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Celebrate Dr. Seuss’s Birthday

 Celebrate dr seuss birthday

This is the week to talk about Green Eggs and Ham and The Lorax with your kids. Why? Well it’s Dr. Seuss’s birthday on March 2nd. Dr. Theodore Geisel’s wonderful story books deserve a special time to celebrate the silliness of them.  Our own collection of Dr. Seuss books are hand-me-downs, some from my own childhood and others from my younger cousins. I love sharing them with my kids and laugh at their questions about all the funny things everywhere. We had a fun Dr. Seuss party and here’s some fun food and decorating ideas.

READ

No question the best way to celebrate Dr. Seuss book’s is to read them. You may be reading aloud with your little ones like us, or you get to listen to young readers work their way through funny phrases. Read Across America Day is this week and there are numerous events to get involved. “Grab Your Hat and Read with the Cat” is the theme of Read Across America week for 2013. Pottery Barn Kids will be hosting a special story time and craft activities to celebrate Dr. Seuss. A “Cat-a-Van” will travel the country stopping at 17 cities to promote literacy and giveaway more than 20,000 books.

Dr. Suess Books RandomRecycling

Be green and borrow Dr. Seuss books from your local library. If you want to fill in your own collection, Toys R Us has a special buy 2 get the 3rd free sale this week. We also have the Dr. Seuss app from the Apple Store. It’s a collection of stories and it has both the read aloud or read to me functions. I love having these books on hand when we travel!

WATCH

My kids are PBS kids and they love watching The Cat in the Hat. My daughter calls Nick and Sally “friends.” This Friday, there will be two new episodes on PBS Kids. THE CAT IN THE HAT KNOWS A LOT ABOUT THAT! will feature two brand new episodes. “Rumbly Tumbly / Planet Name Game” features a super shrunken trip into Thing One’s stomach as well as a whirlwind trip to each of the eight planets, and “Top of the Sky / Jiggle Bones” follows the Cat, Nick and Sally as they travel to Audrey the Astronaut’s space station and visit Dr. Giggles to see why bones are important.

LEARN

Use the books as inspiration to do a project with the kids. Here are a few I came across that look fun!

  • Create silly photo props. Let the kids take some pictures with their Thing 1 and Thing 2 hair. 
  • Make Silly Socks. We may need these for “Wacky Wednesday” at preschool this week.
  • Who-ville hair anyone?
  • Decorate a Lorax door. Talk about the message of The Lorax and share some ways to be green with your kids.
  • Handprints Thing 1 and Thing 2.
  • Did you know Dr. Seuss is a SigEp? My husband reminds me every time we read one of his books. 😉

Happy Dr. Seuss week! Please share any events or happenings in your school.

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Teaching Young Children to be Eco-Responsible

One question I get asked often is, “How did you learn how to be green?” For me, it’s an ongoing learning process. However, most of what I do was taught to me by my parents. If anyone could live off the land, it would be my Dad. He taught our family a lot about making the most of our resources, reducing our waste impact, and growing much of our own food in the summer months. One could also say he is really frugal, which spearheaded a lot of these routines. Totally true, but he taught me many valuable lessons about how be eco-responsible well before it became the trendy thing to do.

Teach Kids to be Green

I walked around the house the past few weeks looking at all the ways I encourage and teach my kids to be green. Some are simple words we use, others are the systems we have in place for our family. The list below is ways that work for our family, with children four and under. As they grow, I expect this list will change and hopefully expand as they take on more responsibilities.

Recycling Bin for Closet

  • Recycling station is accessible and easy to understand. The kids also learn what can and can’t be recycled. 
  • Compost is a part of their vocabulary; they know to save their banana peels and apple cores for the shiny bucket under the sink.
  • Walk to do errands instead of driving
  • Offer paper from the recycling bin for coloring. Explain the importance of using both sides of a paper.
  • Turning off lights when we leave the room.
  • Conserving water. We encourage this while brushing teeth, washing hands and while washing dishes.
  • Use a shower timer. Both kids love showers and they know that when the timer is up, it’s time to get out.
  • Not wasting food. Still tough for them to understand, I’m trying to be more mindful of reducing their portions and let them ask for seconds instead.
  • Spending time outdoors instead of in front of the TV
  • Explaining the idea of making donations when we have too much toy clutter.
  • Saving clothes that are too small for younger family members. (JJ thinks his girl cousin will wear all of his too-small clothes!)
  • Reusing the same glass throughout the day.
  • Teaching the kids how to cook and talk about where ingredients come from. We had a great conversation the other day when Madison asked if we could make maple syrup as our afternoon project.
  • Involve them in gardening if you have the space. Even if it’s just a pot of basil on the windowsill, let them help water and nurture the plant.
  • Reuse their artwork as wrapping paper or use what’s on hand, like newspaper.

