I know I’ve already shared all of my super Top Secret tips and tricks to camping in the great outdoors in my Tired Mother’s Guide to Camping with Kids, but I also wanted to share my recipe for Homemade Mosquito Repellent that is not only good for camping but excellent for use all summer long.
I don’t know about you, but I’ve always disliked spraying my kids with drugstore mosquito repellent products. When I read the label, I feel like they’re full of unknown crap and the over the counter sprays tend to leave their skin feeling sticky and gross. Not a good combination of feelings on hot summer nights.
I decided to try my own hand at a more natural, homemade option.
Now, I should definitely disclose that I don’t normally use essential oils for anything in my home other than to put in my cute lil’ diffuser that I absolutely love as a “cover up the baby poop smell” air freshener. That’s it. I’m not rollin’ it on my armpits or behind my ears or any other place that may be unmentionable. I purchased a set of 6 cheapo oils on Amazon for like $9 to use in said diffuser. This was literally the only time I’ve bought and used essential oils for any purpose.
I’ll definitely be using them a bit more now when I need to make a new batch of this mosquito repellent, though. Most of the oils in the recipe are fairly common to come across. I’ve seen them at the grocery store and at most drug stores. I did need to order the citronella oil online as that was the only ingredient I didn’t have on hand. (Yes, that absolutely means I had a huge bottle of vodka in our garage fridge. Don’t judge me, Karen. Sometimes alcohol makes me a better mother…)
I promise you that this DIY Bug & Mosquito Repellent is clean, fresh and doesn’t leave an oily residue. Plus, you can make it in under 5 minutes (and it’s cheap to make – once you buy the initial supplies, you have plenty to make many additional batches!)
*the essential oil amounts and types you use are really up to you. I personally love the smell of the spray with all of the listed oils together. But, if one or two of these oils aren’t exactly your cup o’tea, just omit them (with the exception of the Citronella as it’s the main ingredient to deterring those pesky blood suckers.)
It’s no easy feat to take on camping in the wilderness with little ones (and even not-so-little-ones). Whether it’s one kid, 3 kids or 8 kids, it’s a J.O.B. and you have to approach it like a B.O.S.S or you will F.A.I.L.
I always laugh when people ask how our “vacation” went when we return from camping. I mean, really? That’s a pretty loose term when applied to sweating over an open fire trying to cook rudimentary potatoes and meat, or to describe the act of sleeping outside with the only barrier separating you and trash pandas is a thin piece of canvas or attempting to play cards on a picnic table under a tree canopy in the rain. Don’t get me wrong, the positives definitely outweigh the negatives of enjoying the great outdoors with the fam. But still, I’m literally Suzy Homemaker in the middle of the woods with limited supplies, bugs everywhere, stinky kids, stinky shoes, stinky towels, stinky dogs, stinky everything and typically no washer, dryer, dishwasher or actual bathtub in sight. And don’t even get me started on the “Camping 10” (you haven’t heard of the Camping 10? Think Freshman 15, Covid 15 etc…) Eating is the main past-time for our trips. (I’m fairly certain for me it’s actually stress-induced eating. Plus, it’s s’mores guys. Come on….)
In all honesty, we really do love it. The joy I see on my kids faces when we’re camping or when they’re retelling a funny camping story from the past makes all the list making, packing, food shopping, sweating, dirt and laundry (so much friggin’ laundry) worth it. We log off the internet and log in to each other. There’s conversations, laughter, fighting and games – it’s what memories are made of, my friends.
Through the years I’ve tried loads of different hacks or tricks to survive our camping trips. With over 20 years of many successful endeavors and many, many failures, I’ve compiled a list of my best tips to survive camping with kids and pets (and husbands).
Lists
Lists are your friend, my friend. Before you leave to go shopping, before you order anything from Amazon, before you raid your pantry, make a list. Plan out your meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner). Now, don’t panic. I don’t mean necessarily plan every single meal for every single day (although you totally could if that puts you at ease). I simply mean to figure out what you’re going to eat during the trip as a whole – one day hot-dogs, one day pizza pies, one day meat and potatoes, etc. Then you can break up those meals into your grocery list.
How much you buy and pack before you leave relies heavily on how long you will be gone and if you are planning on doing any grocery shopping while camping. If you are camping for an extended length of time and will be making many camping stops along the way, plan for a few days to a week of food at a time. Map out local grocery stores closest to where you will be for reference and give yourself one day in your planning to shop and restock.
