Good Girl Chart

I saw an idea online, where a lady created a potty chart using a cookie sheet. I found the cookie sheets too small, so I used a cork board and layered it with plumbing sheet metal using two sided tape (with help from my husband, of course!). Then I covered it with paper, and created the numbers one to twenty. My daughter loves princesses, so I purchased a princess castle and ballerina from Michael's. I made the ballerina magnetic so that she can move her to each step. My daughter helped me create the numbers, so she was involved in the process. For every successful potty trip, she moves one space closer to the castle. Every time she has an accident, she moves back a space. I decided to extend the use of this to apply to all good behaviours, so that she is rewarded for being a good girl. So far, she loves the chart, and if she makes it to the castle we are going to get her a special treat!

Valentine's Breakfast

For breakfast this morning I made heart shaped banana chocolate chip pancakes. They were a big hit, and the recipe was super easy. I garnished with heart shaped bananas. My daughter exclaimed "so cute" to the banana hearts. Banana Chocolate Chip Pancake Recipe

Valentine's Cookies

When I was growing up, my mom would bake us valentine sugar cookies every year. They were gigantic, and I remember it taking us a few days to get through our cookie. I wanted to continue the tradition with my own kids, but on a smaller scale. I made these for my daughter and her daycare buddies. The recipe is awesome - they are light and not too sugary. The icing is tinted with raspberries instead of food colouring and it provides a nice element with the flecks of raspberry - YUM!

Recipe: Joy of Cooking Roll Cookies ) Page 711
 All Recipes - Butter Icing For the frosting I also substituted vanilla for almond extract.

"Hoot Loves You?" Valentines

Tonight my daughter and I worked on our valentines to my husband. I asked her what she wanted to do, and she said OWLS! So we created a "Hoot Loves You - I DO!" Valentine. I cut out the shape of an owl and then let her decorate. I did mine, and she copied. I actually got caught up in the moment, and when I looked down, hers was almost done. She did such a good job for someone who is two. I asked her if I could help her, and she said "hold on mommy, I am busy". I burst out laughing. I must say that too much!

Anyway, I had a hoot making these valentines!

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo

Ever since my daughter watched Cinderella, she has been pretending to be a princess. To pass the time on a snowy Sunday, we decided to make a princess wand. I used the following:

• One lollipop stick
• Spool of ribbon (can use different colours)
• One patch of felt
• Embroidery floss
• Beads
• Feathers
• Stuffing (I used organic raw cotton)
• Cookie cutter
• Hot glue gun

First I applied hot glue to the end of the lollipop stick and then wound the ribbon around the stick and hot glued the top, and cut the excess.


Then I traced the shape of the star using a disappearing marker and the cookie cutter on felt.  I cut both sides at the same time to keep the shape.


Using the embroidery floss in the same colour as the felt I stitched around the edges, leaving a one inch hole a the bottom.


I filled the star with the raw cotton.


I tied different colour ribbon around the top leaving the ends dangling. Then I threaded the beads through the ends and tied them off.


Once the top was complete, I filled the hole with hot glue and stuck the top end of the stick in, and held closed until the glue dried. I applied feathers around the base to hide any gaps or glue.


My daughter has not stopped playing with this! She is running around turning everyone into princesses! I even caught her galloping off to meet the prince.

Indoor Sandbox

According to this article at AhaParenting.com, I have not been doing a good job at nurturing my child's creativity. Of the nine suggestions they provide, I have done one. I am a bit of a neat freak, and I am not crazy about messes. I guess I am hindering my child's imagination.  So today we made an indoor sandbox. I used some coarse corn meal, a baking pan, and some sparkles. I also gave her a fork and spoon. She spent an entire HOUR playing with this. It was awesome. First she went looking for the shapes. This was good for practising her colours and shapes. Then she started drawing in the cornmeal.  I then gave her a squirt bottle full of water and some food colouring to make designs. As my anxiety grew over the mess, she continued to play. All in all it was a good time, and the mess was not too bad!

Sticker Magnets

My daughter loves stickers. The only problem is that I constantly hear, "they not sticky anymore mama!" She reuses them so many times that they end up in sticker heaven.  So today I took the ones that still had some sticky left, and attached them to the photo magnet paper that you can purchase at Michael's or the dollar store. This way we can draw different backgrounds on her white board and place the stickers on top. 

I found that it was better to apply the stickers to card stock first and then apply the sticky magnet backing. It was also better to apply the magnet to the whole sticker. I re-used old greeting cards for the card stock.

Bo Bo's Got a New Dress

Well it looks like we are finally through the worst of the virus. It has been a really rough five days. My fingers are crossed that the baby does not catch it.

My daughter who is two, is obsessed with Cinderella (what little girl isn't?) Since watching Cinderella she has been bugging me for a 'pretty blue' dress for Bo Bo. Bo Bo happens to be her bunny blanket (NuNu). Have you ever tried to find a dress for a blanket? I still cannot find a replacement Bo Bo, let alone a dress. So while my daughter was comatose I decided to make Bo Bo a blue dress. I had a few remnants of blue fabric from other sewing projects so I whipped this up, which made her happy. Bo Bo is now fit to be seen in respectable company. Hooray!

Gastro-Hog Day

Unlike Wiarton Willie, I was ready to crawl back into a hole yesterday, as Gastro stuck our household. We could not keep up with the effects of the virus as it was attacking my daughter's little body. Poor thing had no idea what was going on.  I have felt sick too. I have only seen sympathetic vomiting in the movies, but I have felt close to it for the past 30 hours. The hospital now provides a hand-out to help at home. I guess this is because the waiting room was full of Gastro! No food for 12 hours, and then only crakers etc. We did that, and still it persists....  

Yummy Pumpkin Muffins

These are the best muffins. I have included the original recipe, with my deviations. I typically double the recipe as the cans of pumpkin are 28oz and it works out well. It also uses up some of the buttermilk.

1 - 15 oz. can pumpkin
1 cup bran cereal
1/4 cup butter, melted ( I use applesauce instead)
112 cup (3-1/2 oz,) sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1-1/4 cups (5 3/8 oz.) unbleached all-purpose flour ( I use 1 Cup Whole Wheat and 1/4 of Spelt Flour)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ginger (use fresh ginger)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon ( I use a lot more cinnamon)
1/2 tsp. allspice
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp, baking powder
1 cup (6 oz.) raisins

In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, bran cereal, butter, and sugars. Stir in the eggs

and buttermilk. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, spices, baking soda and
baking powder. Stir into the pumpkin mixture, then stir in the raisins. Cover the bowl and
refrigerate the batter for 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease or line the wells of a muffin pan with papers.

Scoop the batter into the pan, using a heaping 1/4 cup of batter for each. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-28 minutes.

Adapted from a King Arthur Flour Test Kitchen Recipie

Crayon Remnants

So what do you do with all  of those crayon remnants? Make crayon cookies, of course! This was a lot easier than I thought, and my daughter got a kick out of them.

1) Preheat the oven to 300F
2) Make sure all of the "coats" are off the crayons
3) I used cupcake liners and the small muffin tray. The cupcake liners give the cookies ridges on the edge which produces a neat effect on the paper (but do make a bit of a mess). It also protects your muffin pan.
4) Let your little one divide the crayon bits in the tray.
5) Turn on the oven light to let your little one watch them melt
6) Let them cool and remove the wrapper.

Just to note- we used different brands, and some of the crayons were actually the soy crayons and it still worked well.