Newspaper Wrapping Paper

What else do you practice in your home to educate kids to be green?

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Have a Happy and Healthy Valentine’s Day!

Fruit Valentine Tags

In light of all the sweets and treats my daughter is going to bring home from school today for Valentine’s Day, I decided to take a different approach. Together we decided to give out healthy apples and oranges as a treat for her preschool friends.

I found the fruit tags on Pinterest and printed them out from Craftaholics on card stock. The tags were cut out using my paper-cutter for the sides and scissors for the top. The heart cellophane bags are from my local party store for $.39/each. Oranges and apples came from Trader Joe’s. I have a giant roll of red baker’s twine and I love any excuse to use it.

Making Fruit Valentines RandomRecycling

My little helper decorated the oranges with a face using a black marker. Then she wrote her name on the back of each tag. It was an exercise in patience for me as I watched her write her name and struggle when she made a mistake. Although I didn’t want to waste tags, I knew it was important for her to take the time to make them just right for her friends.

I know she will come from school today with a goodie bag filled with candy full of artificial ingredients. She will be happy and I will let her have her candy in small doses. (Read why we try to avoid artificial dyes.) At least if my daughter and her friends learn at a young age that there are other fun gifts to give besides candy at Valentine’s Day, there is hope for them to make their own healthy decisions down the road.

Happy Valentine’s Day, from my family to yours!

Kids Valentines RandomRecycling

 

 

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Valentine’s Day Craft Party For The Littles

Prior to the arrival of Blizzard Nemo, our friend Susan hosted a wonderful Valentine’s Day party for some little preschoolers. It was a cute morning filled with craft projects, cupcakes, glitter glue and coloring.

Valentine's Day Cupcake

All he remembers from the party is this cupcake.

Valentine's Day Preschool Card Making Party

Card making craft time for the kids. Stamps, glitter glue and stickers for their special Valentine.

Gingerbread house for Valentine's Day

Who says gingerbread houses are just for Christmas time?

Valentine's Day craft party

Lunch time with heart-shaped peanut butter and jelly sammies.

Pom Pom Crafts

Who can resist using some fun pom poms.

Toddler Valentine's Day craft tableUse paper to cover the table for toddlers, they can decorate it themselves!

Valentine's Day Outfits

They are trying to make hearts with their hands.

Valentine's Day tights

How cute are all those tights!

Janie and Jack bow shirt

One very happy girl!

Heart Felt Valentine's Day BagsAdorable goodie bags!

Personalized coloring page

The perfect parting gift~ a personalized coloring page from Frecklebox.

Thank you Susan for hosting a wonderful party! It was great to watch the girls make some masterpieces, both with their Valentine’s day cards and their cupcakes. Hope everyone has a Happy Valentine’s Day this week! If you still need some inspiration, stop by and see what’s new on my Valentine’s Day Pinterest board.

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Monday Meal Plan February 4

Happy February! I’m relieved this is a quiet week for us. After two birthdays, two cupcake parties at school, one Princess and Pirate party and a Superbowl, we are ready for a little detox. This week we are trying to clear out the freezer meals and start tackling the pantry stockpile. It’s always better to keep your dry goods cycling through and I realized we have a little corner that hasn’t gotten much love lately.

Monday Meal Plan February 4 2012 Random Recycling

Sunday~  Daddy made calzones for the big game. Delicious!

Monday~ Chicken Lime Fajitas. (Wildtree freezer meal) Brown rice on the side made in the pressure cooker.

Tuesday~ Minestrone Soup. Defrost homemade chicken broth the night before.

Wednesday~ Italian marinated flank steak (Wildtree freezer meal). Roasted green beans and leftover brown rice.

Thursday~ C.O.R.N. {Clean Out Refrigerator Night}

Friday~ Pizza night

For lunches, we have some deli meat to use up and black beans and rice.

Our little guy turned two today! He was a happy guy all day, until he had to go to bed and started tugging on his ear. Crossing my fingers it won’t be one of those weeks!

