Binoculars and safaris!

Since we have had a little bit of rain I have needed to come up with things that we can do inside and that won't make a big mess (rainy days are my cleaning/lazy days!).

I decided that we were going to do an indoor safari complete with binoculars.

Here is what you need!

Tp rolls

Construction paper

String

A cutter (or scissors)

Not shown: Stapler/glue/tape

Step 1. Cut the paper down to size (so it will completely cover both rolls).
Step 2. Staple (or glue/tape) one end of the tp roll to the paper.

Step 3. Put the other roll right next to it and staple it down.
Step 4. Roll The paper all the way around making sure you glue (or staple) it down along the way.
Step 5. Make holes on each side for string.
Step 6. Put string in holes and tie.

You could decorate it with stickers (Landon didn't want to. He said he just liked it green)

Then go looking for the animals!! I hid them all over the house but you could do it in just one room. It's hours of fun!

Vacation friendly pets!!

 Landon loves pets,  but we aren't home enough to add fish to the list of things people need to take care of when we are gone(not to mention the cats would eat them the first chance they got!). So Landon and I made him a fish tank today! It was super fun and really easy. And it only cost about $5!

Here is what you need!

* A glass jar (we got ours at wal-mart for $3)

* Glass stones (we got ours at wal-mart for $2-3)

* Floss

* Tape

* Cardboard

* Cardstock

* Scissors and/or exacto knife

I drew the castle freehand but printed out the fish since mine looked like crud. (I printed them out on carstock to make them easier to cut out)

Then we added a bit of the rocks.

I cut the cardboard to match the size of the top of the jar, then cut it out.

Then I took the fish, attached them to the floss, taped the floss to the cardboard top.

And that was it!

We now have our very own fish tank. We have a submarine turtle, a pretty lady fish and a sailor octopus. Landon loves it! I also printed out a thing of "fish food" for him.

Pirate cupcakes

These are the cupcakes I made for Landon to take to school for his Birthday!

Bandannas are fondant

Sprinkles for the beard

Rolled out tootsie rolls for the eye patch and the moustache

Reece's puff cereal for the nose

The eyes are sprinkles that I had from Halloween.

Then I used white frosting to put the dots on the bandannas.

These were easy!

Blue fondant for the water

White frosting for the Island

Crushed Reece's puffs for the sand

Colored frosting for the tree

Sprinkles for the X (frosting wouldn't stick and was getting messy)

Pesto Pasta Salad

Makes: 12 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 lb. orzo pasta
2 cups basil, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove
5 pitted black olives
2 large, ripe tomatoes, diced

Instructions:

Step 1: Cook orzo according to the package directions. Drain and place in a bowl with very cold water and a few drops of olive oil so it cools fast. Drain again.

Step 2: In a food processor, pulse basil, cheese, remaining oil, garlic, and olives until mixed.

Step 3: In a large bowl, stir together pasta, basil mixture, and tomatoes.

Recipe and Picture from parents.com

Build-a-Train

How to play:

You'll need several cardboard boxes large enough for a kid to sit inside.

Put out a variety of art supplies -- markers, stickers, construction paper, glue -- and tell each child to turn his or her box into a train car.

Once they've decorated the outside of their box with wheels, windows, and whatever else they can think of, help them arrange the cars one behind the other, then hop aboard for an imaginary choo-choo ride.

What it teaches:

Perseverance. Games that require team prep work give kids a sense of accomplishment, says clinical psychologist Sandra McLeod Humphrey, author of Hot Issues, Cool Choices: Facing Bullies, Peer Pressure, Popularity, and Put-Downs. The positive payoff introduces children to the good feeling they get when they achieve their hard-earned goals.

Parent tip:

Be prepared to hang on to those boxes; the kids will want to get together and hit the track again and again.

From Parents.com

Rice Roll-ups

Rice Roll-Ups

Stir 2 tablespoons shredded carrot,

1 tablespoon sweet-and-sour sauce, and

1/8 teaspoon salt into

3/4 cup cooked brown rice.

Spoon 2 tablespoons of rice mixture onto a thin slice of deli roast beef.

Top with a slice each of red pepper and avocado; then roll up.

Cut rolls in half diagonally. Repeat steps to make 12 pieces.

Picture and Recipe from parents.com