Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Priorities...

Have you ever read this story? This story reminds me to keep my priorities in check. Working on re-figuring some of my "rocks"... be back soon!
XO
BB

Monday, August 15, 2011

What lurks in the shadows of Family Fun Night....?

This week for Family Fun Night, get lost in the shadows! Creating your own shadow puppets is a wonderful family activity. This ancient form of entertainment is sure to get the whole family involved.
Snack:
Brownie Shadows:
1. Make a batch of your favorite brownies
2. Use Christmas gingerbread men cookie cutters to cut out shadows
3. Enjoy the deliciousness of your shadows!

(Thanks Google for images!)

Activity:
Puppet show:
Either make your own shadow puppets (get templates here) or create good old fashion hand puppets (see chart below.) Adjust the lighting to get solid shadows along a blank wall or white sheet. Get the whole family involved in creating a story, let your shadows bring your stories to life!


(puppet images via pin)


Do:
Shadow Hunt:
cut out "animal shadows" out of dark construction paper, place around your home let your children go wild on their shadow hunt!

Splurge:Capture and display your children's "shadows" forever. Purchase a digital profile and frame to display your wee ones shadows proudly. For all the details click  HERE!


** From your small infant to the inner child of your wonderful spouse, children of ALL ages enjoy shadow gazing!

May you lurk in the shadows more often!
XO
BB

** See last week's family fun night idea here!
P.S.
Thought I would share one of my favorite images....I keep this in my office. I love the that their shadows tell a story and reveal the innocent youth of their souls, and of course serves as a reminder that you are never to old to dance! This image makes me happy!

Learn more of this image here.


Friday, August 12, 2011

Have a bright week-end....

Each week-end I try to make hot breakfast for my family. After the week long hustle and bustle, it's nice to have a slow morning around the table together. I decided to add a bright note to a week-end classic...why not?!

May you have a colorful week-end!
XO
BB
** PS. I love to add fruit and veggie purees along with milled grains like spelt to my pancakes...a yummy way to sneak in nutrients!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

A little something crafty ...Mommy Time out!

Most of the crafts I post are crafts geared for your little ones or for you to do with you little ones. While you could do this craft with the kids, I suggest you give yourself a Mommy Time Out and do a little something crafty for yourself. I love all things garland. when I came across these felted garland pictures I knew instantly I had to make garland of my own. I am off to the craft supply to purchase my much needed materials, tonight when all are sleeping I will pop in a classic Jane Austin flick and make my own felted garland. I plan to make mine in shades of red, grey, and mustard yellow so I can use it both for my little Liam's vintage plane party and for Christmas!

Click here to learn how to make this simply perfect, felted garland!

 Make a beautiful strand of your own!
XO
BB

*** to see another Mommy Time Out idea click here!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Food Fun...

Have a little fun with your food. Today's Food Fun, is homemade chocolate bowls! Remember, kids love to help ...your dessert will taste sweeter as you think of all the smiles involved in it's creation!
(pic. via pin)

1. dip balloons in melted chocolate
2. wait for chocolate to harden
3. pop balloon
4. serve ice cream or your favorite treat inside the bowl!

Don't forget the cherry on top!
XO
BB


Monday, August 8, 2011

Add a hint of Rustic to your Family Fun Night...

Sneak in one final summer camping trip. Set up camp in the comfort of your own home. Today's Family Fun Night is indoor camping!

Campsite:
Tent:
set up a tent in the living room, or make a homemade tent using sheets, blankets strings.....anything! We hang t sheets in our the living room over the couches using string that we tie with thumb tacks to the wall. This creates a very large tent over the entire living room. Your kids will  have a lot of fun helping you to set up the homemade tent. Be sure to fill your tent with the camping essentials... sleeping bags and flashlights!


(both images via pin)
Campfire:
 Make a fake camp fire using craft materials. I like to gather rocks and sticks from the yard ( or better yet, let your kids gather them for you) and use orange and yellow tissue paper for the flames. Build your fire were you can all gather around. This is a great place for story telling and campfire songs!

