Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Paper Quilt Painting

I finally got around to using one of the art ideas from my First Art book. I've had a bunch of pages dog-earred since Christmas (when I received the book). It is a wonderful resource for ideas and inspiration. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone who wants to bring creativity and art into their home or classroom.

What I did was I taped together different kinds of papers. I used construction, parchment, foil, and bubble wrap (not really paper, but still works).


I set out T's paints and just let her paint as she wished. The purpose of this activity was for the child to explore the different textures of paper and see how the papers react; attracting or resisting the paint.





Other paper ideas to use include:

butcher
construction
foil
grocery bag
newspaper
old poster
paper towel
parchment
wallpaper
wax paper
wrapping paper
wrinkled newsprint


Source:
First Art: Art Experiences for Toddlers and Twos by MaryAnn F. Kohl

Monday, July 25, 2011

Late Night Baking

Of course, while we were camping we made our new favorite dessert; banana surprise. We bought a lot of bananas and ended up not using all of them. They began to turn brown and we all know what that means; banana bread!

I found a new recipe for a banana coconut loaf that I was very anxious to try. (Go Dairy-free and Smitten Kitchen are my go-to recipe sites.)


I didn't get any time to actually make the bread until after L was asleep that day. And instead of putting T to bed too, I let her stay up past her bedtime to help me in the kitchen. Just me and her. It was very special.


She loves to bake and has been quite adament about doing everything her big girl self these days.


I didn't end up taking a photo of our actual result but trust me when I say that this recipe is a keeper. It was quite tasty and I plan to be using this recipe for banana bread again.

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Wonderfully Generous Giveaway for Elsa Beskow fans!

For your chance to win 19 books written by Elsa Beskow (yes, that's right, 19!) click here!

We are huge Elsa Beskow fans and so, of course, I entered us in this awesome giveaway. And if you haven't discovered the magic of her books yet, this would be a great way to introduce you to them. T seems to love her books because of their wonderfully imaginative stories and for their fun and beautiful illustrations.

Sweet Peas are Finally Blooming!

Right before we left for camping, our sweet peas that T planted back in April began to bloom! T and I were so excited!


T was diligent about keeping them watered every day.


First sprout


Then, when the frost finally left us, we worked together and transfered them outside.


Every time we'd go into the backyard we would check on our sweet peas and see how much they had grown. They seemed to be taking their sweet, little time. Then, finally, within the past 2 weeks, they began to bloom!




Of course, I've been bringing them into the home. I absolutely love their sweet scent. We put some in T's room too (not pictured).





Apparently, I read that the more flowers you pick, the more that will grow back. I hope this is true because I am loving them!

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Photo(s) of the Week

We're back! If you're curious as to where we've been; we've been camping! One of my favorite summer things to do. We had a fun week filled with family, playing, fishing, and good eating. We spent the past week at one of my favorite childhood campsites: Mossyrock Park

I was so eager and glad to share this special spot with my own family on this trip. Brought back a lot of fond memories. It did rain, a lot, however, we made the best of it. It is what it is. And despite the rain, I know T made some great memories of her own. (This was both kids' first camping trip).








Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Banana Surprise

The name was given by daddy.

Banana Surprise (an alternative to s'mores)

You need:

1 banana
toppings of choice (chocolate, sprinkles, marshmellows, etc.)
aluminum foil

Just slice one side of your banana peel and add toppings of your choice. Wrap banana in aluminum foil and place on grill.


So simple and so yummy! We actually both said how we like it more than a s'more. The melted marshmellows were T's favorite.


Monday, July 4, 2011

A Seashell Mobile

When we went to the beach last week, T and daddy collected some shells. Thankfully I had a bag to put them all in. I ended up using all the shells they collected (and one stick of driftwood I collected) for a seashell mobile. I've been wanting to make one since last summer.

So, I drilled very small holes in each of the shells. Surprisingly, only one shell broke. This actually took some time to do, but it eventually drilled all the way through with a regular drill bit. I've also seen people gather shells with holes already in them so they didn't have to do this part. I then used acrylic string and tied the shells to the driftwood.


Ta-da! It turned out exactly as I had imagined.

Right after I finished making the mobile, T was showing off (once again) for the camera her many different poses. (haha) Just wanted to share a few of them. She's a crack up.