Most campgrounds have general stores within them for emergency supplies (camper accessories, parts for repair or basic medicine) and camping basics (ice, forgotten marshmallows, a can of soup or a quart of milk) but expect to pay more for these items.
Supply lists – This is not something I throw together the day before. I usually start these about a week before we head out. This allows me time to add to it as I go about my business. You’d be surprised how easily you can forget to pack a package of chocolate, a phone charger, a ball cap or socks.
Next Time List – I keep a notepad and pen in the camper so I can write out my Next Time List at the end of each trip. It is all the things we wish we had brought, forgot to pack or need to remember to do before our next outing (there’s always something that needs fixed after each trip – I guess it’s part of the joy of camping in a 5 decade old camper am’i’right?!)
Snack Basket
Instead of packing loads of boxes and bags of individually wrapped snacks, I open them all up and dump them into a big plastic tote/basket with handles. Easy to grab and throw in the van during travel, in the camper or tent at night and on-the-go to the beach or pool.
Meal Prep
I try to clean, cook and prepare as much food as I can beforehand. For instance, if we are planning on having taco salad one night, I brown and season the meat the day before we leave, store it in a plastic bag and throw it in the fridge or cooler. If we are having a dinner with potatoes, I peel, cut and boil them for a few minutes at home. Potatoes take forever to cook over a fire. Having them already blanched will save you loads of time. Fun foil meals (for example: ground beef, potatoes, carrots, onions and seasoning) can be packaged and wrapped at home and stored in ziplocs (don’t forget to boil your potatoes and carrots first!). Sausage, biscuits and gravy is a must-have breakfast for us. My aunt taught me years ago to bake the biscuits before I leave home (genius!) Veggies – wash, cut and individually bag to make for easy addition to lunches, snacks or salads. The more work you do at home before you leave, the more “relaxed” the trip will feel and will relieve a lot of the stress at meal time.
Frozen Foods
Freeze as much as you can before you go. Water bottles, chocolate bars for s’mores, yogurts, bags of water, etc. Not only will it help keep your cooler well, cooler, it will also provide a super cold drink or a great snack for a hot day – frozen yogurt tubes are the bomb!
Water Bottles
We’re not big soda pop drinkers. And we try to encourage using reusable water bottles as much as we can. But sometimes we can’t help but grab a case of water bottles while camping for the convenience. When we do, only one case/trip is our rule. I have a plastic food storage canister in the camper that holds a sharpie marker, a pair of scissors and a whole bunch of individual water flavoring packets. Each kid gets one water bottle at the beginning of our trip. The very first thing they do is label the bottle and the lid. They can refill the bottle at the spigot and if the water is especially “campy” flavored (if you’ve often drank from campground spigots you know what I’m talking about) a packet of fruit, tea or lemonade flavoring will mask the strange taste and keep the kiddos well hydrated.
CrockPot
Planning on going out for the day to swim, hike or explore? Throw your meal into a CrockPot before you leave on low and have dinner ready and waiting for you when you get back.
Our personal favorite is BBQ Chicken Sandwiches – chicken breasts and barbecue sauce in the CrockPot on low for 5-6 hours. Shred cooked chicken (we like to recoat our cooked chicken with a new bottle of barbecue sauce) and serve on a hamburger bun.
Pots & Pans
A plastic storage tote is perfect for holding your camping pots and pans. The tote keeps them all together, clean and slides right underneath the camper when not in use.
Clothing
We’ve camped in a tent, in a pop-up and now we have “upgraded” to a 50 year old smaller travel trailer. When we pack for our trips, no matter where we are sleeping, space is always a factor. Not many campers are built to hold all the food, clothing and supplies for a family of 10 so I’ve had to get a little creative and think outside the box.
Extra clothes. Basic rule – the younger the child, the more extra sets of clothes I pack. One outfit per day, with an additional 2-5 per child. Note:A lot of campgrounds offer coin washer and dryers. I try to keep a handful of rolls of quarters in our camper for emergency washes. ‘Cause *hit happens.
Clothes Roll, Clothes Roll, Clothes Roll. This little extra step in packing our clothes has saved us loads of space and headaches during the dreaded end of the day, crabby kids shower house packing time. Lay out shorts or pants, the shirt on top, a pair of underwear and then socks. Roll the outfit like a burrito. Wrap a rubber band around it and you’ve got an easy-to-grab clothes roll. Typically we place each kid’s clothes rolls in a paper grocery bag and shove them in the under bed storage.
