I Scream You Scream We ALL for Ice Cream

Looking for a fun Summer treat!! These Ideas are perfect for any get together!!!


** Banana Split Bites


Found bakers royale

** Ice Crean Sunday Cupcakes.

Found at livinglocurto

** Vintage Ice Cream Jars....

 Found at   penand paper flowers.

** Ice Cream Sandwich Pops

Found at living locurto

Wishing everyone a GREAT summer!!

Thanks for stopping by! Please feel free to leave your thoughts, Esther

Smores Recipe

I love Smores...... Its one of my favorite reasons for camping.... The Fire.. Burnt marshmellows.. Yum Yum,.....

This is  a favorite snack we like to have at our house...
Smores Recipe


Supplies Needed:

• Graham Crackers
• Mini marshmallows
• Almond Bark aka dipping chocolate

1. Lay out 8 graham squares on a cookie sheet. (I know I only have 6, but I had leftover chocolate so you can do 8.)

2. Chop up about 2 oz. of almond bark. Microwave for one minute and stir until smooth. Add more time in 15 second increments if needed.

3. Spoon a good amount on to each cracker

4. Add about 10 mini marshmallows to each cracker

5. Use remaining chocolate to drizzle on with a spoon.
6. Heat oven to broil and allow almond bark to dry so it is not shiny. Pop them in to the fridge for a minute if you are impatient like me.
7. Put them in the oven for about 1 minute 15 seconds or until golden brown. Watch them closely!!

Wow your unsuspecting kiddo with a totally awesome treat!


Pictures and info found at a little tipsy
Thanks for stopping by! Please feel free to leave your thoughts, Esther

Taking Our Stress out on our Kids...

I think this post is just for me to remind me...

But I hope you find something in it to help you to!!

As mothers, it seems we are constantly trying to juggle a million responsibilities. With these responsibilities comes stress, a lot of stress. 
Enter children, and before we know it, we are taking all our stress out on them. Isn't it interesting, we often treat strangers and coworkers better than our own family. 


Take a few minutes to figure out what is causing the stress. Are we tired, overwhelmed, money trouble, marriage stress or work stress? Maybe we have just had a long day. Regardless, Stress is going to happen, and we should do all we can to avoid taking it out on our children. They don't understand what we are dealing with and it is not their fault.

On top of that, dumping our stress on our children is not the answer either. We don't need to tell them all our woes. They can't fix it, they don't understand it, and at their age, they don't need to be stressed and worried about grown up problems.

So.. What can we do?

Focus on our children - Don't Multitask
When we have a lot to do, and a lot on our minds, it is easy to think that multitasking is the answer. When we are trying to make dinner, help kids with homework, fold laundry, AND listen to our 5 year old talk about their day, everything else will be more important than what happened at recess. We take our frustrations and stress out on our children because they are making it hard for us to get EVERYTHING ELSE done. The laundry can wait, and so can dinner. Sit down with your child. Give them your undivided attention and focus on their words and their facial expressions. Not only will it bring you closer, but we won't see them as a stress, we will see them as the children we love more than anything. Remember LOVE is spelled T-I-M-E.

Establish a routine
We need to put our families and children on a routine. With a routine, we will know what to expect and so will our children. This will eliminate a lot of stress that comes from the unknown and from struggles with bed time and meal time. Our children will be better behaved when things are predictable. This mean less stress triggers for us as mothers.

Minimize 
Minimize the stuff in our homes. When we have more than we can maintain, even if it is just too many clothes, everything becomes overwhelming and stressful. We will quickly take our stress out on our children. Work to make the spaces in our lives manageable. Give away, throw out, and get rid of. The clutter in our homes and cars becomes overwhelming and makes the other stresses seem even worse. 

Don't Over Schedule
We shouldn't over schedule ourselves or our children. To many things on our family plates will always bring stress. Our kids don't need to be involved in a million extra curricular activities, and we don't have to say yes to every play date and activity. We need to PROTECT our families time. This protection will bring peace and time together. Plus there will be less rushing. Rushing compounds stress.

Have Realistic Expectations
We don't have to be super women. And, we SHOULD NOT COMPARE OURSELVES TO OTHER MOMS. We need to be realistic about what we can tackle and undertake. When we start comparing we tend to see everyone else's strengths and our weaknesses. It is never a fair comparison. We should surround ourselves with people and things that are supportive and uplifting. Not things that make us feel inadequate.