Wildlife:
Decorate the room with any plants you have in the house, and place stuffed animals behind the plants, as if they are playfully hiding.

Menu:
Dinner: Tin foil Dinners
Wrap your favorite chopped veggies, protein options, and seasonings in foil, and toss into the oven. Bake at 350 degrees until fully cooked. A meal fit for the most experienced of campers!


Snack:
Munch on your camping favorites, we always have popcorn and trail mix!

Treat:
French S'mores
Find out how to add the Oooo La La factor to your S'mores  HERE
Activity:
Go on a bug hunt. You can use glow in the dark plastic bugs,that can be found at your local toy store, or bug stickers, have your children walk around with flashlights to find the bugs!


Make:
Leaf Prints:
Gather leaves from your yard. Apply paint, or ink to the leaves and stamp onto paper. These leaf prints will make fabulous artwork for you to decorate your home for fall!


Read:
Gather around your campfire and share a story. Consider checking out a camping related book from your local library. I recommend;
  • Curious George Goes Camping
  • Dora's Camping Trip
  • Maisey Goes Camping
  • Matthew and Tall Rabbit Go Camping
  • Otto Goes to Camp
  • S Is for S'mores: A Camping Alphabet
Don't let the bed bugs bite!
XO
BB

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Inspired Spaces....

We all do it, there is no avoiding it; might as well embrace it.!Today's inspired space is the laundry room! Washing your laundry in one of these spaces may make this everyday ordinary chore feel like loads of fun!

Can you imagine sorting your clothes in here!

Add vinyl decals directly onto your appliances for a splash of color....you can change the design with your mood or season....I am thinking I found a new place to expand my Christmas decor!

Simple, clean, practical, very entertaining!

Great for small spaces

Beautiful built ins, love the color scheme....cheerful place to tackle that dirt

 Just feels Clean!
Love this DIY drying rack.....I think this will make it's way into my laundry space

Stunning!

 Love the folding table...I need one!

May every inch of your life be inspired!
XO
BB
(* images via pin)


Monday, August 1, 2011

WACKY Family Fun Night...

Have you noticed things have gotten a bit "wacky" around your house?  Inspired by Dr. Seuss's Wacky Wednesday,this week's Family Fun night is sure to break up the everyday mundane.We will be having our family fun night on....you guessed it.....Wednesday this week...really you can have Family Fun Night, on any night you choose to.

Meal:

Shake up the dinner hour by having a "Backwards meal." Serve your children dessert first! While I am not one to completely ruin a meal I suggest serving a bite size dessert like these bite size banana splits.
(Pic via pin.)
Slice banana into 3rds, dip bottom in chocolate sauce or soft ice-cream, then dip in sprinkles. Finish off with a squirt of whipped cream and a cherry on top!


Following dessert, serve up dinner with an extra side of wacky.....add colored mash potatoes to your menu!
(just add a drop or two of food coloring into your side dish!)


Activity:
Create a bunch of "wackiness" around your home. Let your children find the 10 wacky things. Some wacky ideas include;
  • Dad wearing his dress shirt....backwards!
  • The pillows are on the wrong side of the bed!
  • The milk in the fridge is green!
  • A chair is on top of the table!
  • The toys are out of the toy box!
  • The laundry is folded inside the dryer!
  • There is only a spoon to eat dinner with!
  • The door bell rang....but no one was there ( make sure you put Daddy to work, Daddies are great at wacky tricks!)
** anything else you can think of.... It is really great to make routine things around your house.....your children great appreciate a chance to have a bit of silly in their normal routines.

Learn:

Ask your children, and your spouse to share their wackiest idea of a perfect day. Learn what things your children really love, desire and dream about.....maybe you will find a wacky way to make some of their silly dreams come true!

** I played a similar game with some of my friend's children who were over for dinner the other night. I was thrilled when I asked them about their "perfect" day. Their answers were so delightful. One of the little guys said he would win a million dollars so he could buy a flat screen tv and a water bed for his room, then he would eat a Thanksgiving dinner....but not pumpkin pie....rather apple.... his mom had no idea he even liked apple pie....so you can guess what will be on her Thanksgiving menu this year! Really, this can be a wonderful way to learn more about those you love the most!......(I think she is still on the fence about the water bed...wink-wink!)