No pajamas. We gave up PJ’s while camping years ago. Shower in the evening, wear tomorrow’s clothes to bed, wake up and go in the morning. No muss and fuss with pajamas and the kids love that they can literally wake up and start their day.
Big canvas laundry bags are amazing for storing dirty clothes. We typically store them in the back of the van when they get full (who the heck wants to sleep next to those stinky, nasty bags anyway?!) I throw them in the wash at home along with the clothes and store them back in the camper until the next time we go out!
The Aftermath of a Week Long Camping Trip
Shoe Storage
We pack one pair of shower shoes (flip flops), one pair of creek walkin’ or river wadin’ shoes and one pair of tennis shoes. That’s 3 pairs each for 10 people and a whole heckuvalotta shoes. And after a few days, they get quite smelly (if you have boys, chances are they smell from the start anyway). I’ve learned that a plastic laundry basket is the key to our shoe dilemma. The holes allow them to air out and one basket means one spot for easy and quick storage. It probably should be noted, that due to the general aroma of said shoes, the basket stays outside the camper door. * I do try to line up the water shoes or any wet shoes in the sun during the day to try to dry them up and sanitize them a bit.*
Hanging Shoe Storage
These babies are not just for shoes! They’re amazing for camping crap storage, too! I prefer the heavy-duty canvas hangers to the cheap dollar store plastic ones, but either will serve the purpose! I have one hanging right inside our camper door to hold all the little things we need while setting up, tearing down or just daily (zip ties, hooks, flashlights, dog leashes, trash bags, etc.), one on our teeny tiny itsy bitsy bathroom wall to hold the toiletries (soap. toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, etc) and one in the storage closet for batteries, bug spray, sunscreen, lightbulbs, etc.
Shower House Buckets
Who knew a 5 gallon plastic bucket (found at Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, Menards, etc.) could be so useful in the shower? We have one “Girls” bucket and one “Boys” bucket. Each holds all the shower basics – shampoo, soap, face wash, washcloths, etc. The kids grab their clothes roll, grab their towel, stuff them in the bucket and walk down to the shower house with only a bucket to carry between the group of them. For us, there’s multiple bars of soap and bottles of shampoo in both buckets to allow more than one person to shower at a time – but the bucket is big enough to hold it all! Plus, if there’s a line to take a shower, the bucket gives the impatient little people a place to sit while they wait.
Plastic Drawers
Plastic drawer carts are a great solution for pet supplies, diaper and wipe storage, toy storage, and even food storage. They can be placed in the back of your vehicle for easy access, in your camper or even in your tent. Lightweight and easy to move, they’re a must-have for organized camping.
Beach Survival
Heading to the beach? Grab a bottle of baby powder!
You know that moment when you’re leaving the beach at the end of a hot day, everyone is tired and crabby, you’re sweaty from carrying all the supplies a gazillion miles through the steamy sand to where your parked and you realize that everyone is about to get in the van covered in sand? And you also uncomfortably realize there’s sand in places that sand should most definitely not be? Baby powder to the rescue! Just sprinkle on legs, feet, arms, in underwear, in pits, on the back of your neck, etc and brush the sand right off. You’re welcome (’cause I know you’re gonna be thanking me later!)
Beach toys (which for us is also rock toys, dirt toys, grass toys, everything camping toys) are a necessity. Grab a cheap white mesh net laundry bag from the dollar store to hold the toys. Most have a drawstring for closing which is just a bonus for carrying around! The mesh fabric allows sand and dirt to fall through and air circulation for anything that may be still wet when thrown in. Plus, if it gets really gross, you can just wash the bag out in the water!
Plastic zip-up comforter and sheet bags are ideal for holding camping supplies! We have one that holds our silverware caddy, one that holds our plastic plates, cups and bowls, one for napkins and a few larger ones that hold our towels. We place our storage bags right on the picnic table or food prep table outside. They keep your dishware and silverware dry and clean while allowing easy access for use.
Back-Up Activities
The weather can change in a minute – especially if you are camping in the mountains. I keep a big plastic tackle box full of coloring books, notepads, crayons, markers, a deck of cards and a few travel-sized board games for rainy days, when I need to keep the kiddos close but busy while I cook or clean or simply to give myself a break.
Bug Fan
I’m not a fan of eating my food while covered in flies, mosquitos and gnats. It’s a major sanity breaking point for me. My husband learned years ago that his wife is much happier at dinner time if there’s a box fan on the table, set to high, blowing all those obnoxious bugs away while we eat. Game.Changer.
Light
A few cheapo solar light garden stakes are a perfect way to light the path to your tent, your camper or your picnic table without worrying about extension cords all over the place.