Put Ourselves in our Children's Shoes 
As mothers, we need to take a minute to see things from our children's perspectives. Have empathy. Realize they don't mean to upset us. They are young, learning, and inquisitive. They don't know rush, hurry, or quick. If we can take just a second and see things from their eyes, we will not be so quick to take our frustrations out on them. 

See our Children as People
When we are stressed, it is easy to see our children as objects. Objects that are keeping us from what we are trying to do. We are trying to make dinner, or answer the phone, or fold the laundry and their need for help or attention is getting in the way. We need to see them as people. Little people. They have thoughts and hopes and dreams and good days and bad days just like us. It is the laundry that is actually getting in the way of us being with our kids, Right?

Manage our Time
Clique, I know, but vital. Time management is so important to our lives. We do need to stay organized and manage our responsibilities and the time it takes to get things done. 

Plan Ahead
This goes right along with managing our time. Being prepared and planning ahead will help eliminate a lot of our family stress. Make lunches for school the night before, lay out clothes the night before, even set the breakfast table before you go to bed each night. Round up backpacks and school work, shoes and socks before everyone goes to sleep. Make reasonable preparations to eliminate having to rush. Rushing brings stress, especially with children. 

Have a Sense of Humor
Laugh. When you are ready to loose your temper with your children because you are stressed, laugh first. Even if you have to force yourself. You will find it fixes a lot of things. 

Find Time For Yourself 
As mother's we are always taking care of other people. We forget to take care of ourselves. We should pick one or two things we would like to learn or get better at, hobbies or interest, and find time for them. Along with this, we need to eat right, exercise, even if it is just a walk around the block, and get enough sleep. When we are hungry and tired we loose our temper and take our frustrations out on our kids. 

Play together as a Family
We have to find time to recreate and relax together as a family. Life needs to be filled with work and play. When families play together they grow closer, develop stronger relationships, and have more patience for one another. Plus it is a needed diversion from the stress we deal with each day. Find time at least once a week to do something fun together (this doesn't mean it has to cost money).


Stress is part of life. Taking it out on our kids doesn't have to be. 

DO YOU EVER CATCH YOURSELF TAKING YOUR STRESS OUT ON YOUR KIDS?
HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR STRESS?

 

Thanks for stopping by! Please feel free to leave your thoughts, Esther

Party Hat Snack Mix

How cute is this idea for any gathering!! LOVE IT!!

How to make those cute Hats.....

You'll need Bugles (I used the Caramel Bugles because they are a bit sturdier)

Candy melting disks

Colorful non-pareils

Spice Drops candy 

Melt the candy disks (and 1 Tablespoon Vegetable shortening ~ optional) on medium power for 1 minute and then stir,

 continuing on in 30 second increments until melted.

Dip your bugles into the melted candy leaving the bottom undipped Gently Press your Spice Drop on the top of the bugle holding from the bottom.

 Now dip the bottom in the melted candy.

Keep your non pareils close...

and immediately dip the bottom of the Bugle into them

Gently place each "hat" onto wax paper to dry.

When the hats are setting you can make your snack mix

 

Cake Batter Party Mix

1 bag buttered popcorn, popped with unpopped kernels removed

4 cups thin pretzel sticks

4 cups Rice Chex mix

1 cup salted peanuts

2 cups mini marshmallows

6 Tablespoons of white cake mix

1 (12.6 oz bag) M&M's (a little more than 2 cups)

16 oz. white chocolate. 

1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles

In a wax lined roasting pan combine popcorn, pretzels, Chex, peanuts, Marshmallows and M&M's.( no penuts for me)

Sprinkle evenly with dry cake mix.

Over a double boiler (or in microwave) melt your white chocolate.

When melted pour over your mix. 

Using a spoon stir until the mix is evenly coated with white chocolate.

Sprinkle the rainbow sprinkles on top and stir to combine

 Let sit until chocolate is set, 20-30 minutes

Once the chocolate is set  you can add your party hats combining them evenly throughout the mix.

 

There you have it...easy, super cute and yummy.  

  

Thanks for stopping by! Please feel free to leave your thoughts, Esther

10 Great iPad Apps for Pre-schoolers

I'm always looking for some fun and educational activity for my kids. I got a new ipad last year and I Love it!!

