanut Butter ones too!  They are great for an extra energy boost (not that we need any extra energy, but at least in subsides the crankiness until lunchtime!)  The Z Bars are also perfect to throw in my purse in case we are out and about and need a healthy snack to munch on!  We found ours at Whole Foods.  There were several other flavors that looked really good too. 

Has anyone tried the Chocolate Brownie or Chocolate Chip Clif Kid Z Bar flavors yet? 

Menu Plan Monday 6/4

Read More about our Busy Mom's Menu Plans Here!

Monday  

(Stock Your Freezer)

Mac and Cheese with Beef

(Make double batch)

Tuesday  

(30 minute meal) 

Chicken, Lemon, and Broccoli Risotto

Wednesday  

(Prepare during lunch)

Crock Pot Marinated Chicken

Baked Sweet Potatoes

Salad

Thursday 

(Dinner in under 30 minutes)

 Chicken and Veggie Chinese Chicken with Pineapples

Whole Grain Brown Rice Pilaf

Friday 

(Nap time prep)

 Crab Cakes 

Quinoa with Green Onions and Parmesan 

Fruit

Rolls

Saturday  

Dinner out... Someone else gets a turn to clean up!

Sunday 

 Creamy Bacon Carbonara 

Salad

Ciabatta Bread



*Check out our menu plan on Menu Plan Mondays hosted by the Organizing Junkie,
On The Menu Monday hosted by Stone Gable,
and Meal Planning Monday hosted by Finding Hope

Homemade Popsicle Recipes

As I mentioned yesterday, one of our fun things to do to keep busy was making homemade popsicles.  We had some watermelon to use up, as well as some Yo Baby Meals - Pear and Green Bean. (This is the only way we can get our child to eat her veggies!)  We ended up making two different flavors of popsicles -- Watermelon and Pear Yogurt Pops!

Homemade Watermelon Popsicles

You will need:

• Watermelon 

To Make:

1. Slice desired amount of watermelon and remove seeds.  
2. Add to blender or food processor and puree.
3. Fill popsicle molds with mixture and freeze for at least 4 hours.  

Note: If you don't have popsicle molds you could use plastic cups with popsicle sticks.  Or for a fun alternative, freeze mixture in ice cube trays and add frozen watermelon cubes to water for a refreshing drink!

 

 Homemade Pear Yogurt Pops

You will need:

• 1- 15 oz Canned Pear Halves (2 pears if using fresh)
• 1- 4oz Yogurt (we used Pear and Green Beans Yo Baby Meals organic yogurt)
• 2 tablespoons water

To Make:

1.  Add all ingredients to blender or food processor and puree.
2. Fill popsicle molds with mixture and freeze for at least 4 hours. 
3. Smile -- Your kids are eating their vegetables :)

Does anyone have any favorite homemade popsicle recipes?  Please share in the comments!

Fun Friday!

As the weather continues to heat up, we are always on the lookout for fun (mostly indoor) activities to keep the kids busy.  There are certain days we have to be really creative to keep boredom from setting in!  Here are 3 fun activities for kids that we will be doing today:

1. Dancing to Disney - Pull up your favorite Disney songs on YouTube (our current favorite is Tangled) and dance around with your little ones to some hits!  Great way to burn energy (and calories!) 

2. Bead work - Gather beads and string and have your kids string the beads on to make bracelets, necklaces, crowns, key chains, belts, etc.  This is really good for concentration!  Have them work at the kitchen table.  This will give you a few minutes to unload the dishwasher and do a quick kitchen pick up!

3. Popsicle Making - Let your kids pick out their favorite fruits, yogurt, and juice. Use any fruit or yogurt that you may have on hand that is about to expire!  Have them help you throw all of the ingredients in a blender, put in Popsicle holders, freeze, and enjoy tonight on a walk to the park or around the neighborhood!  I will post our popsicle recipe later!


What fun activities will you be doing today?