Plastic Trays
Plastic art & activity trays are a great addition to any traveling or camping trip. The trays stack up for easy storage and make a great solution to eating in the car on-the-go or eating in a cramped camper or tent if the weather is uncooperative. They’re also great for holding toys, art supplies and legos while the kiddos play in the car.
Hand Washing Station
Even if your campsite sits fairly close to a water spigot, you will be surprised how much little ones will need to wash (or at least rinse) off their hands and feet. A 5 gallon water carrier sitting on the edge of the picnic bench seat, on a stool or on a stump with a roll of paper towels bungee-corded around the top and a pump of soap right next to it will be well worth the 5 minutes it takes to set up.
Camping Supplies
The more you camp, the more supplies and gear you will accumulate. Keeping your camping stuff in the camper when not in use or in plastic storage totes around the house makes for way easier preparation packing. There are a few shelves in our garage reserved for our extra supplies. This makes it a simple grab and go when it comes down to packing day. Trust me: a little garage, shed or basement reorganizing to give yourself a place to store your camping crap together will be well worth the effort later.
Odds & Ends
Sometimes there are things you don’t even think about needing until you need it, ya know? Like backpacks (great for hiking, swimming, walking or exploring), binoculars, a small travel cooler, table cover, sunglasses, hammocks, a radio, tissues, toilet paper, baby wipes, eye drops, q-tips, extra paper towels, trash bags, umbrellas, clothesline, citronella candles, a firefly catching jar and a hatchet)
Need a quick do-it-yourself idea for Dad? Don’t panic – I’ve got you covered! Here are 3 of my favorite Dad DIY’s that you can make in a day!
Locally Made Liquor Tied With A Duct Tape Bow
These bows were crazy easy to make and are a great way to present a bottle of locally distilled liquor. Simply wrap a strip of duct tape around the width of the bottle. Then, for the bow, fold a length of tape on itself so the “sticky sides” are pressed together (mine were about 18″ long to start). Next I formed the bow and used a separate narrow strip of duct tape to hold it together. I attached the back of the bow to the strip of tape using a small piece of rolled tape.
Sports Door Hanger
Made with authentic baseballs and a mini bat, this door hanger is perfect for a sports fan!
(click picture to take you to the full DIY directions!)
Sports Beer Caddy
Does Dad like to watch his favorite sports team’s games with friends and neighbors? Make him his own BYO beer caddy to take along with him!
(click picture to take you to the full DIY directions!)
This post was sponsored by WORX Tools. All opinions are my own.
Caring for my large family, instructing school at home, and basic every-day housekeeping tends to take up a majority of my time. I try to maintain our yard and flower beds to keep up the exterior appearance of my home, but sometimes the lawn just gets the best of me and the weeds and grass get out of hand! I decided it was time to tackle that side flower bed that has been left untended and unloved since we originally built our front porch (ahem, 4 years ago!) It’s one of those “out of sight, out of mind” spots outside my home and it was past time I gave it a little TLC. I’ve broken down my flower bed makeover in 4 simple steps.
Step 1: Use a Landroid Cordless Robotic Lawn Mower
I mean, a lawn mower that mows the lawn on it’s own and even returns itself to the recharging base when it’s finished? I think I’m in love! I can’t even get my kids or my husband to put their shoes away after they wear them!
Set-up is a breeze and took just about an hour. There’s a lot of pictures in the Quick Start Guide, which is great for me. I’m a visual learner and tend to speed through the words, not to mention there’s typically kids running all around distracting me, so the pictures were definitely my friends!
Once we constructed the charging base or “garage” as my kids refer to it, we placed it on the side of our barn as it only receives the morning sun and was away from the play area.
After measuring 10” from the edge of all of our lawn and gardens, we installed the boundary wire using the stakes directly to the surface of the lawn. And thanks to the Anti-Collision System, this robo guy senses my fences and even my kids playground equipment and toys (that are typically all over the place!) He simply detects them and navigates around them. No worries about anything being run over or ruined if we forget to do a toy clean-up before mowing day!
Step 2: Pull The Weeds
I know there are a load of spray weed killers on the market that can be used in the garden, but I prefer a “greener” route. I use a lot of elbow grease and patience and pull the weeds out at the root. Plus, if you have little helpers, they consider this tedious chore quite fun! Just be prepared for many, many, worm and bug distractions!
Step 3: Add Color
These DIY Concrete Flower Blocks were the perfect way to add some visual interest and a pop of color to this flower bed without spending a lot of money on pots.
