Stonz Booties.... A real review from a real Momma....

So I have a love of Canadian made items.. Being Canadian im always looking for great items made in my own country....

Stonz have been a huge hit in my house hold... Made in Canada , Water resistant , easy to put on.. and really adjustable to fit any foot, adjustable Toggle helps keep them on even those who little Houdini's ....

Not only are they made in Canada but they are durable.. machine washable.. and adorable ...
they come ins several colours and patterns...
We have the Wale Teal in navy blue....
We bought a pair of the linerz too.. these are warm and fuzzy and my son was out side in cold weather and his feet stayed toasty warm :)

they also have hatz and mitz ..... the Hatz are reversible and come in prints that match the boots... and the mits are the best design I've seen.. cant wait to order a few pairs.. these are long and have bungee cords that help keep them on the kids so snow stays out and warmth stays in..

the price is slightly high but often you can get 2 seasons out of them.. and they are super durable.. we will be passing mr K's Stonz down to Lil'L ... These boots are soft soled so they make walking in the deep snow easy... My Son wore his in the spring and in the fall when its a bit mucky out side and being Machine washable, I just popped them into the washer and laid flat to dry , Machine washable this has to be my favorite feature about these booties...

they now make linerz for rain boots too. so the versatility of these products is great.. I highly recommend them !!!

I'd love to try out the mitz... and get a matching Hat for Lil L.... MrK could use some Mitz too.. perhaps this will be on my Christmas list for the kids... :)

what did you do today....

I think some people think that Stay at Home Mom's just sit around and watch TV and eat bonne bonne's all day... well.. let me tell you... thats not what i do....

For starters... I have not slept through the night, a good solid 8hrs in over 4 years... both my kids have been crappy sleepers i've read every book, even hired a sleep consultant (who refunded our money cuz she couldnt fix the issues) so my days almost always start with a very unrested momma... in fact i conciser a good nights rest one where im only woken up 2 or 3 times...

I never get to get up without being woken up by someone....
our day often starts around 630-7am...

Then the demands begin... "I'm Cold... " " I dont like that cereal.... " .... She's looking at me .... and on and on and on... So I force feed on some days.. the phrase... EAT IT ... is said more often than i like but constant reminding of why one is sitting at the table is needed with my kids.. Mr K especially...
then the clean up of Breakfast happens.. if I'm lucky I've gotten to sit down and eat my breakfast but often i dont sit.. often im standing or unloading the dish washer or picking up tossed food from the floor....
then on good day.. both kids are stripped and changed from PJ's into clothes.. Mr K these days loves to pick what he's going to wear... and I'm good with that... so kids are now dressed.. time to play.. I love that we live in a house with a big play room... and now tht Lil'L is 1 and mr K is just about 3 they kinda play together... MrK needs o work on his sharing skills , and Lil' L needs to work on not taking the one toy Mr K REALLY REALLY needs to play with right at the second she grabs it...
Alot of play time entails me being the warden.... Im constantly saying.. stop that.. dont do that... share share share and more share... Please be nice...

then around 9-930am ish Lil"L needs a nap..
At this point if we are planing to leave the house this is my chance to get ready... I set mr K up with a craft.. or a movie.. or a game what ever he wants to leave me alone for the 20mins i need to get ready.... then the mad dash to get dressed hair and make-up done...
then i pack the diaper bag...
ahhh the diaper bag.... once upon a time i carried a purse... now I carry a fancy "designer" diaper bag... The JuJu Be PAckabe is my bag of choice ... :)
whats in the bag you may ask...... well I'll tell you...
Diapers, wipes, snacks,change pad , change of clothes both kids, toys , more snacks, sunglasses, lotions, sun screen and bug spray, 1st aid kit, my wallet, iphone, a few more snacks and car keys... and probably ore things that i've missed but you get the point... more things than i often need but the second i take it out of the bag. i need it ...

then the wail of baby girl is hear through out the house.. Lil L is up... and its now about 1030-11am ish... and we head out...
hitting Walmart today... OOOOOO walmart !!!!! :) we love going here.. its an evil co-corporation but dam they have such good deals...
and often we hit the "puppy and kitty" store if mr K has been good.. he often is... he loves shopping :) so we say hit to he puppies and kitties and visit the fish.. they have a new sting ray and he's a big hit :)
then we hop into the car.. and mr k and Lil'L are given food to eat.. 9 out of 10 times mr K will fall asleep on the ride home ... i love it when he falls asleep he is easy to transfer into his bed...

