A Trick for Kids Who Can't Sleep

Nine years into my adventure with kids, I have witnessed my fair share of post-bedtime trips to the bathroom, desperate pleas for water and band-aids, and sad little whimpers that they "just can't sleep."

One particularly fidgety night though a couple of years ago, I stumbled on to a little trick that really does make bedtime a lot more fun for everyone in our family. I call it "the sleep assignment."

Reward Charts with Fine Art Puzzles

It's a sad but true fact that the giant art history book full of beautiful artwork is most often used in our house as a bug smasher.  I prefer it to a shoe because I can smash the bugs without coming near them.  I just pitch the thing across the room in the general direction of the offending insect and hope for the best.

Watermelon Tie Dye Beach Towels

I've been scared to death to attempt tie dye with my kids for a long time now.  And since I don't love the look (most of the time) there's never really been a reason to risk the stained hands, clothes, house, LIFE,  etc.

The other day, though, when I saw these adorable watermelon tea towels and realized that the same thing would work with beach towels, I knew it was time to take the plunge. 

When I turned to facebook to get some moral support and tips, my first piece of advice was a reassuring "DON'T!" from one commenter who does tie dye quite a bit but never with her kids.  Her warning further solidified in my mind that if we were going to attempt this project, I really needed to think it through ahead of time.

From this commenter and from other people I came up with a plan of attack.  And I'm happy to say...we survived!  Nothing was irreparably damaged, and I would even do tie dye again if there was another project I was excited about.  (Look for an upcoming post about doing tie dye with kids without losing your mind!)

But specifically, to do this project and make the cutest, juiciest beach towels on the beach, here's what you do:

What You Need:

• White, 100% cotton towel.  (we bought super cheap bath towels which work just fine for kids)
• 2 buckets that will hold at least a gallon of water each
• Some sort of stirring stick (one that you don't mind getting stained)
• Rubber bands
• Gloves (at least one pair for each person participating)
• Hot Water Dye Powder (you could use cold water dye, but the nice thing about hot water dye is that once it cools down, the drips don't stain as much) in two colors, green and either red or pink (or both if you'd like to layer it!)
• Black permanent marker (big size)
  

What You Do:

1.  Wet your towel. The wetter the towel the more blurry your dye lines will be. (I let the kids do this part with a hose in the back yard).

2.  Tie the towel in two places with rubber bands.  The space in between the rubber bands will be the white part of the watermelon.  I made my white space a little bigger than I should have because I was afraid the colors would bleed into the white space, but they really didn't.  

3.  Heat water to almost boiling.  Pour in dye powder and stir. (the kids helped me stir)

4.  Dip one end of the towel into the bucket of dye.  Dip as far as the rubber band or a little further if you'd like a faint white stripe there.  (the kids did this part)  Let it rest there for up to a half hour.  The longer the rest, the darker the color.

5. Squeeze out the dye (use gloves) and repeat with the other side in the other color.

6.  Allow to dry overnight. 

7.  Take off the rubber bands for the reveal!  (the fun part- the kids did this)

8.  Hose the towels down again and wash separately from anything else (the first time they will bleed a little bit) in the washing machine with cold water.  

9.  Once the towels are dry,  use a black permanent marker to draw on the seeds (the kids did this part)

Time to head to the beach!

10 Beautiful Gifts Kids can Make with Seashells

Going to the beach for our family always results in lots and lots of shells.  Just finding them is reward in itself (like a treasure hunt!)  but since they're so pretty, we often finding ourselves wishing that there was something we could do with them.  

So this year, before we head to the beach I've done a little research and found some great ideas for how kids can transform shells into beautiful gifts to give away. 

Also, at the end you'll find a list of bonus activities that aren't gifts, but could still be a lot of fun.  Enjoy!

Superhero Father's Day Card

Here's a super quick and easy Father's Day card your kids can make.  Cut out your husband's face from an old photo, and glue it on to one of these clip art images.

When Kids Get the Sillies during Learning Time: 4 Strategies

It doesn't matter if you are teaching a preschooler to read or a 3rd grader their math facts.  Kids get silly.  And as a parent, it's all too easy to get frustrated.   For myself, I've found it increasingly difficult to be patient with the silliness now that I have more children who need one- on- one teaching. Time and energy are precious.