This is my 2 year old on it... :)

iPads for preschoolers? Believe it or not, this latest gadget from Apple isn't just for grown-ups. Children are naturals when it comes to touching, moving and exploring everything they see, making the iPad perfectly suited for those young minds and hands. Reach out and touch something you like, swipe it out of the way to move it, and then go on to something else. It’s child’s play! But the iPad is also a great teaching tool for their children. Many of the apps are just $.99 to download, and some are even designed for babies. Still, people are realizing that this kind of consumable, portable and dynamic technology is ideal for engaging not only adults but kids as well in new ways to learn. The iPad is a fun and interactive way to teach your preschooler everything from shapes to colors to numbers and counting! Here's our list of top iPad apps for your budding learner:

• My Very First App: ($.99) You’ll instantly recognize the colorful illustrations in this app based on Eric Carle’s My Very First Books series. Kids as young as one can immediately dig right in and play games that match colors with pictures. As your child grows, she can try more sophisticated memory-matching games. Choose from three levels of play for children from 1 to 3 years old.
• Thomas & Friends: ($2.99) Thomas pulls into the iPad station with three simple yet entertaining game offerings. The app has drag and drop puzzles of engines, train track mazes, and a game of concentration—with pictures of engines, of course.
• Curious George’s Dictionary: ($4.99) Children can swipe their fingers over the screen for pictures and audio of alphabet letters, matched with art from classic Curious George books. They can touch words on the screen to get dictionary definitions and have sample sentences read to them. Other featured concepts include colors, shapes, numbers, and opposites.
• Colormixer: (Free) This app encourages exploration with color. Simply touch the screen and play with the bands of colors by moving and mixing them around with your finger. An app like this is a great alternative to ones that practice letters and numbers because it promotes creativity and introduces color concepts.
• Interactive Baby Sound: ($.99) What more could a baby want than to touch a picture of a pig and hear it say oink? When each colorful picture is touched, your child hears an appropriate sound for the object. Animal sounds include a dog, cow, duck, cat, frog, tiger, and pig. Transportation sounds include a plane, bus, train, car, ship, fire truck, and ambulance.
• Baby Peekaboo Cards: ($.99) This peekaboo game grows with your child because there are so many cards to uncover. They are arranged from the simplest to the more complex, so the app can be used for 1 to 4 year olds. Uncover a card by swiping away an object on the screen to reveal the hidden picture below. Then scroll to the next screen by swiping to the right. It’s so easy a baby can do it.
• Voice Toddler Cards: ($.99) This app has over 500 colorful photo flashcards for the youngest children—or even those learning English as a second language. A voice names each picture as it comes on the screen. Everyday concepts include numbers, letters, familiar objects, games, sports, animals, foods, shapes, and colors.
• Toddler Quiz Flashcards: ($.99) Has your toddler ever taken a quiz? Don’t worry. There will be no performance anxiety here. The app displays four pictures at a time and a voice names one of them for your child to identify and touch. There’s no time pressure, and no designated ending. Start and stop when you wish.
• Catch & Count: ($.99) Catch some decorated eggs in a little red truck. It’s as easy as that. Set the game to drop 10, 20, 50, or even 100 eggs. A voice names the numbers as eggs are caught, or the voice can be turned off.
• Tam & Tao in Numberland: ($9.99) In addition to counting, children can learn to write numbers. Arrows show which way your child should move her finger to form the numbers on the screen. And children can then draw the numbers on their own. Colorful backgrounds of jungle, space, or seashore themes help decorate the scene.

When introducing an app to your child, model how to play the game, then sit back and let her explore it herself. As technology becomes more accessible to everyone, preschoolers should be no exception. You may find that the biggest problem with introducing your child to the iPad is prying it out of her hands so you can use it!  

What's more, most games have a “lite” version that can be downloaded for free. These lite apps are often a shortened version of the full game, usually with fewer levels, activities, or screens, but still make good options if you're not looking to spend any money. Whip that iPad out and start learning!

Both my 5 year old and 2 year old LOVE it!!

Great Apps for them, and helps keep learning fun!!

Later ill be posting for other grades. I'm up to 5th grade so ill post those shortly.

Till Next Time, Esther

Envelope Bunnies

One great way to say Happy Easter is with paper-envelope rabbits

 -- bearing treats, of course. 

  

Easy Directions....

