a pretty little mess

I'm not one to shy away from a little mess (if you are this might not be the thing for you) so bring on the rainbow rice!

This is a pretty popular activity that most teachers are very familiar with (my Kindergarten class LOVED this activity), but I thought I'd write about it because it's just so darn fun....and cheap...and easy.

If you have a toddler and you haven't tried this - go for it.  You won't be disappointed.  It'll keep your little one occupied, but you might just end up playing in it right beside them.  It's fun!  Provided you own a broom - I think you'll love it!

Here's what you need (you may have it all in the pantry)!
White rice ~ we went big and got a 20lb bag
Food Coloring ~ we love this gel variety but I'm sure anything works
Vinegar
Large ziploc bags ~ or small depending upon the amount you're making

All you have to do is:
Measure 4 cups of rice into each bag
mix 1/4 cup vinegar with a nice blob of food coloring to reach desired color
add colored vinegar to your rice and shake, shake, shake
WAIT
It takes about 4 hours to dry in the open ziploc bags BUT if you're impatient like we are, it only takes 15 minutes in a 225 degree oven.

PLAY, PLAY, PLAY,
preferably on a hard wood floor,
SWEEP, SWEEP, SWEEP
and
REPEAT.

The bonus here - it's edible - though definitely not tasty.  Pickled rice anyone?

how time flies...

when you're having fun.

Today we celebrate 8 years.

7.29.06

one of the very best days of my life.  

I wouldn't change a thing 

(even if pinterest had been around).

Jeff, you are perfect for me.

Looking through our wedding photos makes me giddy all over again.  I could have posted 50.  But, somehow, our wedding slideshow is still on the web 8 years later.   I think I'll watch it 20 times today.

sweet summertime

We've been loving life and enjoying summer in the beautiful northwest.  I promise I will be back with more of those sensory activity boxes, but for now we're more than busy simply enjoying the great outdoors and plenty of quality family time.

Summer just wouldn't be complete without...

 a good old fashioned Independence Day parade - Carson was so overwhelmed with patriotism that he slept through the entire parade.  It sure made for a cute float (and a 3rd place ribbon!),

a great catch (and release),

a little exotic wildlife,

and, of course, PLENTY of time playing on the farm.

Charlotte is lovin' summer just as much as the rest of us!  Her days are filled with lots of new experiences and plenty of long summer naps.

Happy Summer!

keepin' busy!

With a sweet baby sis in the family, Carson is quickly learning that we can't always drop everything and do exactly as he pleases.  He's learned that lesson pretty quickly, but I do have a collection of emergency activities that come in handy when I just have to keep him occupied.

I've put together quite a few fun ideas that are perfect for keeping little toddlers busy when you've got to send an email, throw in a load of laundry or whip up a quick dinner.

I'm going to do a few posts on this subject, so be on the lookout for at least one a week for the next few weeks! 

The best thing about these activities is that each one fits in this men's shoe box, so they can easily be stored away (and stacked) AND they each cost less than $10.

So here's activity box #1...

Jelly Beadz
This is the easiest box there is (thanks to Amazon!).  All you need are these beadz, your plastic shoe box, and some water and you've got HOURS of fun.  Throw in some kitchen utensils and it gets even more exciting.  Honestly, I couldn't help but play with these for awhile too, they're awesome.

 

This activity is NOT for children that still put things in their mouths!  The jelly beadz are non-toxic, but they're certainly not for snacking on! 

grapefruit raspberry bread

We've been out to the desert a few times this spring and we've got quite the collection of ripe grapefruits.  I'm not a huge fan of grapefruit all on it's own, but luckily I'm a huge fan of this bread so they certainly won't go to waste.  This stuff is so good I'm not sure it can even be called bread - maybe cake?  Well, whatever you call it, it's definitely worth making a batch.  In fact, my sous-chef, Carson, claims "I'm never eating anything else but this.  FOREVER!"

Grapefruit Raspberry Bread
inspired by ina garten

ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup vanilla yogurt (I use non-fat)
1 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
3 eggs
3 teaspoons grapefruit zest (I just zest one grapefruit and use it all)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups raspberries
1/3 cup grapefruit juice

directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan or a few mini loaves.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  In another bowl whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, eggs, zest, vanilla and oil.
Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients (I use my electric mixer).  Coat the raspberries in a spoonful of flour (to prevent them from sinking to the bottom).  Fold the raspberries gently into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan/s and bake for about 35 (small loaves) - 55 (large loaf) minutes.

While your bread is baking, cook the 1/3 cup grapefruit juice and that extra tablespoon of sugar in a small pan until the sugar completely dissolves.  Set aside to cool.

When the loaves are done, allow to cool for a few minutes.  While the cake is still warm, poke a bunch of tiny holes in it with a toothpick and use a butter knife to go around the outside edges (releasing it from the pan) pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in.  Remove loaves from pans and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Don't eat the whole loaf at once!

life is good

I'm back!  It's been a long break from blogging... 
but, I've got a great excuse!

I've been busy with my little ones and time has been too precious to take a break and blog.

So here she is...

The newest addition to the family...

We're pretty crazy about her.  She's almost 12 weeks now and changing every day. 
I'll share more soon.  I promise.
But for now, I must go play!

Another huge thanks to my wonderful, wonderful friend, Jenna (jennabeth.com), for capturing more amazing moments. 

happy new year!

I know we're half way through January already, but better late than never!  We're finally getting back into the swing of things after spending the holidays in the Northwest.
We couldn't have asked for a better time.  I know I've heard this said before, but I now can completely confirm, that the only thing better than being a child at Christmastime is watching your child enjoy Christmastime. 

We made so many great memories this year.  Now, we're just looking forward to meeting our new little one (due in a month) and all that lies ahead in 2014!