But of course, frustration doesn't help.  Here are four approaches I've found that do help:
(It's so good to be writing these out.  I need the reminders!)

Art Lesson with Kids: Unity and Variation in Painting Seashells

I've been thinking a lot about how the similarities in the things God has made help to make the world beautiful.  Diversity is an important element too, but without unifying elements, the world would be aesthetically jarring.  

The kids and I were looking at seashells the other day...noticing how pretty they look together.  We talked about the ways they are different, but also the things that they have in common that make them look like they belong together.

3 Tips to Help You Save Money Gardening

I'm so excited to be sharing some of our best tips for gardening at my real-life friend Sarah's blog today! Sarah's blog The Orthodox Mama is fairly new, but already I've found some terrific book suggestions and life tips from her!  

Here's an excerpt from my guest post:

For the last eight years I have planted a garden, very excited about all the money I hoped to save by growing my food instead of buying it.  I’m a little embarrassed to admit though that at the beginning, not only did I not save money but I actually paid quite a bit for the privilege of gardening!

 Definitely,  gardening is about more than the money.  The time outdoors and experiences with my kids are worth a lot, but it’s nice when the garden contributes to our family in financial ways as well.  I’m still learning as I go, but I can now happily say that our garden is a help to our budget instead of a drain.

Here are three things I have learned that have changed my approach and made a big difference.

Read More Here>>

Succulents in Seashells: Kid's Craft

I never used to care much for succulents.  Deciduous leaves and lots of flowers just seemed more alive.  Ever since moving to drought-ridden Texas though, where dry weather plants reign, succulents have really grown on me. 

 Or maybe it's just because they have become trendy, and I'm more of malleable to popular opinion than I like to think.  

At any rate, they really are great, aren't they?  So many textures. So many fun names.  (baby toes!) So un-plant-like sometimes.  Not to mention the fact that they're adorably juicy...it makes you just want to squeeze their little leaves!  

Make Homemade Paper with Party Streamers

If your party storage bin is anything like mine, it includes a few crepe paper rolls that have gotten..ahem...a bit out of hand.

One glance at that sprawling monster with it's gnarly, multi-colored arms is enough to kill the party spirit in me every time.  I swear it must actually move around in the box between birthdays.  And of course, if any of that crumpled crepe paper actually made its way to my walls and ceilings for a party, it would likely make the poor, celebrated child weep at the bedraggled sight of it.

Best just to throw it all away, right?

Well, actually...not so fast.  Here's a terrific use for that colorful, fluffy mess.

Eliza's Cherry Trees: a Cotton Candy Craft

If you've ever been captivated by a flowering tree in the spring or wondered how the cherry trees ended up in Washinton D.C. you should run to go find this wonderful book.

Front and Back Photo Bookmarks

Mother's Day Card: Floating Hearts and Kisses

Outdoor Sightwords Activity: Dumptruck!

This is my third time to teach a child to read, and I still love it.  I love getting to be there when a child has that whole new world of literacy opened up to him.  But that's not to say it doesn't get tedious...a lot.

And of course, if it is tedious for me...how much more for a squirmbunctious little boy!  Here's one of the activities we've done lately to mix things up a little. It was a big hit!

Easter Transformation Tree

I've often thought that I would like to take more opportunity to prepare for Easter.  This year, I planned a project for my family that had the added benefit of allowing me to meditate on the truths of Easter in an artful way. 

(as a side note, I think having children is one of the best things that can happen to someone who loves to do art but isn't very skillful at it.  You don't have to produce masterpieces...just something good enough for you and your children to enjoy...it's so freeing!)

My project started a couple of months before Easter.  As I read the Bible each morning, I deliberately looked for phrases in three categories and jotted them down in my journal: 

Favorite Homeschool Resources

Oh my!  It has been a long time since I've written a post.  Mostly that's because  I have finally waded into the thick of homeschooling. I'm finding it's a murky (but delightful) bog...there's always more to do.  I know some people do a great job juggling homeschool life with blogging, but that's definitely not me yet.