Octo Dogs

I got this out of a cookbook for kids a long time ago, but the boys just love it. You just make Mac & Cheese (we use Kraft) & cook a hot dog. I prefer to boil them because then the ends don't get all funny looking. You cut the hot dogs lenghtwise just below the halfway point. Then you roll it a bit & do it again...so you end with 4 arms for your octopus. You could make cute eyes out of mustard, but my guys don't like mustard, so this is what you get!

Cooking with Kids

The boys & I love to bake & cook together. I try to get them involved as much as possible. I try to let them add ingredients or stir when I am making something. One of my favorite things is to give them their very own project. I have found these awesome mini cookie sheets. We have used them for cookies & mini pizzas.

For the sugar cookies, they got their own ball of dough. They rolled it out, cut the cookies, & put them on their very own cookies sheet. Then, I layed out bottles of sprinkles & they went to town. It was even more fun because they had their very own cookies that they could decorate anyway they wanted.







The pizzas were about the same, just a little different. I took frozen bread dough & let it defrost & rise. I gave each of the boys a bit & we rolled & stretched it. I put a small spoonful of cornmeal on the bottom of the pan, so that the dough wouldn't stick. They each had an array of toppings to choose from. We did pepperoni, tomato, & bacon. I helped Preston (2 years old) put the sauce on his pizza, but Kaden (4 years old) was able to do it on his own. Then they put the cheese & toppings on their pizza.

~CARS~

This isn't related to any holiday, but I am always on the look out for something fun & cute for boys. I found this super cute "roadway" made out of Rice Krispie Treats & Fruit Loops on Martha Stewart.com. This could be really cute for a birthday party. Here is the link.

Cutting Pages

I have been looking everywhere for pages to help Kaden practice his cutting, but they were all incredibly boring....UNTIL I found this AWESOME website today. Here is the link that will take you to the Wonder Time website. It seems geared toward littler ones. They have a ton of fun things to look at, but if you go into the activities tab it will give you these three options:

Cutting Pages
Crafts
Games

The printables & crafts that I have looked at so far are so cute & fun. There is one where they cut out the fixings for a sandwich & then they can build the sandwich after. There is a cute place mat with a plate, silverware, & napkin that you could print out to go with the sandwich. Another on is animals & a barn. The doors for the barn can open & close. I really think that the boys will get a kick out of them & I hope that your kids will too!

***UPDATE***

Tonight we did the sandwich & placemat printables. I just printed them out in black & white & had the boys color them. Kaden (4 years) did the project all by himself & loved every minute. Preston (2 years) did really well. He practiced opening & closing the scissors & then he just cut the placemat all on his own. He loved it. I printed out a whole bunch of different printables & put them in my filing cabinet for later.

Chinese New Year--2009 the Year of the Ox

I have been looking for a few fun ideas to celebrate Chinese New Year with the boys. Chinese New Year begins on January 26. This is the Year of the Ox. I think that it is so good for kids to grow up appreciating other cultures & we always enjoy celebrating the holidays. I think we will order Chinese take-out & try out these fun ideas below.

Go to this link for a Chinese New Year Story (from Preschool Express.com).

I know that there are ways to make fortune cookies, but it seems too time consuming for me. I came across a way to change out the fortune in already made cookies. It is on this website for the directions.

Here are the directions:

1. Cut the paper into 10 (3-by-1-inch) strips. Use the markers, crayons, or colored pencils to write a message or draw a picture on each of the strips.
2. Microwave a cookie on high for 20 seconds. Check it, and if it's still stiff, microwave it again in 5- or 10-second increments until it's pliable but not too hot to handle. (Microwaves vary, so practice on a few cookies first.)
3. Quickly open the cookie and remove the fortune. Slide the new fortune in, pinch the cookie back together, and let it harden for 30 seconds.

Another thing that I have read is that for Chinese New Year you give the kids a red envelope with money (a shiney penny maybe)or a special note in it You could also give chocolate coins. I saw some chocolate coins at the dollar store in December.

Because of "Ni Hao, Kai-lan"
Nick Jr. also has some fun Chinese New Year printables. There is even a way to make paper lanterns.

Paper Plate Fans (from from Preschool Express)
You will need some paper plates and large craft sticks for this activity.
Cut paper plates in half.
Have children decorate a plate half however they wish, using marking pens.
Then glue or tape a large craft stick on the back of the plate for a fan handle.
Variation: Older children could make a simple fan by accordion pleating a piece of paper.

Another really cute idea that I liked was Ribbon Dancing (from the same website above). My boys LOVE to dance.
Give each of your children a 2” x 4’ ribbon strip.
Let them practice dancing with the ribbon by moving the ribbon up, down, and around.
Be sure children are spaced far apart for this activity.
For safety reasons, do not let your children play with the ribbon strips unsupervised.

If you have any other ideas, please let me know. Stay tuned for the next installment featuring Valentines Day Stuff!

Save $$ on groceries...

As a stay at home mom (for the most part), I feel like it is my "JOB" to save our family money. The best way to do it is through groceries. I have found two awesome websites that I want to share with all of you...one is www.mygrocerydeals.com & the other is www.couponmom.com. You have to register on each website, but it is free. My Grocery Deals is probably the one that works for me the best because it lists all of the stores in your area & what is on sale. www.coupons.com is a great website to print off coupons ("couponmom" will link you also). You have to load their coupon printer the first time you use it & it is also free.

If you have any other great money saving tips, please leave them in the comments.