Collage of little guy over two years.

For more meal planning inspiration, check out all the past meal plans here, or check out OrgJunkie for other ideas.

 

 

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Give the Gift of Experience Instead of Stuff

Experience Gift Ideas for Kids

Both of my kids have birthdays shortly after the Christmas holidays. For anyone else in the same boat, you may share my hesitation to see any new toys come into the house. As we are committed to decluttering our home, one option that needs more attention is giving the gift of an experience, instead of another item from a store. Whether your kids are 2 or 20, there are so many options for them to enjoy that are outside the box.

Here are some of my favorite experience gifts for kids.

  • Trip to a show
  • Children’s museum visit, or a specialty museum that ties into your kid’s favorite hobby
  • Visit the zoo or aquarium
  • Spend the day at a local theme park
  • Let your child pick their favorite restaurant for a special birthday dinner
  • Attend a concert
  • Spend the day in the city, be a tourist even if you don’t live that far away
  • Sporting event. From basketball games to a gymnastics tour, there are many different options.
  • Movie tickets
  • Tour a local farm or orchard
  • Cooking or art classes
  • A session of classes: music, sports, dance, etc.

Yo Gabba Gabba Live! Boston

Giving the gift of experiences is also a great suggestion for the grandparents and extended family looking to do something special for a birthday or holiday. We recently took a trip as a family to see the Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE!: Get the Sillies Out! event in Boston. It was just a delight to watch the kids get excited for the show. They danced, twirled, clapped and laughed the entire time. It made me realize that we are at the point where the kids are old enough to enjoy these type of experiences together now. (Although JJ is still saying “Loud” and covering his ears when Madison starts talking about the show!) I consider it a success when both Mom and Dad are happy coming out of the show and the kids are both singing on the car ride home.

As one of my readers said, “Making memories is better then a toy that will be obsolete sooner, then later.”

What are some other experience gifts you would add to this list?

Disclosure: We attended the Yo Gabba Gabba! LIVE!: Get the Sillies Out! event to help facilitate this review and story. It in no way influenced my opinions shared here. I’m sharing this with the Tuesday Baby Link Up , Frugal Days and Your Green Resource.

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The Green Hour

As the sun stays out a little longer these days, we are trying to get back outside. Our new goal- the “Green Hour.”

A Green Hour is time for unstructured play and interaction with the natural world. In 2007, the National Wildlife Federation launched GreenHour.org, an online resource providing parents the inspiration and tools to make the outdoors a part of daily life. (source)

It’s was a very happy hour had by all…

WW Green Hour Snow Angel WW Green Hour Snow WW Green Hour Silly WW Green Hour Mr Bear

I’m sharing this (nearly) Wordless Wednesday post with I Thought I Knew Mama.

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Motherhood ebook Bundle Sale

BundleoftheWeek.com, 5 eBooks for $7.40! Last week some of you heard about the new e-book opportunity to buy a little collection of coordinated ebooks. This week, BundleoftheWeek.com is offering an amazing bundle of ebooks designed to support you in motherhood and parenting in general! This bundle is available for just $7.40 (a savings of over 75%!) for one week only. As the new year kicks off, I hope some of you will enjoy these books if you are looking for new parenting inspiration.

Nurturing Creativity by Renee Tougas

Nurturing Creativity: A Guide for Busy Moms is a book to help you grow creatively. It’s about embracing the seasons of motherhood and appreciating where you are while helping you to make creativity a priority in your life. It will encourage you to let go of perfection, to start small, and to find inspiration in everyday living. This little book will challenge you to make the most of the time you do have to create beauty and meaning with your head, heart, and hands.

Mindset for Moms by Jamie Martin  (I have this ebook and LOVE it. I read one of the little chapters when my kids start making my blood boil. It gives you practical reminders of how to deal with a four year old mind.)

Mindset for Moms: From Mundane to Marvelous Thinking in Just 30 Days is Jamie Martin’s personal manifesto on positive thinking for mothers. It’s packed full of lessons she’s learned over the years in an easy-to-digest format that’s perfect for busy mamas, designed to help you transform your mind and change your life.