On days where we dont leave the house i make either left over lunch or lately the only thing mr K will eat is Peanut butter and Honey sandwiches... Luckily Lil'L is a super duper eater and will eat just about everything... :)

Mr K naps still. I'm so freaking Lucky.. at dang near three he still naps for 1-3hrs Woooo Hooo.. I know i know I shouldn be this excited about a nap.. but I am :) Him sleeping gives me 1 on 1 time with Lil'L.. and then on those WONDERFUL days when I get a double kid nap going I can do so much.. Clean , Dinner Prep ...and on those days when i'm so freaking tired... I nap... yes I admit it... I NAP when my kids nap... and its glorious :)

Dinner time is unavoidable... I think the mos frustrating part of the day is he whole "whats for dinner" ... I'm not a chef.. and not overly creative when it comes to meal making and I admi it.. I get into meal rutts all the time...
I like to make a weekly meal plan, this really helps me stay on track while at the grocery store...

Oooh the grocery store !!!!
Haven't mentioned how much I love going to the grocery store ...WITH OUT THE KIDS... :) I love them.. but going to there without the distraction of my little humans....I can keep track of my list... use my coupons correctly.. and have a little time to my self... and having some "kid ree time" makes me a better mommy... :)

once dinner is over we play.... Often my husband takes over while i clean up the dinner i just made... (still working on him cleaning up after I slave away in the kitchen.. but thats a whole nother blog) The kids often play "jump on daddy" which is really funny to watch... lots of giggling and even Lil L who is only 1 year old jumps all over daddy :) hahhaha

then its bath time... ahhhhh bath time.. splishes and splashes and lots of giggles.. both of my kids love baths... I love it too... its so cute to see them play together in the tub... and i love their little nuddie bums. hehehe

and then once they have been dried off we usually have a bum or two running around in what I refer to as the "nude Olympics" its a great even here in our home...

then almost like as if an alarm clock goes off at 7pm Lil'L is done .. and its time for her bed time... Daddy Plays with mr.K .... I still nurse Lil'L.. nd honestly Love the bonding time .. she is a crappy sleeper but to watch her drift off to sleep in my arms is truly the most satisfying part of my day <3 ....

then when she is asleep we work on mr k... Playing and calming him down.. then he is in bed.. often plays every card to keep awake. Im hungry.. i need a drink.. i have to pee... I need a better pillow... I dont like this blanket... I'm not comfy... I need another story ...I want a cuddle... I need Daddy.. or mommy or both... I have to pee again...
Bed time with mr.K is challenging but once he is asleep..... ahhhhhh I can relax...

Actually thats often not true.... I do laundry, clean bathrooms, organize and clean the play room, dinner prep if im doing a crock pot the next day... And often im online searching for coupons , catching up on my e-mails or looking for meal ideas... and maybe if im lucky get some alone time... an evening bath is always what i want but often not what i get...


i should also mention its taken me 9 days to write this.. as i write while the kids are napping or distracted :)
ahhh but you know what i wouldnt change my life for anything.. I love my kids so much.. they mean everything to me <3

Angel Pack .. " Just a Kiss away " baby carrier A real review from a real Momma

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~If your like me you prefer to "wear" your baby than tote around a heavy award car seat or stroller .. when your just popping in or going into a place where the location or shopping is tight.. or you have a baby who wants to be held all the time ...

About 3 months ago Nelly from Angel Pack sent me an e-mai lon Face book asking if I would be interested in one of their pack that was inadvertently seven together with the wrong colored straps and lining ... and being a "non fussy" momma I said SURE... I didnt know she would send it to me free of charge and I didnt know it would be one from her new line...

