Best Homemade Play Dough Ever!

Seriously.  Playdough is so cheap to buy, I usually don't make it.  But when we run out I'm definitely NOT running to the store just to buy some.  And some times, the play dough bug bites and you've just GOT to play with some play dough.

     This takes less than 10 minutes (That includes the time it takes to gather all of the ingredients.  Honestly, probably less time than that.) and it is TRULY the BEST homemade play dough recipe.


Play Dough
Ingredients:

• 1 cup white flour
• 1/4 cup salt
• 2 tablespoons cream of tartar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons food coloring

Directions:

1. Mix flour, salt and cream of tartar in a medium pot.
2. Add water, food coloring and oil.
3. Stir over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.  (it will start looking like a globby, lumpy mess. Just go with it.  Keep stirring.)
4. When the mixture forms a ball in the center of the pot, take it out and put it on a lightly floured surface.
5. Play to your hearts content!  (Play dough will obviously be on the hot side straight from the pot.  I usually break it up into a few pieces to help it cool faster.)

When you're finished playing, be sure to store in in a plastic bag or some sort of airtight container in the fridge.

Braiding Fun

Do your children ever amaze you with their simple creativity? 


My house is bursting at the seams with all sorts of random scraps and miscellaneous items for crafting and creating.  Every day my girls are making SOMETHING to entertain themselves or eachother.  I wish I had pictures of every little creation they have made.


My seven year old has been learning to braid. Recently, she showed me something that she made to practice this new found skill.

Three little scrap ribbons glued to a strip of paper with a heart stamped on top.

So cute!

Is your home filled with random creations?

Friday: A Family Lives Here: Exhibit 8

Welcome to "The Relaxation Station"

(Yes, that is what they called it.  Came up with it one their own.)

What? You don't have a spa in the middle of your dining room?  These girls must have sensed Mommy's stress!  They secretly put this together then invited me with a "ticket" to the spa.  Ironically, this is the only "spa" I've ever been to! It was better than I could have imagined! Do you see those cuties??? Really, what could be better?

Notice the boombox in the picture?  A cd of ocean sounds was playing on it.  The towel under the table was where I got my massage/baby sit on your tummy and everyone has a giggle-fest!  That was followed by toenail painting.  Jealous, yet?

Friday: A Family Lives Here: Exhibit 7

Tea Parties.  They happen at our house for any old reason.  At any old time.  A SURE sign of a family, right?  At least, a family full of girls.

My cute, sweethearts create them all on their own.  A written invitation is always issued.  The invitation for this party was on a heart shaped paper, stating  Tea Party. Lunch by H  Games by N (because what "party" would be complete without games??)  Heart shaped signs were on the door of the kitchen.

The attention to detail!  They made their own frilly toothpicks by coloring little cut up pieces of paper!

Heart decorations on the sliding door. 

Pinkies up!

Getting ready for "Pin the tiara on the princess" 

Giotto and His Frescoes

After spending the morning learning about Giotto, we put the baby down for a nap and went to work creating frescoes of our own.

First we mixed up the plaster of paris according to the package directions

Next, poured it into clean pie tins.

Let them semi-dry for about 20 minutes. Next we used some toothpicks and pencils to outline our designs.  Then we set to work painting them with acrylic paints.

Last, we set them on the patio do dry.

N's masterpiece: 

Sadly, it was during this step that tragedy occurred.  B had woken up from her nap by this point and somehow snuck onto the patio.  It took about 30 seconds for destruction to take place.  Since I didn't get pics of the completed works BEFORE disaster...I decided to at least document the aftermath.  Oh well...it was all about the experience, right?!

 H's work of art:

N's, post attack:

My lovely flowers...a bit "scratched" up.

H had a good attitude and said..."It just makes them look older!"  ;)

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Thanks to MommyLife writer, Barbara Curtis, this is one of my family's favorite Thanksgiving traditions!  So fun! So EASY! SO DELICIOUS!

HB stirring, while NoJo looks on, waiting for the berries to start POPPING!

Robin Hood Puppet Show

Sometimes I picked the inquiries my children will do, and other times they come up with an idea all their own!  H was very intent on creating this puppet show based on one of the stories in the Robin Hood book we had been reading.  She created every last detail down to the tickets and signs posted around the house advertising her show!  The only "prompt" I gave her, was asking her to write out a simple outline to use for her script.

Sadly, the location, chosen for its curtain and flat space where the background set could be posted, meant for a very poorly lit video.  Plus...little sister got a bit noisy. Ok, "bit noisy" is an understatement. Oh well.

Friday: A Family Lives Here - Exhibit 5

It's lunch time at our house.  Inspect the following picture and you will see:

Oldest daughter's slippers kicked off from breakfast. An empty playdough can.  A dust pan and broom under the table. Some drawing paper and a craft stick under the table. Scattered crumbs and traces of dried playdough.

Check out this side: Some wipes from the bathroom,  A bib that was ripped off during the last meal.  Lots of crumbs and dried up food bits.  Oh, and a phone charging cord. How safe.

On top of the table, you will find MORE evidence that a family lives here:

Another scrap of art. Leftover butternut squash from lunch(leftovers--use up every bite of food!). Water bottles (because otherwise the kiddos grab a new cup for EVERY glass of water they drink during the day! LOL) A mason jar for Mommy (because in a house full of kids, buying nice drinking cups is not a priority!) Discount bread from the clearance section of the grocery.  Basil from the patio garden.  Finger foods as a main course.

The kitchen.  I know I posted something similar, earlier. (A shot of the dining room floor.)  But it is just one of my favorite things.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually ENJOY preparing food for my little bunch.  At the beginning of my motherhood adventure, I remember thinking that cooking for a crew, with little ones under foot (aka LOUD, often crying or screeching, definitely pot banging and throwing things in the trash that shouldn't be there-little ones) sounded daunting if not torturous.  Three kiddos later, although it is often a struggle to make meals in said scenarios, it is so rewarding and the view from the kitchen, so undeniable pleasant, that I truly enjoy making meals for my family.  Even if the evidence might be misunderstood by those not living surrounded by a family, I am learning to love the evidence, and the memories they evoke.

My view from the kitchen:

Children's Museum: Medieval Castle Exhibit

After the pumpkin launch, we headed over to a nearby children's museum. This was a GREAT hands on exhibit! We had fun visiting with aunties and cousins.  It also happened to be the monthly free day.  Woohoo!

All of the stations had informational plaques explaining more about that place in the castle and who are what might have been there, etc.

Areas and plaques included:

apothecary

medieval medicines

bees & honey

butcher shop

queens room

falconry

medieval music

kitchen

castle food

medieval garden

arsenal

armory

archery

blacksmith

castle games:queek!

the lord of the castle

heraldry-coat of arms

hierarchy-hierarchy game

The big girls had so much fun exploring on their own, most of my pictures are of the little one.  Who REALLY enjoyed herself!  :)

 A book that was full of samples and information on illuminated manuscripts.

Bees and honey!

B's favorite place was the black smith! She spend almost her whole time here, playing with the pretend bellows and hammering a horseshoe...though she didn't care much for the gloves!

 Picking herbs and flowers from the castle garden. 

B creates her coat of arms.

H's favorite, archery!

H playing the hierarchy game (putting the members of feudal society in order). 

There's a baby in the castle well!!

B, lounging in the queen's room.