They were fast and simple to make – in under an hour I had these adorable blocks planted and in the garden!
Taking 5 single, clean concrete blocks, I spray painted them yellow on the 4 sides and top. I didn’t bother with the bottom as I knew that would be sitting down in the soil.
Once dry, I filled them with potting soil and planted 3 annual flower bundles in each opening.
Don’t forget a good, thorough watering for your newly transplanted flowers!
Step 4: Compost Mulch
This side garden was once full of perennials. Many of the plants were destroyed due to the construction from the porch addition. I planted some temporary blooms to the garden with annual flowers along the border until the perennials (hopefully) return to their original glory. The mulch compost adds a layer of protection against future pesky weeds and controls erosion – which is great since it’s on a bit of an incline – all while adding organic matter for good soil nutrition. Win, win, win!
The end result is a flower bed that so many of my neighbors have complimented me on as they stroll by! It feels so good to check something off the bottom of the dreaded “To-Do” list!
This post was sponsored by Aleene’s. All opinions are my own.
I adore candles in my home and decor. Real, battery operated, tapered or tealight, I love ‘em all! These DIY Doily Bowls are a shabby-chic simple way to provide a gorgeous base for the candle of your choice. The warmer days have got me itching to visit the beach, and the beautifully trimmed lace doily filled with cool, white sand just screams “Boho Summer” to me. Aleene’s Premium Decoupage glue makes creating the look a breeze!
Gather your supplies:
Aleene’s Premium Decoupage
Small Craft Paint Brush or Foam Brush
Latex Balloons (one per bowl – any color)
Doily (paper or fabric)
Twine
Step 1: Inflate balloon.
Keep in mind the size of your doily (mine are approx. 12” round) combined with the size of your balloon will dictate the size of your bowl. Tie your balloon closed and place it – tie side down – into a container to hold it steadily while you work.
Step 2: First glue layer.
After deciding on your preferred finish (I used glossy for the paper doilies and matte for the fabric), apply a thin layer of glue onto your balloon with your brush making sure to place glue everywhere the doily will lay.
Step 3: Place doily.
Center the middle of the doily to the top of the glue-covered balloon and gently apply.
Step 4: Final Coat.
Add another coat of glue on the doily. This is a slow and steady process. You don’t want to add too much at a time as it could drip over your workspace and possibly rip if you are using paper.
* But don’t fret! This glue cleans up easily with soap and water and is very forgiving with mistakes! If you find that you’ve ripped your paper doily, push it gently back into place with your finger and add a thin layer of glue. Adding multiple thin coats will be more beneficial than one thick coat.
Step 5: Allow to fully dry.
Many factors come into play here – from humidity to glue thickness – you want to ensure they are completely dry before moving on!
Step 6: Pop the balloon!
You could always untie the knot too, but that’s no fun! Warning – sometimes when the balloon deflates, it deflates the doily along with it!
* But don’t fret! If the glue is still tacky, it may cause the balloon to stick to the inside of the doily bowl. When the balloon deflates, the doily folds into itself too! Don’t panic! Simply remove the balloon pieces from the inside and reshape your bowl. You’ll be surprised how easily you can reshape it! You may want to let it sit a bit longer at this point just to make sure it really is fully dry before adding your filler.
Step 7: Add bow (optional).
I just love the rustic feel of twine with the delicate look of the doily!
Step 8: Add filler.
I used white craft sand to complete the soft, romantic, beachy look. But you can fill them with colored sand, small pebbles, coffee beans – whatever tickles your fancy! If you didn’t quite get as much of an even coat of glue as you thought, you may notice there’s a few small openings that the filler may get through. If you choose to not use filler, place a glass dish at the bottom of the bowl to keep the wax from dripping straight onto your doily.
*But don’t fret! A small piece of paper towel or even paper cut to size to fit in the bottom of the bowl will prevent leaking!
Step 9: Add candle.
If you’re worried about the hazards of a real flame, or you are using them at a venue with candle regulations, a battery operated light would be just as stunning!
Spruce up a pair of cheapo, plain dollar store sunglasses to make some crazy cool shades.
All you need for these novelty glasses:
foam shapes, felt shapes, small dinos, small plastic bugs, pom pom balls, googly eyes or whatever else you can find that can be hot glued onto the frame of your shades
I have to admit something to you guys. I’m not the “Fun Slime-Making Mom“. I despise slime. I just.can’t.handle.the.mess. It’s not my favorite thing. When they bring it home from school or from a friend’s house, I cry inside. I rarely say yes when my kids want – no, beg – to make it. Even though we typically always have the ingredients. Phew. There. I’ve said it.