I received the beautiful Cherry Blossom , on her site its shown with a solid plum coloured body and straps with a BEAUTIFUL mint green print with little birdy's and cherry blossoms... mine arrived with the same print but with Navy blue body and straps.. and honestly.. I dont care the body and straps are the wrong colour.. its so freaking pretty...

the style is that of a soft body carrier, large waist strap with a nice strong buckle , Very adjustable and I like that the clip is in the middle of the back rather than the side or hip ... the padded shoulder straps can be worn two ways .. either criss crossed or you can use the chest clip in pull it tight...
you can also put baby on your back too...

The Angel Pack carrier is a baby facing you only style pack so baby can not front face out in it ...

The carrier also has an interior pocket that contains the sleeping hood.. this is also great for discreet nursing , or blocking the sun ...

this carrier is beautifully made, with great love an attention.. the fabrics , belts , clips and straps are all of the highest quality..

and have I mentioned how pretty it is to look at ....

The Angel Pack Sell for $138 dollars (USA dollars ) .... which is a reasonable price for such a high quality carrier ...

the carrier is weighted for children 4.5 - 18.2 kg's (10-40 pounds) Mr K is nearly 3 and 38 pounds and I popped him on my back and he thought it was a great ride... and my husband said.. Yeah I will wear that one .. My Ergo is Pink so he has never worn it...

You can hand wash or machine wash on the delicate cycle and hang to dry.. I love a product that can go into the washing machine !!!!


here is a link to Angel Pack on Facebook you should "like" Angel Pack :)

here is a link to Angel Pack's Website

and here's a link to the pack I received

Please note .. there are some FAKE Angel Pack Carriers out there so Please check their site for a list of CREDIBLE distributors ... fakes = not safe ..... so better to be safe than sorry and buy from either the angel pack website or one of their credible distributors

STAY TUNED for a "real life wearing" review .... as it has just arrived today I haven't actually had a chance to wear Lil L.. (20pounds and 10months old ) in the Angel Pack yet...
But as soon as I have had some experience with it I will write up a review... I just wanted to share this new pack ASAP so the whole world .. or who ever is reading this blog review a chance to check out Angel Pack quickly... :)


ok, so Lil L finally woke up from her nap ( I know right.. I'm so excited that i nearly woke her.. note the word "nearly" ) anyhoo she LOVED it.. she giggled and liked being in the carrier on my front and back... and I thought it was pretty comfy too....

right off the bat I prefer the straps over my shoulders and secured using the chest clip .. I didnt really like the criss cross position as it didnt fit right on my body....
and I wish the chest clip wasnt "free" is can easily fall off if the straps are un clipped... and if there was a way to "snap" the chest clip in place I wouldnt need to reposition it each time, or worry about loosing a piece....

the waist band is awesome.. I like how I can adjust it easily when waring it ... and I do like how the shoulder straps are adjustable in two places to get a very secure fit...

the shoulder padding is decent.. It didnt cut into my shoulders or give me shoulder fatigue or pain ...

I love the sleeping hood, it fully tucks away when not in use and is easy to put on when needed

and I like how the top of the carrier "rolls " down a bit when baby is awake or is shorter, and is higher when baby sleeps or gets bigger

all in all so far this carrier seems pretty great... I've only done a little "running " around the house in it for about 45 mins ... and it was very comfortable on, supported my baby and didnt make my back sore ....
I'll do a more intensive review once I get a chance to wear it for some walks or trips to the mall :)


Ok so We went for a walk after dinner tonight and I wore Lil'L for our walk.. about 40 mins on flat (ish) ground... and I have to be honest... if I didnt have an Ergo to compare this pack to I'd say this pack has thought of just about everything ... I adjusted the straps and they defiantly worked best for me un crossed , with the chest strap clicked in the middle of my back,, i needed to get my husband to adjust the chest strap so it was in the right spot.. and once it was put there it did slip up wards slightly but not more than about 1/2 and inch ... there was enough padding that the straps didnt dig into my shoulders and the placement of the waist belt was great for support ... My daughter LOVED it... well I think she did. .she fell asleep in it so thats always a good sign.... I will try back carrying her next ..

stay tuned for the Back carry review coming soon !!!!