Make:
Wacky Sacks...so easy and fun to make....you can buy all materials at dollar store! Even my 10 month old enjoys playing with them. Learn how to make them here!




Read:
Of course, your Wacky Family Fun Night could not be complete with out reading Dr. Suess's Wacky Wednesday!


Modifications:
If it is just you and your spouse you can still add a hint of wacky to your day, by having a "backwards meal" and sharing your wild idea of the perfect day.

If your children are too young for the wacky hunt, you can always read them the story. You can never be too young or too old to read a Dr. Suess classic!

May you have one WACKY week!

BB
XO
P.S. did you catch my whiff of wacky?!

** To see last week's Family Fun Night click here

Friday, July 29, 2011

Muffin Tin- Crayons...

Do you have an assortment of broken crayons lying around your home? You are in luck! Gather up those broken bits of crayons and melt them into a new crayons! Your children will be proud of their creations. The larger size, and round shape helps young artist grip them better, they will not worry about constantly breaking the crayons.




Gather:
  • Crayons –  gather up broken pieces you already have or purchase boxes of crayons ( take advantage of those back to school sales) and break them up into pieces.
  • Mini muffin pan (it would be best to use a muffin pan dedicated to crafts after this, as some crayon may transfer onto the pan)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 265 degrees F. Remove all the paper from the crayons.Break the crayons into about 1/2 to 1 inch size pieces. You can get 2 to 3 pieces per crayon. Put two to three similar colors in each muffin slot, then bake for 6-8 minutes. Do not over bake the crayons. To know when they are done, they will melt just enough that you can no longer see the shape of the crayon. Remove them from the oven and let them firm up on the counter for a few minutes. To get them out of the pans easier, place them in the freezer until they are firm–this takes about 30 minutes. Then pop them right out!

Use different shaped tins, and make all kinds of themed crayons. You could make red and green Christmas trees, or spooky orange and black pumpkins...the possibles are endless. In addition to  being a handy way to recycle crayons, they make great trinkets to slip into party favor bags, to give as gifts, or to make back to school preparations more fun!

Store the crayons in plastic baggies, paper boxes, or my favorite....in cookie jars!

May you always look for possibilities!
XO
BB

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Fairy School Mother...

Each year, list in hand, you hit the stores to do back to school shopping. What would happen if a Fairy did your back to school shopping?

Image if your children woke up in the morning to find a fairy had been there, the evening before...

fairy dust was trickled here and there..
beautiful packages were sprinkled through out your home, each containing a very useful school item. Art supplies, writing utensils, a new blouse, a few hair clips....all thoughtful trinkets left by the back to school fairy!

 Imagine how magical back to school can be!

XO
BB
My husband and I do a gentle "detox/ cleanse" quarterly (every three months.) Since initiating regular cleanses into our lifestyle neither my husband or myself have had so much as a simple cold for over 4 years! We detox strictly for health. For this reason we choose to use a cleanse that is not too restrictive and very gentle on our bodies and our lifestyle. I am not a fan of all juice cleanses, or extreme calorie restrictive cleanses. Remember, stress is not healthy on your body. Your body does not recognize stress of a restrictive cleanse as "healthy" stress, while stress from your busy schedule as "unhealthy stress."
To your body, stress is simply stress.. be kind to yourself!
While reading a recent nutrition publication from a popular medical institution, I came across a Jillian Michaels cleanse. Jillian promotes this cleanse to loose a quick 5lbs and shed water weight. The article expanded on this cleanse, stating it is great to shed water weight, but more importantly, your cells can release stored toxins along with the water. Therefore, improving your immediate and long term health.As it is time for our routine cleanse, we are taking a break from our normal detox and giving the fallowing cleanse a try. I say....drop a quick 5lbs. and improve your health.....sign me up!