Buuuut, these Bouncy Galactic Balls are more my speed. They’re simple to make, easy to clean up and make little mess during play. That, my friends, is what I’m talkin’ bout!
2tbspglitter glueor 2 tbsp clear glue with food coloring
Instructions
Mix the hot water and Borax together in a bowl
Drop glitter glue into water. The glue will begin to harden. After about 15 seconds, grab the blob of glue and squeeze with your hands until there is no more liquid dripping out of the blob. Shape the blob into whatever form you like. Allow to air dry for about an hour and then bounce and squeeze away!
As long as the water is still warm, you can continue to use the same water/Borax mix for different colored glue.
If you do not want to wait for the blobs to dry, adding a tbsp of corn starch to the glue before dropping it into the water will quicken the dry time (but also clouds the color).
Ever since we’ve been in Corona lock-down, I’ve been thinking about creating something with the kids that would provide a bit of personalized, fun color to my walls. These stick figure pictures did the trick!
I made them using canvas panel boards and craft tissue paper – it cannot be regular tissue paper because the tissue paper must bleed color when wet.
To begin, I lightly traced fun stick figures onto the canvas boards with pencils. I tried to make them match each kiddos personality (and hair!)
Next, I let the kids finish creating their figures using permanent marker. My initial pencil outline was just to serve as a template for them to work from because I knew I wanted the figures to be similar in size. They were each free to change their arms, legs, clothing, etc as they saw fit. Once they were finished drawing their figures, we erased the pencil markings.
I cut the tissue paper into different shapes for different kids in hopes of each piece having a slightly different look (I wasn’t quite sure if this would work – but it did!)
Taking a cup of water and a cheap paint brush, we brushed the canvas with water, placed a tissue shape on top and continued with this process until the canvas was as filled as they wanted. Some of the kids overlapped while others did single, even layers. There really is no wrong way to do it! But, the more colors on top, the more color at the end!
Once the canvas was filled with tissue, we painted a layer of water on top and set them aside for about 20 minutes. You don’t want the tissue to completely dry (it will be difficult to remove), just to sit long enough to thoroughly bleed the color. This may vary depending on the amount of water that was used.
After peeling the tissue shapes off the board, we waited overnight for the canvas to fully dry. I chose to mount the boards in inexpensive white frames to dress them up a little.
FYI: One pack of tissue paper was more than enough for all 8 of my kids to use. We actually still have quite a bit left over for future art projects!
Are you feeling the stress of all this social distancing?! These DIY Stress Relief Balls just may be what you need!
If your fun and colorful DIY playdough from above has been all squished together into a not-so-pretty shade of brown like ours, this idea will give you another use for it!
All you need are a few empty balloons, some yarn and a sharpie marker!
Fill the balloon with the playdough we made here by stretching the opening with your fingers and having a helper push the playdough into the forced opening. I used about a 1/4 of a cup playdough for each balloon.
Knot the balloon closed, tie yarn around the knot for fun “hair” and give your stress ball silly faces using the sharpie marker.
This Science Experiment is totally groovy! It was fun, educational and simple.
Gather your supplies:
Container – I used Downey UnStoppable laundry bottles, but a water bottle, soda bottle, mason jar would work. Really anything as long as it’s tall, clear and clean!
Effervescent Tablets (AKA Alka-Seltzer), Food Coloring, Vegetable Oil and Water.
Fill your container 3/4 of the way full of vegetable oil (may be simpler to use a funnel here).
Add about 20 drops of food coloring to 1 cup water.
Using the funnel, pour water into container.
Take 1 effervescent tablet and break into 4 pieces. Drop pieces into bottle.
The Science Behind It:
The water is more dense than the oil, so the water sinks. The tablets release carbon dioxide which forms the bubbles that rise through the water and oil, creating the “Lava” effect.
Fun Fact: did you know Girl Scout Cookie boxes make perfect postcards? As long as the card height is between 3.5″ & 4.25″ & the length between 5″ & 6″, you are following USPS postcard regulations AND the box also meets regulations for thickness!!!! Say whaaa? Glue on a colorful piece of paper to the front (or plain white printer paper; cut accordingly to match the cardboard) & have your kids draw a fun picture or design. Use a black marker to separate the message & address sections on the back (I added the address lines). Fill ’em out & mail ’em out or deliver to neighbor’s doors – if you really love them, I suppose you could maybe consider sharing your cookies, too. But that’s just a maybe… ♥️
We made a volcano. Like a paper-mache, painted, Science Fair quality (okay, that may have been a bit of an exaggeration) volcano. It was red hot awesome. From start to finish, the kids made it; with a teensy bit of help from me. Of course, my boys made a last minute decision to double the lava recipe. Go BIG or go home, right?! Just kidding – we are ALWAYS at home. This is what – Day 397 of Quarantine? I can’t remember. I lost count.