Pillowcase Dresses !!!!!

So I finally made up a pillow case dress for Lil'L .. and its ADORABLE

Supplies needed...
Pillow case basics slip kind
sewing machine
thread
scissors
measuring tape
sewing pins
skinny elastic
and ribbons

how to make dress out of a pillow case.... Measure your child figure out a good length I found that 24 inches was great on my daughter but it was a bit too long, but i want her to be able to wear it for a while....
mark your case at the NON OPENED end and cut across... (if opened you should have a tube)

then to make the arm opening fold case in half with openings at top and bottom

then either free cut or make a template.. measure two inches across and 5 inches down then making a light curve make the arm opening shape

then with your left over length make some binding tape
(width should be about 2 1/2 inches wide.. fold cut side together ..press with iron... then fold in half again.. press with iron... )

then pin bias tape along the arm hole to finish the edges

then roll the neck line down to create a casing... wide enough for your elastic and safety pin to fit through

sew all seams and bias tapes in place....

then cut elastic about 6-10 inches long depending on age of child

then sew 12 inch lengths of ribbon to each end of elastic ... thread through neck casing .. and sew in place just at each end so you can not see the elastic if its pulled ...

and tah dahhh you've made a dress from a pillow case...

and then marvel at your crafty-ness


for my Lil' L who is only 10 months old I added two belt loops on each side of dress and then made a belt with some of the left over fabric ... and when she is bigger the belt loops can easily be removed ... but right now it gives a nice gathered look .....

and if this seems a little Over whelming check out my FACE BOOK PAGE and inquire about having a custom one made for your daughter :)

adorable hair clips....

so my Lil' L is 10 months old and like some little girls her age... she hasnt much in the way of hair... her hair is more like peach fuzz......and since she will not keep on a hat or head band I've been on the look out for clip that would stay on her head..

The lovely Sandra from Anglehair Clips sent me a few tiny hair clips designed for the "Follicly" challenged ... and not only are these Adorable.... Super girly... and sweet... THEY WORK... they stay in her "hair" ... my daughter has a skiff of hair... I love that they look cute and work... :) I think that the velvet is the key to keeping them from slipping out ...

and like all small "decorative pieces" please supervise your child while she is wearing these adorable clips as they do have small parts and could be a chocking hazard ...

her products are made with love, are great quality and amazing prices ... I have a feeling I will need "one of everything" from her page....



Please check out her website and "like" her facebook page....

Facebook Link to Angelhair Clips
website for Angelhair Clips

she also knits hats and adorable diaper covers ...

I won something !!!!!

So I love give-a-ways and draws of any kind.. I'm always on the look out to "WIN " something... my husband is always surprised when I do win some goodies :)

Well Yesterday I won a free Hands On Car Wash !!! which is awesome cuz I have two kids that make a huge mess in the back seat ... and my car looks like a toy room/ storage unit .. I'm sure they will find a large amount of "fallen snacks" and lost cars and shore.. I'm sure there is at least 3 or pairs of miss matched kids shoes in my car :)

how did I win....
I joined Scrip monster and then on their face book page I just shared their daily deal ....

Prince George Scrip Monster

yup that easy :)
I'm all about wining stuff easily... If I can to go onto one page and enter a draw then i will but if i have to go here and there and "like" this and that I get annoyed and dont want to do it, but if the draw is worth it then i will .....


heres a little about Script Monster ....

How Scrip Monster Works

Scrip Monster offers Monster Deals of up to 90% savings on goods and services from local businesses. Monster Deals are available to purchase for a short period of time and can sell out. If you see a Monster Deal you want or want to buy as a gift, don’t wait.....

Subscribe...
Enter your email...watch the details...earn credits

Buy...
The deals that make your heart sing. Scrip Monster makes it easy and affordable for your to enjoy the local eats, entertainment and services you love.

