Personalized Beach Towel

what a great way to prepare for some time at the beach or pool!
Happy crafting and keep cool!



By: Amanda Formaro

Difficulty: Easy

Age: 7 and up


Kids can make this fun and funky personalized beach towel for their summer's trips to the beach and pool!

Be sure to check out our summer craft selection, our camp crafts, classic crafts and scout crafts!


What you'll need:
Beach towel
Ocean themed foam stamps
Fabric paint, or acrylic paint plus textile medium
Large paintbrush
Cardboard


How to make it:
If you are not using fabric paint, mix together 2 parts acrylic craft paint and 1 part textile medium.
Wash and dry the towel, do not use fabric softener. Place cardboard underneath the towel to catch any seepage.
Use foam stamps to decorate towel with fish, shells, and starfish. (See photo.)
If the paint is not very prominent, use a paintbrush, using a dabbing motion, to add more paint to the design. (See photo.)
To make the water, use a dabbing motion with a large stiff bristled brush.
To write your name, use a stiff bristled brush.
Allow to dry completely before using.


via: http://crafts.kaboose.com/personalized-beach-towel.html

What a way to show your love

Now, here is a creative mom if I've ever seen one! Love the idea and am just blown away by her creativity!
What a keepsake for Mila one day!

Silly bands as a discipline?

It is more then likely safe to say, that if you have kids, you have heard of silly bands.
They are of course a huge hit at our house as well and while I at first did not quite understand the reason behind this mania...I have found a wonderful use for them!
My son has tons of them. He has been wearing an average of 15 at a time. No matter where we go, so go the silly bands.
Because our summer has been filled with so many activities out of the house, disciplining him has at times been challenging.

Here is how I use the silly bands as a disciplinary action:

He gets to put on all or some of his silly bands every morning (not like I need to remind him of that...) and as we go through our day I watch out for signs of disobedience. After he does something that deserves a punishment I get to take one of his silly bands.
At the same time I am using them as positive reinforcement, because for every kind and nice thing he does, I return one of his silly band to him.

There you go. Quick and doable everywhere!

Enjoy the silly!

Kids' Favorite Pea Soup

We are nuts for soup in the winter!
I am sure your family will enjoy this recipe!
Happy slurping,
Nadine


Kids' Favorite Pea Soup
Originally submitted by Karen and modified by Kaboose.com

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Your youngsters will slurp up spoonfuls of this tasty pea soup, and you'll feel good knowing they're having this comforting and nourishing meal in a bowl. Serve it up with soup nuts or fish-shaped crackers.

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 3/4 cups dried split peas
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 bay leaves
2 ounces ham
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, chopped
2 teaspoons dried chervil
salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Instructions
In a pressure cooker over medium heat, saute the garlic, onion and celery in the olive oil for 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add the peas, broth, bay leaf and ham. Cook under pressure for 10 to 12 minutes. (Note: If you do not have a pressure cooker, cook the peas over low heat for 3 to 4 hours or use a slow cooker.)
Once the peas are soft, stir in the potatoes, carrots and chervil and simmer for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add water as needed to adjust the thickness of the soup.
Nutrition Facts
Servings per Recipe: 5
Amount Per Serving
calories: 523cal
total fat: 16.5g
cholesterol: 8mg
sodium: 644mg
carbohydrates: 71.2g
fiber: 22.2g
protein: 24.6g
Preparation Time: 20 min.
Cooking Time: 15 min.
Ready In: 35 min.
Servings: 5

via: http://recipes.kaboose.com/kids-favorite-pea-soup.html

Five Senses Competition

This is a wonderful way to pass a rainy afternoon with lots of fun!
Enjoy,
Nadine

Five Senses Competition
Each competitor has to pass five tests of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. Each player has a card bearing his or her name, upon which the marks won in each test are recorded. The prize is awarded to the competitor with the highest total.


WHAT YOU NEED:
Blindfold
Bowls or bottles
Household items for each of the tests
Paper
Pen or pencil


HOW TO PLAY:
1. For the sight test you need a tray bearing items like a bottle, pen, knife, pencils, ornaments, and photograph frame, for instance. Cover them with a cloth. Each player comes forward in turn to peek under the cloth at the items for one minute before returning to make a list of how many he remembers.

2. The hearing test is done blindfolded and half a dozen familiar noises are made in the contestants' presence. The fire is poked, a newspaper crumpled, and so on.

3. The taste test is again done blindfolded. This time the players taste a range of foods such as jam, apple, salt, or sugar, and try to guess what they are.

4. The smelling test is also done blindfolded and requires six bottles or bowls, each numbered and containing such things as lemonade, vinegar, coffee, or some other familiar liquid the players should guess.

5. The touch test is again done blindfolded and household commodities such as ham and flour should be used.

via: http://familyfun.go.com/games/indoor-outdoor-games/game/doca0403_game_senses/