The first step was to cut the spout off of a plastic soda bottle. Really any small bucket or container would work – depending on how large you want the end result. Next time, we’ll probably prop the bottle on to an empty upside-down plastic bowl or something to give the volcano more height. We used an old yard sign as our base, but a large piece of wood or cardboard would do the trick!
Next, for the “skeleton” of the volcano, we crumpled old newspaper and placed them around the soda bottle. I used painters tape to hold it in place (duct tape would work as well). There’s not an exact science here – just stop when it looks full.
For the glue, I poured about 3 cups white craft glue into a cup or so of water and mixed it up. The popcorn bucket was the first thing I saw when I opened the cabinet. It was large, plastic and easy to clean!
Next, take your left over newspaper pieces and tear them into workable strips. Dunk the whole piece in the glue mix, allow it to get soaked and ring it out. Start placing the wet newspaper pieces around the volcano skeleton. Allow to fully dry.
We chose to paint the volcano in brown and green acrylic paint. Again, allow to fully dry.
Create your Lava – 1 cup white vinegar (use food coloring to tint it red if desired). You will need 4 tablespoons of baking soda.
Pour the red vinegar into the soda bottle. Dump the baking soda into the vinegar and watch the chemical reaction cause your volcano erupt!
We collectively despise the Corona Virus. But, these cute germs are totally welcome around our house anytime! And they are a great addition to our Corona Chronicles!
We made these adorable Germ Paintings using inexpensive watercolor paints, white paper and paper straws.
Once you’ve brushed your watercolor on your page in a blob (make sure it’s really wet) blow it around with your straw.
Let dry completely (only takes 10-15 minutes) and then add the eyes. Some of my kiddos drew them straight on the painting with black marker, while others drew the eyes on white printer paper using the black marker, cut them out and glued them onto the painting with a glue stick. You could even use googly eyes if you have them!
No matter how you add the eyes, you simply cannot mess these guys up. They’re supposed to be wild and crazy. That’s what makes ’em so fun!
These pretty portraits are so “Jane Austen” and also happen to be so easy to make!
Supplies:
Black Card Stock Paper
Small, Sharp Scissors
Clear Tape or ModPodge
Side-Profile Picture
Picture Frame or Wood Plaque
White Pen, Pencil or Crayon
Depending on if you are planning on framing these or ModPodging them onto a wood plaque – your supply list will vary. I chose to ModPodge onto painted wooden plaques from the craft store (under $2 a plaque).
The first step is to take a side-profile picture of your child (or pet). The lighter the background wall, the easier cutting it out will be.
Next you will print out your picture in black and white on regular printer paper. Make sure you are printing the picture the correct size to fit inside your frame or on your plaque (the pictures seen above are about a 3×5 size).
There are 2 ways to do this, but the outcome is the same. And in both cases, you will take a pair of small, sharp scissors and carefully cut out the profile picture. Pay attention to the details! You don’t want to accidentally cut off those adorable whisps of hair or those pouty lips – the little things matter most here! Traditional silhouettes typically end right around the shoulders and can be cut straight across or cut in an upside down “u” shape.
Option #1: Laying your printed picture onto the black card stock paper, trace the profile. I like to use a white pen to trace, but regular pen or pencil would work as well, it’s just harder to see as you cut.
Option #2 (as seen on The Kelly Clarkson Show): Laying your printed picture (picture side up) onto the black card stock paper, tape your papers together. Cut out the outline of the profile picture.
I ModPodged the card stock onto the plaque and I love the result! Although framing in a mat would definitely be a simpler and quicker option.
Thanks to all this extra time we’ve had on our hands lately, we moved a few gardens around in our backyard and created a Monarch Butterfly Waystation. To have a recognized Waystation, you simply need to add milkweeds and nectar sources to existing gardens or maintain natural habitats with milkweeds. That’s it! You can register your own Monarch Waystation habitat once you meet all the requirements at Monarch Watch here: https://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/
We decided to add a bit of a Science/Biology Lesson into it all since the kids have been practicing School at Home, by ordering our own Caterpillars and watching them advance through their 4 life stages and then releasing the butterflies into our backyard garden. The kids are truly hoping to see our sweet butterflies again.