1. Seal the flap of an envelope, and draw bunny ears on the sealed side, as shown below. You can draw your own or use our bunny ear template. 

2. Cut along the line through both layers of the envelope. 

3. Flip the envelope over; what was the side of the envelope becomes the bottom of your treat holder. 

4. Cut pink construction paper to make eyes and insides of ears, and glue them on the front of the envelope. Use colored pencil for mouth; glue on a pom-pom nose. Fill with yummy Easter sweets.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Envelope Bunnies - Martha Stewart Crafts

Till Next Time, Esther

Treat Buckets!

I had to share these i think it is a GREAT Idea, and mya just help the kids, well the whole family interested and litening to Conference!!

Treat Buckets.. found at brownpaper--packages.

This idea isn't just for General Conference...it could also be used in any kind of classroom setting--from home, to school, to church!

But here is how she used them...

*Decide on words we wanted the kids to listen for during Conference--prophet, temple, faith, scriptures, and family--then I added one word to the front of each bucket in vinyl (font = Wish I Was Taller) . You could also use stickers, rub-ons, or print the words on cardstock then mat them on scrapbook paper and attach them with double stick tape. I tied ribbon around the handle for a fun accent.

* filled each bucket with the kids' favorite candy...

*During conference,  line the buckets up along the hearth, end table, whereever you want and then anytime they hear one of the words on the bucket, they can come and take a piece of candy. I also give them a cup with their name on it to put their candy in, although not much makes it into the cup, lol.

Such a good Idea, i sure hope you enjoyed it!!

Till Next Time, Esther

Fun Box

My daughter loves paper, markers, crayons.. anything artsy..  I have tried so many different ways to help her keep things together, but she still seems to find any way to make a mess of it!

So I was at Target ( a favorite store of mine) and saw this.....

In the Picnic area. For napkins, knives. forks and spoons... and thought!! YAY!! This is perfect.... $9.99 :)

So i bought one, and got my nifty Cricut out and cut out some vinyl.

Madison names it the Fun box!!

I added some Ribbon and filled it full of goodies for her!! She has literally packed it everywhere, up and down the stairs, in the car, outside where ever!!

And easy to keep things organized!!

I love it!! and I'm glad she does to!!

Paper, Stickers, markers, Pencils and Pens!!

Till Next Time, Esther

Savings Jars

We are going to Disneyland a couple times this year so we have to save really hard!!

So I Made these " Savings Jars " for my girls..

I went to Hobby Lobby and got 2 jars... they were $4.99 but were on sale for 50% off. So i got both of them for $5.00!! YAY!!

I then got out my Cricut and cut their names out and the castle in Vinyl.

Put it on the jars, added some ribbon and stickers and Wallah!!!

 

I think they tunrned out cute and my girls love them!!

So im hoping this will help motivate them to save thier money!!

Coloring Pages

I love to find cute fun things for my kids to color!! I was asked  last week where i  got them.. so i thought i would share the link.. :) 

They have so many cute pages and Every thing you can think of.. This is a great One Stop Place for all your coloring Pages needs.. :)

All Coloring pages found HERE

Till Next Time, Esther

Scriture Book Cover

How cute is this!! I think this is the cutest scripture Bag I've ever seen!!

{This Little Project} is mostly re-purposed!

All stuff she had at her home. :) The Buttons are are adorable, and the letter with Ribbon on the front!!  And look how cute the pocket is on the back!!! This is Just adorable!!

Find out how to make it here

Till Next Time, Esther

Rainbow Cupcakes and IceCream

So I'm blog surfing and I come across the following.. and my 5 year Old says....

"MOM!!!! HAVE YOU PUT THIS ON YOUR BLOG YET?? 

If you have you MUST do it now.... "

I couldn't stop laughing she is totally into this blogging as i am..

She will say things like " Mom... People need to see that!!" or " Have you shared this idea on your blog?" She always has something to say... I love it...

So... This Post is for YOU Madison!!

So over at hoosier home made we found these really cute cupcakes and Ice Cream!!

Till Next Time, Esther

Chalk Board Purse

You have to head on over to Mod Podge Rocks - Amy from the The Idea Room has made the cutest, and i mean the cutest Chalk board purse Ive ever seen!! I'm so adding this to my list of "love to do" list!

So go check it out!! What do you think? i think a great gift for niece's this year!!