Tell...
Your friends while the deal is on and earn rewards. Use Facebook, Twitter, email, however you connect you can help your friends get the same great deals your are. Plus if they buy we’ll send you credits you can use on a future purchase.

Redeem...
Print your scrip and take the voucher with you, enjoy. Have a smart phone? Use the unique code in your confirmation email, simply show the code to the vendor, et voila, you are ready to to use your scrip.

In a nutshell, we leverage local business relationships and promote them to a large local market that reads their email, every morning. Local consumers receive a Monster Deal every morning from local merchants at up to 90% off. The savings are only available for 24 hours and on a first come, first served basis. Some deals will be limited in quantity, so act fast..

here's the link to the Scrip Monster face book page

and here's the link to the Scrip Monster website

Script Monster is a Canadian Company :)

Melissa and doug ... Real reviews from a real Momma...

In our house we love Melissa and Doug toys... why?? well let me tell you why... Quality... Durability... Creative ... and Fun....
What have we played with in our house... here's the list

Latches Board ... both of my kids loved this thing, lots of doors locks and latches to open...costs about 30 dollars and worth it.. my daughter started playing with it around 10months and my son still plays with it at age 3.. Undo a latch, swing open the numbered door, and count on fun when the picture beneath is revealed on this wooden play board! Build fine motor skills while learning colors, numbers, animals and more!

sounds puzzles... my son LOVEs these puzzles that make sounds when you put the pieces in the right spot...

the Train Sound Puzzle ... this is a multi piece puzzle that once all shapes are put into the right spot the sound of a steam engine is heard this makes my son so excited...

the stacking Blocks Train... this multi piece 3d puzzle train is not only fun to take apart and put back together but it can be pulled around like a train and added play is created... very colourful and entertaining

Wooden Play food ... The variety of food is astounding.. from Pizza to fruit and everything in between... you can "cut" and put back together.. count .. shapes.. colours.. the learning and fun created with these food items is amazing... they also look beautiful and the price point is very reasonable...

Sea Turtle .... Soft and Beautiful.. Looks real. my son loves to lay on the turtle while reading or playing on the floor.. this turtle is a beautiful addition to our play room... its realistic and so soft.. great quality stuffed toy ...

Puppets... we have the Construction worker puppet.. my son calls him the daddy puppet , Daddy is an electrician and wears a hard hat at work.. :) these puppets are high quality , unique , expressive and beautiful to either display or ply with...

Train Sets ... My Son LOVES trains the "addiction" began around the age of 1 1/2 years old.. we started with a small set and built from there... the quality of these trains and track is awesome.. and they can be used conjugation with the Thomas the Train tracks and trains (most trains) ... wooden sets last longer than the cheap plastic ones ... and look nice all set up on the train table :)



Melissa and Doug Educational Toys (website)

Toys we would like to add to our Melissa and Doug Collection.... Trunki ... Wooden Doll house.... table top puppet theater ..... smoulder the dragon puppet ...

Syber Tuesday !!!!

M&D have a give away today .... A Trunki !!!!!! Tell them I sent you !!!!!

Check out their 20 top toys for 2011

make sure like M&D on Face book

And tell them I sent you !!!!!! :)

oooo a Give away !!!!

Thrifty Nifty Momma is having a give away....
Green line Diapers Have chosen 10 blogs to give away one of their super cute diapers.. I hope if they do this again I can be one of the bloggers doing a give away....

if you go to Green Line Diapers Face book Page
you can check out all the bloggers and enter the draws !!!
Good Luck !!!!

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Not so impressed...... Products or Places that have let me down...

So I figured I should do a little blogging about things I'm not a fan of... Since I know there are lots of things I'd never buy again ....

Seven Everyday Slings
I'm going to start with Seven Everyday Slings
I was really excited to get my "FREE" sling.. I ended up paying about $12 bucks for shipping to Canada .. no biggie I figured since it was a $48 dollar baby carrier... its a sling style sling and they offer several beautiful prints... I measured according to their sizing chart, and even ordered up one size up cuz i figured it would shrink ...
and it was too small to start .. even with my 7 and 1/2 pound newborn in it it felt too tight .. for both of us.. I used it maybe a hand full of times, once she got slightly larger I tried it as a "sitting " sling.. and yup.. still not right.. even though I'd lost about 30lbs...

