Kid Art: Make and Paint Baking Soda Dough Easter Egg Ornaments

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Recently we experimented with making dough from baking soda and corn starch, and ended up with a ton left over after we created hand print ornaments. I  thought it would be fun to create a few Easter egg ornaments with the Bear and let him paint them. The boy loves a good project, and every time we get the paint out he gets so excited. This ended up being a really fun craft to do with him and would work for kids ages 2 and up. I’ll share the details of our process along with a few things we learned and would do differently next time.

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Toddler School: Make an Easy Easter Egg Garland with Your Child

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The Bear and I love a good project. This little Easter Egg Garland was a really fun one to create with him, and gave him lots of great fine motor skill practice. Stringing objects is part of his upcoming skills check with our pediatrician’s ages and stages questionnaire, so we’ve been working on it together. I thought making an egg garland would be great practice and give us a festive decoration for our mantle at the same time. He is so proud of his creation, as you can see above. His two year old attention span couldn’t handle making the whole thing in one day, so we worked on it bit by bit over several days.

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Heartbroken for the Ocean, Again: The Galveston Bay Oil Spill and How You Can Help

Ellie and me on our recent trip to Galveston Island
Ellie and me on our recent trip to Galveston Island

I’m sure you’ve heard by now about the collision of a ship and barge in Galveston Bay that resulted in a tragic oil spill. I wrote this post after the last major oil spill in the gulf, and here we are again. I am heartbroken, as I’m sure many of you are. I am a life long lover of the beach and I wept as I watched the news of oil spreading in to the Gulf of Mexico, threatening migratory birds at the height of their season, killing countless animals, and destroying the beautiful shores of our Texas beaches. The careers of fishermen and the tourist industries of the gulf towns are at risk, and the environmental effects will be felt for decades.

I hate it, yet we continue to drive gas guzzling SUVs and support this nation’s dependence on the very substance causing the tragedy. I cannot go and help today, but if you live in the bay area you can. Anyone can donate to the relief effort. Volunteer, donate, or report oil sightings here with the Galveston Bay Foundation. I hope that something can be learned from an environmental disaster of this magnitude and our collective national mindset will begin to move away from our oil addiction.

Eleanor Pearl at Ten Months

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Our gorgeous girl is ten months old and full of sass. She has one tooth and a personality all her own. I am once again super late with this update, but determined to get it done anyway. This month Eleanor continued to bring pure joy in to our lives with her sweet giggle and determined nature. She is curious and sweet, but lets you know loudly when she doesn’t get her way. She is truly a blessing, gift, and reward from the Lord.

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FROZEN Play Time: Make Melted Olaf Dip and Build Elsa’s Ice Castles

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#FROZENFun-#shop-#cbias-melted-olaf-dip-disney

Is your family singing “Let It Go” nonstop these days? You’re not the only ones. I created a FROZEN play date for my kids and their cousins recently and it was a huge hit. The big kids were singing as they built Elsa’s Ice Castles and everyone got a kick out of my Melted Olaf Dip perfect for Eggo Frozen Waffles and fresh fruit. I picked up a few choice Walmart toys to share among the kids and set up snacking and building stations and we had a blast. Best of all, my recipes are healthy and activities are super easy to recreate. We are so pumped for the release of the FROZEN DVD on March 18th, and the discount price drop from $16.96 to $14.96 at Walmart. Grab a $5 off offer on special marked packages of Eggo Waffles and get an even better deal on the FROZEN DVD. Now for the #FROZENFun …

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Our #DisneySide Play Date and 25 Amazing Disney Party Ideas

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I’ve had a lifelong love affair with all things Disney, so when I was given the opportunity to host my own #DisneySide celebration I couldn’t pass it up. Disney sent our family a fun package full of goodies to help kick of the festivities, and we had an amazing day filled with Disney fun. I’m sharing our ideas as well as some fabulous Disney party ideas from other creative bloggers to help you with your next birthday party, play date, or whatever excuse you find to show off your own Disney side.

