Keep them busy for hours!

Kids love this stuff! You can mold it into anything you like, then tear it up and start over again, and it's fun for adults too.

What am I talking about? A great invention called Play-dough!

My kids play with play-dough more than they play with any of their other toys right now. If I need a moment of peace and quiet, I pull the play-dough out and let their imaginations sore!

obviously play-dough has been around for a long time and you can buy it just about anywhere, but did you know it's quick and easy to make your own?

here's the recipe:

1/2 cup salt
1 cup flour
1 tbsp cream of tartar (found in the spices section of your grocery store in a small jar)
1 tbsp oil
1 cup water
food coloring of your choice
or you could also use kool-aid and that will make it smell good too! (although I wouldn't recommend for small children since they may think it's okay to eat it!

Put all the ingredients together in a sauce pan on low/med heat stirring constantly. when the dough looks about right, take it off the heat and allow it to cool off.

Fun Ideas for Spring Break!

I am doing these with my own kids and there just isn't time for boredome here!
These are some things that I think are just out of this world fantastic and easy to do with your kids:

1. This is my absolute favorite: Crayola MESS FREE Color Wonder Finger paintsI bought mine at Michael's Craft store, but if you don't have one of those or maybe want to find it on the cheap, just take a look and compare prices here.

If you haven't heard of this stuff it is like the greatest stuff ever... for parents and kids! Your kids can finger paint with this stuff and it won't leave a mess for you to clean up anywhere! It only colors on the "special" color wonder paper that comes with it (you can buy it separately as well) but I was getting pretty sad cuz we are renting you know, and I just can't afford to have my 3 year old spilling paint on the carpet or some other nightmare. For me, this has been the ultimately perfect decision. I don't have to be nervous when she's painting. just enjoy watching her paint and not even have to clean up after her! You have to try this stuff if you haven't already! I am in love :)

2. Put a Puzzle together
I bought one with 50 pieces and pretty easy, but enough that it's fun for us (the parents) too. I put together the more difficult pieces, and kids love to sit there and play with the puzzle pieces and help you put it together. It really gets you and your kids together so you can bond. You can find some really cool 50 piece puzzles here.

3. Painting easter eggs
I'm sure everyone is going to be doing this sometime this week and this is loads of fun as well. I found some really awesome kits here.

4. Read a book about spring or St. Pats day
Kids love to be read to, and it's especially fun on special occasions to read books about whatever it is. I found some really adorable books here for fantastic prices.

5. Cook something together

Well, I think these five ideas will keep you busy enough today and through the week, so Happy St. Patricks Day and Have Fun!

How to Make the Perfect Easter Basket for Your Toddler

Author: Arlene Pellicane



Article:
Browsing online, I saw a toddler Easter basket selling for $65.
Since when does a parent have to spend so much money on a basket
filled with a stuffed animal, candy and plastic grass for a
two-year old? You can spend a lot less and create a basket
that’s even better because it’s tailor made just for your
child.

Here’s how you make a perfect Easter basket that will not
break the bank and make a great impression on your terrific
toddler:

1. Start with a basket you already have at home. Don’t buy
that Easter basket at the grocery store that you will use once
and then pitch into your garage to be lost forever. Can’t find
a basket? Look for a small plastic storage bin, decorate a
shoebox, or extra plastic wastebasket. Nix the cellophane wrap.

2. Skip the candy and load up on healthier treats instead. Your
toddler’s favorite fruits or crackers will do just fine. Or
try a new brand of cracker. If your toddler is asking for candy,
just include one small chocolate egg or a few peeps. Remember
the less your toddler is exposed to candy, the better!

3. Instead of filling plastic eggs with candy, fill them with
beans instead. Tape them up with colorful electrical tape and
you’ve got a new shaker instrument. You can also fill the eggs
with small toys or stickers.

4. Include items you need to buy anyway: a toothbrush with one
of your child’s favorite characters, nice socks, new character
underwear or pajamas.

5. Great toys to include are inexpensive items like crayons,
sidewalk chalk, coloring books, toy cars, stickers, play doh,
rubber duckies and other toys for the bath.

6. Celebrate the coming of spring with some outdoor activity
toys like a Frisbee, bubbles, or ball.

7. Write them a simple note that says “I love you” or
“Happy Easter.” Encourage them to say each letter in your
note.

Create your basket with your toddler in mind. Include some of
his or her favorite things and you’ll be sure to have a hit!
And it will cost you a lot less than $65.

Creative Kids!

My son got a ton of Marvel cars of all of his favorite characters for christmas this year (Hulk, spiderman, batman, the list goes on) and he loves them, but what caught my eye was when I walked in his room one day, and saw how he had arranged them...



I was actually impressed! It looks to me that he has shaped them into a transformer!

MEGATRON DECEPTACON

This is, of course the baddest of the bad deceptacon robots from transformers, Megatron! We were lucky to find this toy as I had not seen it in the stores around town here.

It is a bit complex for the toddler to shift it into the ship it changes into, but my son always just plays with him as is, so we haven't had any problems with it. And he loves it! he absolutely adores Transformers.

I give this toy a 9 out of 10!

Transformers Movie Review

This is the perfect movie (in my opinion) for kids and adults alike. We all love this movie. We bought it when it came out and we still laugh at Shia's jokes even though we have heard them a hundred times.

This movie is truely a classic to ad to your collection. My 3 year old even likes this movie!

We did a Transformers birthday (per request) for our son and the picture says it all. He was a happy boy!


What else can I say? TRANSFORMERS ROCKS!!!

Compromising on a Birthday Cake Budget

There is no doubt when you have picked out the perfect gift for your child.
My son's birthday was a hit this year. He went back to school bragging to all his friends what he got for his birthday. It made me feel so great.

How I did it was simple. I asked him what he wanted, and I did it. You may think now hold on! I can't afford to do everything my child wants me to do. Maybe not. I know I can't, but I can improvise, which is what I did this year!

He wanted everything transformers all the way down to the cake. I could not afford to get a huge sheet cake with the extra kit you have to buy at the store to make it transformers. We could never eat the whole thing anyway!

All the cake was for the kit was completely blue with red icing flames, with a transformers toy on top. That cake was $25!

I decided to get a 1/2 sheet cake for $6.99, and had them make it blue with red trim. (this is PLENTY of cake for a family of 4), had them write his name on it, then I searched for something transformers to put on top of the cake.

I couldn't find a toy I was happy with, but I went to the party store and found a gummy transformer with the same coloration as the cake (I think that's optimus prime) and put that on top.

So then I cut out the part of the package to the gummie that said transformers and put it on the cake as well as a header.

I thought the end result was perfect and my son loved it!