I found they look pretty .... but you have to order up like 3 sizes at the least... they are cut "small" and the width of the carrier is narrow so not as secure for a slightly larger baby ... it was not comfortable for me to wear for longer than 15 mins .. and I was constantly adjusting it...

I was also irritated that I's spent $12 bucks for shipping.. when it arrived it had a $1.92 post mark on it.... so they are making money off of these "free" slings...

I keep seeing "ads" for this sling and I feel the need to warn people not to buy it...
I spoken to about 5 other moms who all say the same.. RIP-OFF !!!

I've recently decided that I'm going to use the fabric to make my daughter a cute diaper cover ... so its not a total loss :)



Save-On-Foods .....

Save on food used to give you points for every cloth bag you brought in to use when you shopped ... this was environmentally conscious and an nice incentive for their customers, and they suddenly without warning decided not to give their customers points any more...
Personally I think this is so freaking rude... not to mention greedy ...
I used to use my points to redeem for free food for my family... I know of others who save up and buy great items and either keep for them selves or give away as gifts.. I also would donate my points if there were causes or events .. and at Christmas time I would use my points to buy gift cards and drop them off at the food bank..
Save-On-Food has now detoured me of this ... they are being cheap.. they never think of the "little guy" trying to survive, I know of many moms and low income earners to need these points to feed their family..
Shame on you Save-On-Foods.. shame on you...

Playdough Recipes

So I wanted to revamp my Playdough recipes section and give it its own "spot" :)

so here's a few that I've been compiling for the past few years.... :) Enjoy ...

Pictures shown..... Rainbow.. or Tye Dye Play dough... and Black Playdough with Glitter !!!!

and if you the kinda of momma who can burn water... you can always buy play dough... there's no shame in that :) .. Heck at Halloween time they make the small sizes to give out as Treats... I buy these at Costco... and let my son and his friend pick out a few colours each ... I dont feel bad using it.. :) I like that it saves me time.. but when i feel the need to make something these are some great recipes I've found ...

My Friend Jen Posted this Cooked version.. I've yet to try it.. but it she made some and its so freaking wonderful !!!!

Combine in saucepan: 1 cup flour 1/4 cup salt 1 tsp. cream of tartar

Add and whisk until smooth: 1 cup water 1 Tbsp oil Food coloring (Cake decorators paste or liquid makes great colors)

Cook over medium heat until nearly playdough is nearly ...set. Add: 1 Tbsp. imitation vanilla extract

Stir until vanilla is blended, then remove and knead when cool. Store in Ziploc bag or air tight container.

Note: This is the best playdough recipe I have ever found. The vanilla extract seems improve the texture and adds a nice scent as wellSee More


Cooked Play Dough:
* 3 cups of water
* 3 cups of plain flour
* 1.5 cups of salt
* 3 tbsp of vegetable oil
* 2 tbsp of cream of tartar (or a big squeeze of lemon juice)
* few drops glycerine (for extra shine, stretch and smoothness-optional)


No-Cook Play Dough:
* 1 cup of salt
* 2 cups of plain flour
* 2 tbsp oil
* 2 tbsp cream of tartar
* 1.5 cups boiling water
* few drops of glycerine (for extra shine, stretch and smoothness- optional)
* Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl then knead it until it becomes smooth. and then your ready to Play !!!! if your adding colour.. you can slightly mix it so it looks "marbled " and then let your child finish kneading it or just have some marbled playdough :)


if you don't have Cream of Tartar you can use a squeeze of a Lemon... I find this is the one thing that isnt usually in my fridge .....
glycerine can be found at most drug stores and the odd grocery store too :)

Alternative Recipe for childrens playdough

2 cup cornstarch
2 cup baking soda
1 1/4 cup cold water

Gradually add water till smooth. Heat, stirring constantly until mashed potato consistency. Turn onto plate, cover with damp cloth, let cool. Knead dough.