** I am still nursing my son. Checked with my Dr. this cleanse is safe to do for nursing mommies!

Improved health will not only effect the quantity of life, but rather the quality. May you  thrive!
XO
BB

Monday, July 25, 2011

FINtastic, Family Fun Night...

What's that lurking in the distance??....Discovery Channel's annual Shark Week kicks off Sunday July 31st! We love shark week at my house. This week's family fun night idea is sure to get your shark week kicked off right. Incorporate the following to make sure you have a FINtastic family fun night:


Dinner and a show:
Make dinner special by having a picnic in your living room, while watching shark week. We are going to lay out beach towels, I will put out a few pairs of goggles for those who would like to wear them and make the show come to life!


Menu:
Quesadilla shark teeth;

Serve quesadillas sliced into triangles on a plate to resemble shark's teeth.Place salsa and veggies in the "jaws" of the shark!
Shark week Sushi roll:

Use food coloring to tint the cream cheese light blue. Spoon the creamcheese ( or cottage cheese, or plain yogurt) into a plastic bag.Cut cucumber into slices. Snip a small corner from the bag with the cream cheese. Pipe spikes of the cream cheese on top of the cucumber slices to look like waves. Arrange
gold fish crackers onto the cream cheese waves and serve!

Sharkade:
               Rim a glass with a wedge of lime and dip it in blue sparkling
               sugar used for baking. Fill the glass with a blue beverage, such as
               Gatorade. Garnish with a big blue gummy shark by cutting the belly 
               of the shark to rest on the rim of the glass.

Showtime Snack:
Pretzel fishing poles:
Dip large pretzel sticks in peanut butter or cream cheese and "fish" for toppings, such as raisins, Swedish fish, goldfish crackers, celery
chunks or chocolate chips.



Dessert:
Surf and Turf cupcakes:
 I love these Ocean & beach cupcakes found on Martha Stewart
 Instead of paper fins, I am using pieces of Oreo cookies. For an  
 unexpected surprise, I am making cupcakes that have a 
 red icing lurking inside, (you could also use red velvet cake.) There will be an Erie layer of delicious red when my family bites into them!

Make:
Felt shark fins:

Cut shark fins out of gray felt. Cut matching fins out of cardboard(I always save cardboard boxes...they have millions and millions of uses. You can either glue or sew the felt onto the cardboard, glue the fins onto a base cover with felt and pin onto your little Great White's back!
    
Play:
Feed the shark:
Your kids can test their throwing skills by "feeding" a stuffed animal shark sitting in a basket. Give each child five to 10 ping pong, tennis balls, or small rocks to serve as the "shark food." Determine which player can toss the most pieces of food to the shark in 30 seconds. Make the game more challenging for older children by placing the shark in a smaller "tank" or by requiring the children to stand farther away from the basket!


         **Don't forget to play with your " shark tank" bubbles!

SEE:
 Gold fish make and inexpensive, low maintenance pet....and a great centerpiece for the table during shark week!
(pic via pin)

Learn:
Use a measuring tape to a measure out how long each of the following breeds of sharks can grow to be. You and your children will be shocked to see just how large the beast of the sea can grow to be!


*The whale shark is the largest shark and grows to almost 40 feet long!
 *The great white can reach up to 20 feet long!
*Bull and Tiger sharks grow to 11-14 feet long!
( thanks google for this pic)


Remember, whether you have children or not, you can incorporate family fun night into your week. If it is just you and your spouse, spread out your beach towels and have dinner together while catching an episode of shark week. Do the learning activity together....have some fun together!


If your children are too young to understand or watch shark week...have an ocean themed night. Even babies enjoy looking at images of fish and romping around on a beach towel!


May you"ATTACK" fun together as a family!
XO
BB


**See last week's family fun under the stars  here!

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Sprinkles for Sprouts...

I am obsessed with Etsy. I love one of a kind, handmade treasures. For those of you who do not know what Etsy is, it's a place where you can buy and sell handmade and vintage items. Sprinkles for Sprouts is my favorite Etsy shop, for beautifully crafted headbands for babes. Click here to go ga-ga over Sprinkles for Sprouts!

Take a peak at a few of my favorites:




XO
BB