While having our own Butterfly Waystation is certainly a cool and fun addition to our backyard, it’s certainly not necessary to growing your own caterpillars or simply planting plants that butterflies enjoy. There are many companies that help you bring nature indoors. We ordered our caterpillars from Insect Lore and we were very pleased with the caterpillars. There were 5 caterpillars in a cup. We ordered 2 cups and have 10 healthy, happy and alive caterpillars we are observing and learning from!
Even though quarantine has us stuck at home this Easter, it’s important that we try to practice old traditions and make new memories.
I decided to stray away from the standard dip-dyed eggs (if I’m being totally honest, I’m not a fan of those lil’ fizzie tabs anyway. They’re so messy, they stain, the smell of vinegar makes me cringe while dramatically gagging and they are in general, a pain in my proverbial hiney. Phew. Feels good to get that Easter Scrooge-ness off my chest.) sooooo, since we have a teensy bit of extra time on our hands lately, we came up with a series of fun and different ways to decorate our hard-boiled eggs!
Decoupage Easter Eggs
Taking ModPodge, some Easter napkins and hardboiled eggs, we created decoupaged eggs that are totally adorable. Apply a bit of ModPodge onto the egg, place the napkin cut-outs (or pressed flowers, clovers, newspaper strips, tissue paper squares, pictures – let your imagination run!) on the glue and add another light layer of ModPodge on top. Let fully dry.
Crayon Melt Eggs
Using a craft heat gun (a hair dryer would do the trick, too!) Just gather up a few broken crayons, remove the wrap & melt the crayon, one color at a time, holding the tip of the crayon on the top of the egg, allowing the wax to drip down the sides of the hard-boiled egg.
Tip: To hold the egg in place while decorating:
Using one disposable bathroom cup per egg, cut out the bottom of the cup. Place cup upside down. Place egg right side up in bottom of cup. This will not only allow the egg to sit upright will using heat gun, but also collect the melted crayon drips – making for easier clean-up!
Watercolor Eggs
I’m not a painter, but these watercolor eggs were fun to make! Using a black sharpie, outline the stems and leaves. Fill in the flowers with pretty watercolor. Easy peasy! Or should I say Eggsy Peasy?!
Bunny Costume Eggs
These are a bit more detailed, but so fun. They were inspired by the old-school Cadbury Bunny commercials. I mean, Halloween at Easter? I’m in!
Using felt fabric, cut an approx. 10″x1″ strip for the base that holds the egg. Hot glue (or craft glue) the strip into a ring approx. 2″ wide. The strip should overlap itself in the ring to allow a bit of extra support for the egg. Cut another strip about 6″x1/2″ for the headband. This strip should also overlap a bit in the ring before gluing. Trace and cut bunny ears in same color felt as base and the inside of the ears in white felt fabric. After gluing white felt fabric inside ears, attach bunny ears to interior of headband ring with glue. Add bunny nose, eyes and whiskers with black sharpie marker.
Tip: for “floppier” bunny ears, cut longer ear shapes from felt and bend them over after attaching to headband ring.
This will make about a dozen bird feeders. You can halve the recipe to make less or double it to make more. But honestly, given the current situation and the fact that we’re all stuck inside (stinkin’ Corona Virus!) they make adorable gifts. Put ’em in a paper lunch bag – ’cause we’re certainly not using those right now – and place at the doors of your neighbors. Spread the happiness – feed the birds & make a friend smile!
What you need:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups wild bird seed
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 envelope non-flavored gelatine
1/2 cup water
mason jar lids, applesauce jar lids, spaghetti sauce jar lids – you’ll need 12
twine, yarn, string, rope, whatever you’ve got!
parchment paper
Mix the first 5 ingredients together thoroughly.
Tie your twine onto your 12 jar lids. Make sure your strings are long enough to tie around wherever they may hang. A little piece of tape on the inside will help hold the twine in place while you’re filling the lids up.
Lay your jar lids on a piece of parchment paper – newspaper will work just fine if your lid is closed in the back (like an applesauce jar lid or spaghetti sauce jar lid). Grab a handful of your birdseed mixture and smash it down with your hands into the lid (it will be sticky, so you may want to spray some cooking oil or rub a bit of coconut oil on your fingers and palm to keep the seeds from sticking too much). Allow the feeder lids to sit a few hours or overnight before hanging.