Parenting with Positive Guidance by Amanda Morgan

Parenting with Positive Guidance gives you the tools for understanding your child’s behavior and effectively teaching and guiding your child toward increased self-control while fostering a healthy parent-child relationship. No book you read will ever change your child.  But this book can change you and how you react to your child in daily situations.  It’s the difference in those interactions that will effect real change in your children and your family

4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions

4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions is a book packed full of wisdom from experienced moms who have been there, done that. They answer tons of common parenting questions on everything from nap time and grocery shopping with kids to keeping your patience and preparing for the s-e-x talk, all organized in 17 easy-to-read chapters.

Steady Days by Jamie Martin

Steady Days is a book about mothering with a focus, juggling your mothering career with other roles you may hold, and being mindful as you interact with your children. In the midst of potty training and temper tantrums, Steady Days takes you through the process of becoming a professional mother: one who is organized and excited to spend time with your young children.

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The Motherhood & Parenting bundle is only available through 8am EST on Monday, 1/14. Motherhood Bundle. To get an update of the latest ebook bundle, you can sign up for the newsletter weekly newsletter. Disclosure: some links are affiliate links.

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Why do kids love food served on skewers?

Swordfish Kebab for toddlers Random Recycling

We recently found ourselves in a little eating rut. The kids were being picky, which is a bit unlike them. Time for a secret tool~ the skewer. Both kids are old enough to manage them with some adult supervision. At lunch, we included small bites of a deli roll-ups, fruits, veggies, pastas and beans. Both kids loved it.

She looked at it questioningly, but only for a moment before she polished it off.

I decided to test out the skewer theory at dinner. We made swordfish kabobs with green and red peppers. It had a mild marinade that pulled it all together. It was a hit. I choose swordfish, a fish that both kids (generally) like. You can also make this recipe with halibut, scrod, salmon or tuna steak.

WHY DO KIDS LOVE FOOD SERVED ON SKEWERS?

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Appetizer
Keyword: Kabob

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 pound fresh fish halibut, swordfish, salmon or tuna steak, cut into 1" pieces
  • 1/2 green pepper cut into 1" pieces
  • 1/2 red pepper cut into 1" pieces
  • Optional: 1/2 red onion cut into 1" wedges
  • 4 cherry tomatoes

Instructions

  • Combine oil, juice and mustard into a small glass baking dish. Stir to combine. Add chopped fish and stir. Marinate fish for about 8-10 minutes in the refrigerator.
  • Preheat broiler on high. Thread the fish and vegetables on four skewers, alternating with your choice of vegetables. (I soak my wood skewers for at least 10 minutes in water to prevent burning.)
  • Place skewers on a broiler pan and broil 4" away from the heat for about 3 minutes.
  • Turn kabobs and brush with remaining marinade. Broil for an additional 4 minutes or until fish is cooked through. (lightly flaky.)
  • Serve immediately.
Tried this recipe?Mention @emilyroachwellness or tag #erwellness!

What food accessories keep your kids engaged in eating?  Please share in the comments. 

This is shared with Frugally Sustainable.

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Kid Approved Granola Bars

I started making homemade granola bars about a year ago and have been tweaking the original recipe ever since.  It’s finally ready to share with all of you.  Our whole family enjoys them and it’s a healthy, hearty snack for mid-afternoon to hold us over till dinner. I usually make the granola bars while I’m making my weekly batch of granola.  The ingredients are already out so I just need a second large bowl and a couple additional items.

Healthy Homemade Granola Bars

Healthy Homemade Granola Bars

The best part of making granola bars in your own kitchen is you know exactly what inside each one. No scary ingredients you can’t pronounce. No strange preservatives and no high fructose corn syrup. This recipe uses only natural ingredients and you can doctor it up with your favorite add-ins like cranberries (our favorite), nuts, chocolate chips and other dried fruits. We also make them nut free sometimes so I can pack them in school lunches. I’ll add in pepitas instead of nuts to keep it protein heavy.

Homemade Granola Bars

Homemade Granola Bars

Kid friendly healthy granola bars
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16
Author: Emily

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 1/2 cups oats
  • 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup cranberries or other add ins

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 13 x 9 pan with parchment paper, or grease well.
  • Melt first four ingredients in a medium saucepan.
  • Mix balance of ingredients in a large bowl.
  • Add melted butter mixture to the oatmeal mixture. Stir until well mixed.
  • Pour mixture into prepared pan. Press down on the mixture to ensure bars stick together.
  • Bake 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.
  • Let cool completely before cutting. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

If you bake this at 300 degrees with granola, bake for 22 minutes.
Tried this recipe?Mention @emilyroachwellness or tag #erwellness!

 

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