Uncooked Play dough (salt and flour)

1/4 cup salt
1 cup flour
1/4 cup water

Have your child mix the flour and salt in a bowl then add water. Knead and squeeze the dough to make a clay consistency. You may need to add more water.

Note: Your child will find that this playdough doesn't last as long as the cooked recipes.

Kool-Aid Play Dough

The children will love the smell of this playdough!

2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups boiling water
2 packages unsweetened Kool-Aid

Mix dry ingredients. Add oil and water. Wearing gloves, knead for 10 minutes. Store in zip lock bag in refrigerator.

Notes:

1. Your hands may smell of the Kool-Aid flavor even with gloves.
2. Kool-Aid is a powdered drink mix sold in North America. Parents just add sugar and water to make the drink. The powder has both flavoring and color which makes it great for this craft.

To mix things up a bit try adding .......
~ Colour.... food colouring ( I like to use "cake" food colour it doesnt add much moisture to the mix and is often more brilliant in colour than the liquid kind...or liquid paint, Powdered paints can be used too....


~ Flavor or Scent ....peppermint/ strawberry/ coffee (a teaspoon of instant)/lemon/ orange/ vanilla/ herbs or spices ..
these are not so much for "taste" but smell amazing.. We recently made orange Orange playdough and my son LOVED the way it smelled :) and honestly so did I .. I used the "zest" of one whole orange ... it added texture and smelled so YUMMY !!!

~Textures..... *Rice *Flax Seeds *pasta*rock salt* couscous* lentils* sand*coffee grounds*tea leaves*glitter*sequins *beads*

Some fun Combinations....
Black Playdough and Silver Glitter.... this makes the most amazing Esthetically pleasing playdough for those who like a glitter in their dough... :) My Son LOVED this.. he said it was like stars in the dough... this made me think we could add in some shaped glitter too.. I've seen starts.. but i think those might to too "sharp" for play... :) this could be used so talking about the stars and constellations too ....

Tye Dye Play dough....... mix up your dough batch and divide it into 3-5 balls.. then mix one colour into each ball... then roll them into "snakes" and then stwist them together... then roll into a ball... and taaaa daaa.. Tye Dye play dough... .... My son gets a kick out of mixing the colours... and he loves it when the ball starts off some what mixed up :) this was also really good for me I was pretty obsessed with him not mixing the colours at 1st.. and now it doesn't bother me...

a book ?????

So I'm contemplating writing a book.. basically the Crafty, stuff to do with your kids side of my blog.. but in print and paper form....

It would be about crafty and fun ideas to do with your kids....

I think the title would be the same as my blog.. Running with Glitter Glue....

I'd dedicate the book to my kids... because they are my inspiration....

but I guess that's as far as I've gotten so far... so I guess i need to contact a publisher and see where I go from here...

I'd love to hear some thoughts....

Sensory Fun !!! Water beads !!!!!

So I was told about these things called Water Beads or Water Gems... you can buy them at pretty much every craft store, Wal-Mart even carries them.. they are originally designed to be used in place of dirt for plants.. or liquid water in cut flower vases ...

you can buy them "pre "grown" or you can "grow " them your self... My son LOVED seeing how big they would get ... and it was 1/2 the price and you get twice as many if you "grow" them your self ....

I bought mine at Micheal's the Craft store for about $4 bucks with Tax . ( I had a 40% off coupon) .. I now wish I would have bought them in EVERY colour.. Mr.K (my 2 & 1/2 year old son ) LOVED them.. He enjoyed scoping them up with a big ladle and then squishing them between his fingers..
My nearly 10month old Lil'L also got a kick out of these ... but with her I had to watch her like a hawk.. as they CAN NOT be ingested ( they grow in water just imagine what would happen in your tummy) she really loved playing with them.. I put her in her high chair and gave her one to play with..
I plan on putting a bunch into a Ziplock bag for her so she can play with them some more...

