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Last summer, I shared the super cool Magic Message Bananas as a neat way to add a little fun to your child's snack time or lunch box.  Well, thanks to the ever-inspiring Pinterest, I found this clever idea for apples.  Not only is it a fun presentation, but it makes it much easier for a loose-toothed kid to enjoy a whole apple at lunchtime! Check it out... Such a simple solution, but it's been a big hit with my apple-loving girls. All you need is an apple, a sharp knife  and a thick rubber band. Make a cut to the side of the stem. Then make three more cuts on each side of the stem to cut your apple slices away from the core. Put your rubber band around the middle of the apple and your fruit puzzle is ready to go! Note:  While this technique doesn't completely prevent the slices from browning, it does seem to really reduce it  (Plus, with a cool "puzzle", the kids don't even seem to notice it) Sharing our apple fun at: Blue Cricket Design Sugar and Dots  ...

With the Superbowl coming up next weekend, here's a fun little brain teaser you can use to stump your older kids (or husbands, coworkers or other adults!) NOTE:  I used crayons and eraser with my son because that's what a mom with kids has on hand.  However, you can use just about anything to make your goal posts and "football". (especially considering I might have learned this trick years ago in a bar with drink stirrers and a crumpled cocktail napkin! ;)  )

Ever since I first saw the melted crayon canvas idea popping up on Pinterest this summer, I've been wanting to try making one with the kids. This weekend, I finally pulled out a big box of crayons and a plain canvas and set out with my youngest to make one. Pretty cool, isn't it?   Since Valentine's Day is right around the corner,  we decided to incorporate a heart  into our melted crayon canvas  and we love how it turned out.   Here's how we did it: 1.  I pulled out a big box of crayons and a blank 11x14" canvas.  Then I had my daughter choose the colors she wanted.  We lined them up across the top to make sure we had enough and they were in the order she wanted. 2.  Next, we gathered the rest of our supplies ~ a hot glue gun, a heat embossing gun ( a hair dryer would work too, it just might splatter a little bit more ) and some contact paper. 3.  Once we had the crayons arranged to our liking, I hot glued them in place acros...

For the past few months, I kept reading about the amazing results you get by sticking a bar of Ivory Soap in the microwave.  Then just a couple weeks ago, I saw it here and I knew I wanted to try it here with my kids.   Let me tell you, if you don't have any Ivory soap in the house, pick it up on your next shopping trip, because this is what you'll get... Pretty cool, isn't it?  And it's so super easy.  Just pop your soap in the microwave (it'll only work with Ivory) , put it on high for about 2 minutes and watch it expand like crazy. (Note:  Different microwaves may be stronger than others.  Your soap may be finished expanding sooner, just watch it carefully ) Just heed my warning, though.  I didn't go back to reread the post where it directed you to cut your soap into pieces first.  I popped the whole thing in, then had to push my oohing and ahhing kids aside before the growing blob completely filled my small microwave! She loved it! Be ca...

Any kid will tell you, one of the best things  about winter is building a snowman. However, if Mother Nature is not cooperating  and real snowman-making isn't possible, these Five Fun Ideas shared at our Winter Fun Party would be a cool way (pun intended), to help your kids get their snowman fix! Snowman Fridge   { hands on: as we grow } What a fun way to "winterize" your kitchen! Not only does it look cute, but all the pieces are magnetic so the kids can have fun "building" the snowman while mom or dad cooks. Toilet Paper Roll Snowman { East Coast Mommy } Boy are those cardboard toilet paper rolls versatile. Look how cute this little guy is! I love his hat made from an old baby sock. Water Bottle Snowmen   { Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas } These water bottle snowman are adorable (and a great way to repurpose your recyclables while practicing hand/eye coordination  and your snowman decorating skills)  Footprint Snowman { Handprint and Footprint Art } I love foot...

Earlier this afternoon,  when I was emptying pockets to put in a load of laundry, this is what I found in my son's jeans... No joke, you're reading that right,  I found a whole handful of broken bone fragments in his pocket!!  Thankfully, he explained to me that he wasn't hacking up his opponents from his recess paper football tournaments.  Instead, he thought the bones that were left from the roasted chicken he bought for lunch that day were pretty cool and he wanted to save them.  I'm going to trust him this time and not call in the CSI team, but I'm going to keep an eye on this guy and not let his cute looks fool me. My bone collector and his sidekick!