{Guest Post} Our Trip to Sherwood Island

For me, part of being a teacher/mom means that I love to squeeze every little bit of adventure out of summer with my girl, Miss C. This summer, Miss C is 4 ½ years old and, much like her mother, has a wonderful sense of wanderlust. So, on a Wednesday morning when I asked her if she wanted to go explore a new beach, she said “yes! Only if we can collect shells”  

Check out our latest review of Sherwood Island on Out and About Mom! 

Guest Post {Fairfield County Moms Blog}

Last summer, my daughter and I spent endless lazy days on the front porch reading Peter Pan. She enjoyed the stories of Peter and his Lost Boys, of coves filled with mermaids and pirates and real live fairies. And, when it came time to plan her fourth birthday party, we wanted to do something that would be fun for all her friends. We thought back to those lazy days spent on the front porch and looked to Neverland for a little inspiration and then we created a  party based on imagination and play that appealed to all children.

Check out how we turned my living room into Neverland on Fairfield County Moms Blog!

Guest Post {Out & About Mom}

When I first got word that a “make your own” chocolate shop opened up in Darien I was intrigued. As soon as we set foot in Chocolate Works, Miss C was, well, like a kid in a candy store!

Check out Out & About Mom to learn more about Chocolate Works! 

Guest Post {How To Host Your Own Canvas Painting Party}

My Facebook feed is frequently filled with pictures of large groups of ladies proudly displaying the same painting and holding a glass of wine. My group of actual real life friends can never seem to agree on what we want to paint or a date that works for all of us.

Check our my latest contribution on Fairfield County Moms Blog and learn how to host your own canvas painting party (*hint: its not that hard!)

Guest Blogger {Out and About Mom}

Check out my recent post on Out & About Mom!

We loved our trip to the Westport Country Playhouse!

Valentines + Easy = {Valentineasy}

Here we are, the week of Valentines Day.  Again.  And, yet again I find myself throwing together something rather last minute despite weeks of pinning and posting.

Despite that, I present to you this year's installment of Valentineasy! Since Chuck's school has a "nut free" policy, I decided to forgo spending hours scrutinizing over ingredients lists and make something food-free.  I don't know about you, but my kid LOVES to color! So, I decided to make these little coloring books and attach a red crayon with a piece of washi tape. These were super simple to put together. Print out a copy of the coloring sheets below, and staple your assembled books together. We added a bit of washi tape to color the staples (and because it looked pretty).  We secured a crayon to the front and - ta-da! You have a Valentineasy! 

Check out our other Valentineasy ideas:
Here
Here
and
Here
And this awesome Valentines Day Playdate we did

{Guest Post} How To Host a Pie Party?

Love parties?

Love pie?

Then hop on over to Fairfield County Moms Blog and get all the details on how to host your own Pie Party!

{Guest Post} Halloween + Easy = Halloweasy

I LOVE Halloween. I LOVE Parties. I LOVE Crafting. You would think that all of these things would come together to create an epically awesome Halloween feast. However, I am but a mortal. Check out my latest post on Fairfield County Moms Blog for super easy recipe ideas! 

Guest Blogger {Out and About Mom}

Check out my recent post on Out & About Mom!

We loved our summer adventures to Weir Farm!

Project {Pool Noodle Boats}

We had a blast making these Pool Noodle Boats at last week's Play Date with Fairfield County Moms Blog! This project is a great way to upcycle those pool noodles that have maybe seen a bit too much love this summer.  

Water play is a great way to keep everyone cool as the temperature rise.  These boats only take a few minutes to make, but will keep everyone happily splashing around on a hot summer's day!

Materials:

Pool Noodles cut into one inch pieces 

Straws

Foam Sheets

Scissors

Hole Punch

Stickers 

Directions:

Find an adult to  cut your pool noodle into once inch thick pieces.  We used a regular kitchen knife (pool noodles cut surprisingly easy!)

Use the point of the knife to make a small hole on the top of the pool noodle (this will be where you insert your straw)

Cut the foam sheets into triangles about three inches tall

Cut the straws about three inches tall

Decorate the sail with the foam stickers

Thread the straw through the sail and insert the straw into the hole you created in the pool noodle.

Place your boat into the water!

Splash!

Have fun!

Guest Post {Simple Summer Fun}

Life is just better in flip flops isn't it?  Check out Fairfield County Moms Blog to see what we are up to this summer! 