I also made a couple of "shakers" with plastic drink bottles .. one I filled 1/3 way full with water, added a hand full of water gems and a splash of glitter and some dish soap... and in the other I just filled 1/2 way up with water gems and some Glitter....
I love glitter ... :)

I want to take these and play with them outside with the kids.. I think my son would love to "swim" in them... and we have a little pool.. so the next really hot day .. thats our plan...

Fun with things that glow !!!!!!

So recently I've felt like we're having a "fun" slump.... so Tonight I tossed about 7 glow in the dark sticks ( short ones made for bracelets but I didnt make them into bracelets ) then I put in some Lush Bubble Bar (in "Comforter" of course ) then turned the lights off and brought in the kids... Mr K thought is was Amazing... and said if was the "Bestest Baff " :) I love hove 2 1/2 year olds talk... my nearly 10month little missy thought it was great too... she splashed more than normally and loved to "search" the water trough the bubbles to find the glow sticks...
I bought the Glow sticks at Micheal's for $1.50 for 15 of them...
I think this is going to be a great winter activity as it is usually dark by 4pm so the glow sticks will get more "play" after the bath... currently the sun is still up and it usually isnt dark in our house until well after bed time..
this gave me other idea's like glow sticks in the sand table... and when its dark enough... we could play a game of "find the glow stick :)
I'll post some pictures soon....

What ?WHat??WHAt??? WHAT ????

ok so recently I hear that someone in my town is stealing kids out door toys...
WHAT???
yes that was my reaction too...
I then promptly went out side, marked all of our outdoor toys with our name and phone # and took pictures too... JUST IN CASE
my hubby has also been instructed to buy some "locks" of some sort for the big stuff that doesnt fit into the shed...
I just can't get over how we live in a world where kids peddle cars and slides are getting ripped off .. But then i did the math.. We have a radio flyer 3 wheel bike ($99) two ride em Little Tykes Cars ( $ 65 each) a small Fisher price Bike ($40) a 3 in one slide combo climber ($129) a little tykes water table ($60) a fun see saw thingy ($30) and about $100 bucks in cars and trucks for the sand box.... thats about $600 bucks in toys sitting in my yard... I'd be so mad if someone stole them...

It just makes me shake my head... whats this world coming to ???

luckily my son has a smart mommy and I plan on keeping his toys safe, and in our garage even though it would be so much easier for me to just let them be out so i didnt have to drag them out for him... ohhh well... such is life

Playing with Colour......

So with the sun out, and the mosquitoes retreating we are spending more and more time outside...



And with that comes fun messy art experiments.. Today while Mr.K was napping I "prepared" a fun activity involving ... baking soda.. Vinegar... and Food Colouring ..
I set up a jar and a container filled 1/3 full with baking soda..

then took small spray bottles and filled them with vinegar and about 10 drops of food colour and then once my son woke up we slapped on some sunscreen and hats and went outside to experiment ...


I quickly discovered my 2 1/2 year old couldn't spray the spry bottles.. I need to get some with triggers so he can easily spray the liquidis...

but we still had fun..

he loved how the baking soda would fizz and then he got crazy and started pouring the coloured vinegar this activity lasted for about 25 mis., I was impressed...


and I think he had so much fun Playing with this "messy stuff" .. Clean up was a breeze and I cant wait to do it again with my son....

the whole thing cost about $5 in supplies..
I bought a huge jug of Vinegar and the "little boxes " baking soda were on sale for 99cents each so I bought a few...

my son loved that he could shake , dump and pour ...


Supplies used....
~Vinegar
~baking soda
~liquid food colour
~spray bottles (one with triggers are easier for little hands ) check out dollar stores , drug stores or re use cleaning spray bottles...
~ containers to be filled with baking soda.. I used a CD holder lid and a glass baby bottle
~ A Shaker jar.. I bought a 99cent spice shaker and filled it with baking soda
~ and a large container or tray to contain the fun ...or mess :)


or you can do this experiment in the bath tub .. since its all safe to go down the drain then mess is really easy to clean up...

here's a quick 7seconds video of our fun ...