Fun Summer Activity #1: Oobleck

This week has been a whirlwind of activity and crazy busy at our house. Today marks our first full day of summer and we are spending it inside since the weather is rainy (awesome thunder and lighting storm last night) and I have a little boy with terrible allergies who was up last night wheezing and having trouble breathing (visit to the doctor later this afternoon). This morning I am making myself find time to sit down at the computer and blog!

I am posting something we did over the weekend, mostly to keep me accountable for all the fun summer activities I have rolling around in my head to accomplish these next three months. I will try to post them under "fun summer activities" so you all can see what we're up to.

So moms, my question is: Does this picture make you cringe??

This is called oobleck (I think), although you could call it whatever you want, and it is just about the easiest thing to make. I do recommend this activity for the outdoors, and have a hose handy for spray down for the kiddos (and your porch) when finished.
It is the weirdest stuff, feels like you can grab it, but then just melts in your hands. Try your feet in the oobleck, too, like Wyatt did.

The recipe:

1 part cornstarch

1 part water

mix and color with tempura paint if desired

I would also recommend putting it in a large container, mine was a little crowded for three kids to play around.

Definitely cheap (the entire box of cornstarch was less than $1 and I didn't use all of it), easy, and provided a fun sensory experience for the kids.

HAPPY SUMMER!

Calling all photographers....

Professional or amateaur! Rachel Anne of Home Sanctuary is running a contest and YOU have a chance to be published in her first book. She's looking for photos displaying the "friendship" theme. Check out details HERE. Enlist the help of your kiddos or join up with some girlfriends and get snappin. Deadline for entries is June 7.

Company Girl Coffee

One of our small things this week over at Home Sanctuary was to organize our pens and pencils. After I organized the jars of pens and pencils I have by each phone I moved onto:

The Kids Art Tub

Anybody have something that looks like this at home? Well I did. A few days before I had seen THIS LINK on organizing art supplies, and thought, "I should do something like that will all our art supplies". So I dug in, sorted all the pens, pencils, crayons and paints. Threw out the dried out pens with no lids and broken crayons. Dug out some of my pretty canning jars and whalla....this turned into.....

THIS!!



Already Anna and Wyatt have been getting good use out of these organized art supplies, and I am so glad I took a little time to get it done. One reason I love Home Sanctuary, is that am inspired to get little things accomplished every day, that would otherwise be put off, again and again!



If you have little budding artists at home too, let me recommend a couple books:


Great Artists by Maryann F. Kohl ~ this book contains hands-on art projects for kids that are styled after the great masters of art. I copied off a few to hopefully try with the kiddos this summer.

ABC Museum by the Metropolitan Museum of Art~ This is a really fun one for all ages (little kids especially!) each letter of the alphabet has a word chosen, which is represented by 4 works of art. So, for example "A is for apple" shows 4 different works of art with an apple in it. Wyatt was easily able to read this one, and Anna loved it, too!

(both books I found at the library)

Company girl friday......

I couldn't get the company girl coffee logo to post, but if your here from Home Sanctuary you're at the right place. I am slowly getting used to fall and settling into a routine. My body is adjusting to the cold and it's kinda fun to pull out sweaters and sweatshirts I haven't seen for a year! This past weekend I took the boys down to the park for some photo's. I only order the smallest package of school photos cause they usually don't turn out so good....but ya gotta have at least one for the scrapbook, right?

So I took a few fall pictures to give to family. And, today I need your help. I picked the best ones and you get to vote on your fav:

Wyatt #1

Wyatt #2


Wyatt #3


Will #1




Will #2





Will #3

Pick one favorite of each boy and post it in a comment. I'm making reprints, but I'm having trouble deciding which ones.....

I've also caught the sewing bug again lately and have been whipping up a bunch of these re-use able grocery bags. I'm intending on giving a lot away as gifts, but I got to thinking....what if I could sew up even more and try to sell them at a Holiday Bazaar? That is where I need your help. I am terrible at deciding how to price things. So, if this were something you would buy, how much would you pay for it? It's lined inside with a coordinating fabric and the dimensions are very similar to a brown paper grocery bag. But it's easier to carry, holds a lot, and is way cuter. And what mommy doesn't want to look fashionable while carrying their groceries from their mini van to their kitchen?

Leave me a post of what you think would be a reasonable asking price. Anything goes....I won't be offended!



The inside lining and straps....

Ready to put those groceries into your pantry!

I'm continually inspired by Home Sanctuary to create one of my own. My favorite place to decorate is the top of my piano. It's kinda like my mantle since we don't have a fireplace. I found these little tea light holders at Wal-mart for $.50 after a friend told me about them. Actually she and Craig conspired a plan in which she had our whole house filled with glowing tea lights right before we came home from a date! They are great for adding a little glow at a low cost (and they can be quite romantic as well!)

The kids and I gathered leaves on a walk the other day so I scattered them about, too. And a few weeks ago I used some old wood Craig had snagged for me to make the "Faith Hope Love" sign above the piano.

Now, don't forget to vote!! :)

Company Girl Coffee: Mission Statement

I have been following Rachel Anne's blog Home Sanctuary for some time now, but I wasn't around back at the beginning of the year when she wrote about a Housekeeping Mission Statement. She revisited that idea this week and I thought it was great. I am constantly feeling bogged down with everything that needs to get accomplished in a day, and was in need of some perspective. I wrote out words and phrases that were important to me and then pulled it all together to create a Button Housekeeping Mission statement:

Our home will be a refuge. A place with a balance of fun and laughter, peace and order. A place where everyone feels safe and loved.

Our home will not be picture perfect, but it will be inviting to others. I will let go of my needs for perfection and work toward a home that is livable and functional. Our home will be full of things we love so that the people I love can grow and thrive.

I will make it a goal to give my children tasks and teach them the importance of working together as a family to help our home run like a well oiled machine.

Lastly, our home will be filled with prayer and the direction of the holy Spirit.

If you make the Most High your dwelling- even the Lord, who is my refuge- then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; ~Psalm 91:9-11

So there's my new perspective for the amazing and wonderful job I have. My next goal is to print if off and post it. Visit Home Sanctuary for more ideas and try your own Mission Statement!

Pita Bread

The rising stage

Almost done (hey I think these might actually turn out!)
And they did.....a yummy, soft pita waiting the filling of my choice.

Growing up on of my most favorite sandwiches was tuna on pita with sprouts, sunflower seeds and couple of my Dad's homemade sweet pickles on the side. But I can never seem to find pita bread at the discount grocery store in our neck of the woods, so I have not had it for quite some time. A month or two ago I got to thinking about how yummy pita bread sounded. I looked up a recipe online and printed it off to try sometime. Well, this week over at Home Sanctuary one of our "small things" was to make something from scratch. The first thing I thought of was that pita bread recipe I've had clipped to my fridge for a couple months now. So I decided to give it a go!

I was so pleased (and surprised) with the results! They were soft and delicious. After cooling, Wyatt and I broke one up and ate it on the spot. He commented, "this is good bread, mom". I served them lat night with Picnic Chicken Pita Filling and they were a hit for dinner.

I'll be baking another batch, soon!