Mom vs. the Dot: Making it COUNT!

  Going to the family reunion tomorrow.  It's 8:00 p.m. and I haven't made anything yet. Rats.   So I decided to go with a personal favorite and get the kids involved - we all have more fun when we do things together (even if it takes longer to get things done).  It requires very little cooking, so the chances of me burning it are pretty small.  This is probably why it's my favorite take-to-a-picnic dessert.  That, and it's REALLY yummy ! STRAWBERRY JELL-O PRETZEL SALAD    Here's the Recipe Step 1:  Whack the Pretzels!! This recipe calls for crushed pretzels, so I put a handful in a baggie for each kid and seal it.  Next, I give them a big spoon and show them how to whack the bag of pretzels with the back of the spoon.  Cheerful whacking sounds fill the air and in a minute or two, I have the crushed pretzels I needed. Step 2:  Dump the Stuff!! Let the kids take turns dumping in the stuff in a LARGE...

"This is the rainiest summer EVER!!!" Direct quote from my 8-year-old. Yes, I think she is right. Yesterday, we took advantage of a gloomy day to make a chalk village.  As long as the pavement is dry, this is a wonderful activity! One of my kids' favorite outdoor activities is: The Chalk Village Break out the sidewalk chalk!  A bucket of chalk costs between $1 - $3.00.  The play lasts for hours.  We draw an entire town with roads they can drive through on their tricycles, bikes, and scooters.  I loved when they would drive a Cozy Coupe through town, but I think all my children are too big to ride in them now. So here's the basic idea: 1.  Draw roads wide enough for the vehicles to drive through. 2.  Give the kids the rest of the chalk to draw whatever they want - rivers, bridges, stores...yesterday we made a vampire jail at the request of my 3-year-old boy. 3.  Bring out the vehicles! Our favorite addit...

I have seen this idea on Pinterest before, and I finally decided to try it.  It was a rainy day, I wasn't feeling well, we couldn't go anywhere, so why not?  We had some extra painter's tape leftover from our home improvement project and it turned out to be just the right amount!! I eyeballed the design and ended up with this: We have field tested it for a week and the kids still love it!  The tape has started to come up in a few places, but that is to be expected. Added bonus:   You can vacuum over the design without destroying it.  Score one for mom!! They use their Hot Wheels cars, Beanie babies, doll house and Star Wars characters.  They've made it into a train station and train track. They use the big divided shapes for personal space to sit when we are watching a show. My preschoolers pretend it is a tight rope and try to stay on the lines. My elementary-schooler creates challenges - hopping over so many lines, etc. I have s...

Are you hosting the 4th of July party at your house?  Have you planned on unpredictable weather?  If there's anything I know about Pennsylvania weather, especially of late, it's totally unpredictable!!    Here are a few ideas to keep kids occupied if the weather should turn ugly as we celebrate Independence Day: (...or if you need some time to prepare food or set up tables and chairs or maybe you discover you need to run to the store for that really important thing you forgot...) 1.   Independence Day Quiz !! How well do your kids know Independence Day trivia?  How about you?  Might be fun to challenge your kids and show them mom (or dad) still knows their stuff. (I took the quiz and scored 10/10.  Woot woot! This mama's still got it!!) 2.  Pop Rockets We've made these using film canisters, which you can get for free anywhere film is developed.  I think ours came from the Rite Aid photo department....