{Simple Summer Fun}

It’s SUMMER! Here’s a few of our favorite activities to make your summer living easy!
Project {Summer Finger Painting} Activity {Backyard Movie Theater} Project {Bathtub Fingerpaint} Project {Brushless Painting} Activity {Take a Hike} Project {Flower Crowns} Project {Patriotic Potatoes} Recipe {Strawberry Yogurt Ice Pops} Project {Coffee Filter Butterflies} Recipe {Carrot Top Pops}

Guest Post {Five Simple Rules to Planning a Kid Party}

There is an art to throwing a successful toddler party, and it has very little to do with Pinterest. 
Rule 1 {Keep Them Happy}
A party is a celebration of your son or daughter. As such, the main idea here is to keep everyone happy. This should be your mantra.

Check out the full post on Fairfield County Moms Blog to read the full post!

LuCk Dough Round-Up!

It's no secret that we LOVE Play-Dough!  
Here are some of our favorite things to do with this marvelous concoction!
Spice Dough
Elf Dough
Cornstarch Dough
Snow Dough
Play-Dough Invitation to Play
Coffee Dirt Dough

LuCk Play-Dough Secret Recipe

In a large pot mix together:

2 1/2 cups water

4 tablespoons oil

Food Coloring (optional)

Then add:

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

1 tablespoon cream of tartar

Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly until the dough begins to pull away from the sides and form a ball.

Dump onto a cutting board until cool enough to play with. We spread ours out to cool faster. It only took 2 bowls of cheerios and a banana, or about 10 minutes if you are using a clock.

Store in an airtight container when not in use.

{Guest Post}

Some ladies have book clubs, some ladies lunch, my group of ladies make.  At least once a season, we try to get together for a “Make n’ Mingle” 

Check out the full post on Fairfield County Moms Blog to find out how we made these delicious homemade Cadbury Eggs from scratch!

Valentine + Easy = {Valentineasy}

I just made 15 of these for Chuck's preschool class in about 10 minutes.  They are ridiculously easy.  All you need is a paper plate and a pair of scissors.  You can use just about anything to decorate them --glitter, paint, crayons, markers. . . Or, if you want to keep it super simple, just download our clipart below! 

{Guest Post}

"The typical winter weekend night at my house is hardly a party. We are usually snuggled up on the sofa, staring at some kind of screen . . Indoor camping is the perfect cure for a bad case of cabin fever. Unplug from everything and let your kids imaginations cut loose!

Check out the full post on Fairfield County Moms Blog to find out how we transformed our living room into the great outdoors! 

2015 Valentines + Easy = {Valentineasy}

Well, its a new year and time for some new Valentines!  Yet again, we challenged ourselves to create something without using Pinterest to get our creative juicing flowing!  And, yet again, most of what we made can be created using non-Valentinesy things (craft sticks, felt, pom-poms), which is perfect for last minute Valentines!  Over the next few days we'll show you what we came up with! 

Popsicle Stick Puzzles 

These were so easy to make! Use our download to create this puzzle, or draw something of your own.  No matter what you do, this candy-free Valentine's treat is perfect for just about anyone you needs a hug. 

LuCk at {Fairfield County Moms Blog}

For the next few months, we’ll be guest blogging over at Fairfield County Moms Blog about all things party, play, crafts, and cooking related.  You can see the first right here...and check back each month for a new idea!

Recipe {Carrot Top Pops}

It's pretty safe to declare the summer of 2014 the "Summer of Popsicles!" Thanks to our friends at Big Top Pops, we were completely inspired to try all kinds of fun combinations of fruits, vegetables, and herbs.  These Carrot Top Pops have definitely been a big hit this summer! 

The ladies behind Big Top Pops love to create gourmet ice pops in some bold new flavor combinations! Sarah and Gina try to promote positive associations to vegetables, rather than the "there's puréed broccoli hidden in your brownies" approach (although we're not above that occasionally too!).  And so, we give you...

Carrot Top Pops

This pop has a vibrant, orange color that kids LOVE and is a great one to make for teething toddlers! We typically make these with an organic cane sugar simple syrup, but if you are lucky enough to live in a state with great citrus, you may not even need it! This pop would be equally scrumptious with honey as the sweetener too.

COOKING WITH KIDS TIP: Lucas and Chuck had a great time adding the carrots to the food processor and juicing the oranges!  For younger kids, purée the carrots and make the simple syrup ahead of time for a recipe that comes together quickly.

Simple Syrup
 (Yield 1/2 cup):
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup organic cane sugar
Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Stir frequently until sugar has dissolved and remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature or place in the refrigerator

Pops 
(Yield 24 oz., or about 10 two and a half ounce pops):
1/2 lb carrots after they have been washed, peeled, and cut into medallions
1 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed and strained
6.5 tablespoons simple syrup (recipe above), or to taste
Cover carrots with cold water and bring to a boil. Boil until carrots are fork tender and drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Purée the carrots in a blender with some of the reserved liquid until the carrots are very smooth. Add the orange juice and simple syrup. Pour into molds, add sticks, and freeze until solid.