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Two Minute Tiny Turban Headbands for Baby and Toddler Girls {with Tutorial}

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Today I’m showing you how to make a super cute tiny turban headband for the little cutie in your life, made from old onesies or t-shirts. These are so simple and quick to make, but I love the way they look and that my daughter’s stained and outgrown clothing can find new life in darling accessories. These require no sewing and can be made in about two minutes, seriously.

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Here’s all you need to make these cute headbands:
scissors (sharp for cutting fabric)
old baby t-shirt or onesie with at least a 2 inch stain free strip in the middle
Patterns and stripes are especially cute if they are a similar shade on both sides of the fabric.

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Cut a strip out of the middle of the t-shirt or onesie. Knit fabrics are ideal because they are less likely to fray. I like to cut a 2-3 inch strip for each headband, but you can test different widths and see what you like the best.

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This is the perfect use for all of those outgrown onesies with stains around the collar, and is so quick and easy. After you cut out your strip, stretch it out using your hands. Then twist it over once, then once more to form the turban style twist shown below. You’re done.  See what I mean about super quick and easy? Find a cute baby to wear it and whip out 20 more while you catch up on Downton Abbey.

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Isn’t it the cutest on my Pearl Girl?!  Another bonus is the headbands are super comfy because they are made from soft, worn in fabric. Here’s another fun idea: make one in your size to match your little one. You can also cut the strip and tie a knot to create another style of headband.

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What is your favorite way to upcycle old clothes?

Simple Ways to Bring Jesus in to Your Child’s Daily Routine

simple ways to bring jesus in to your child's daily routine

simple ways to bring jesus in to your child's daily routine

One of the most important roles we play as parents is as the spiritual guide for our children.  We’ve found a few simple ways to bring our faith in Jesus in to our children’s lives that I’m sharing with y’all today.  We are far from having it all figured out and are still learning so much about every aspect of parenting. For our children to know Jesus at a young age and grow up with a strong faith is our constant prayer and highest goal.  If you are of a similar mindset, here are a few simple ways to bring Jesus in to your child’s daily routine.

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Eleanor Pearl at Nine Months

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Our girl’s first year is flying by, and here I am late again with another baby update.  Eleanor continues to surprise us with her mobility and curiosity.  She and the Bear have been completely different in almost every one of their milestones.  I think she is just trying to keep up with her big brother.  At nine months she is pulling up and cruising across the furniture.  She is beginning to use a walker to make her way across the floor.

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Life to the Full: Peace

Peace.  It can be so elusive.  So fleeting.  So longed for.  I’ve found it can only come for me when I’m connected with Jesus and spending time with Him.  Lately I’ve given in much more to the toxic draw of worry.  It is so much easier to worry, to hold on, to attempt control.  Letting it go in to the hands of my Lord is so hard.  There are a million things to be worried about, to control, refuse to let go.  Jed is a teacher and we live mostly on his income.  I work part time for Young Life and part time on this blog, but our main source is a teacher’s paycheck.  Our state legislature recently made changes to the graduation requirements for Texas students that effectively drop my husband’s subject (World Geography) from the curriculum.  It is a short sighted piece of legislation created to increase graduation rates by requiring less academic courses. It also puts him at major risk for losing his job, as well as hundreds of other social studies teachers.  Dropping an entire subject means teachers will be let go from social studies departments around the state and will be unlikely to find jobs in other departments because they have also dropped the subject.  We won’t know an answer until March or April and there is NOTHING we can do about it.  Except pray. And trust that God has us in His hands.  He brought Jed to his job in a very clear and real way, so we have to trust that if He wants him to stay there, there he will stay.  This is hard.  I want a plan, a solution, a way to fix it.  There is none.  No plan except dependence on my Savior who loves me, loves my family, and has a plan for us.  So we pray and we ask for peace.  Life to the full in Jesus means a life of peace, unburdened by worry.  This, my friends, is the life I want.  A life of peace.
Read the Life to the Full series here.
Read more of the Life to the Full series here.