Easy Dyed Rice

Dyed rice for sensory bins has never been easier! This 3 ingredient method dries super fast and provides vibrant results!

I love to make sensory bins, almost as much as the kids love to play in them! They still love the sushi sensory bin we made ages ago and it inspired me to try dying rice for more sensory fun. 

To make this dyed rice you will need:

• Rice
• Food Coloring
• Hand Sanitizer

 Place the uncooked white rice in a zipper seal baggie. I used 3/4 cup per color.
Add a tablespoon of hand sanitizer.

Add 3-5 drops of food coloring (I used the cheap stuff from dollar tree FYI).

Release the air from the baggie to avoid popping it. The shake it, squish it, wiggle the rice around until it is coated completely. The pour the rice on a paper plate and let it dry for about 45 minutes.

Repeat with additional colors as desired.

Naturally, we did all of the colors of the rainbow!

You can find all of our sensory play ideas here

Veggie Pizza

Summer is here! I am perfecting my recipes for cold meals that will satisfy the family. I don't want to turn on the oven for any longer than necessary, and that makes this the perfect recipe for the hottest days!

My tip is to prepare the crust early in the morning. This gives it plenty of time to cool and you won't need to swelter with the added heat of the oven in the afternoon.

To make Veggie Pizza you will need

One can of crescent rolls
Ranch Dip
Raw veggies (We used carrots, broccoli and sugar snap peas)
Shredded Cheese 

Unroll the crescent rolls. Make some sort of odd shaped crust with them on a cookie sheet. 

Poke lots of holes in the dough with a fork. 

Bake at 350 for about 8 minutes until the crust is flaky and golden.

Allow to cool completely.

Spread about 3 tablespoons of ranch dip onto the crust.

Top with veggies of your choice.

Sprinkle on cheese to taste.

Cut into squares and serve cold.


This recipe is a great side, main dish, or appetizer at a party. You can use any veggies you like, which makes it a great recipe for varying taste buds!

Find all of my recipes here

Reader favorites for summer
Blackberry Cheesecake Floats7 Must Try Corn on the Cob Recipes

Homemade Strawberry Peach Soda Pop

Homemade Strawberry Peach Soda is perfect for a summer day. It is refreshing, easy to make, and has no preservatives, caffeine, or additives.

Strawberries and peaches come together to make a soda that captures the essence of summer and can be made anytime you want it!

This post contains affiliate links.

We have a Drink Mate in the kitchen and I have made it my mission to put it to use for summer entertaining. I love to mix cocktails for friends and I hate to exclude anyone from my kitchen adventures. So I started custom making soda syrup.  This has been one of my most requested homemade sodas all summer! If you don't have a drink mate or soda stream, no sweat. You can still make this at home with club soda!

Homemade Strawberry Peach Soda Pop Syrup
Ingredients:

1 pound of fresh peaches, sliced

1 pound of fresh strawberries, sliced

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of water

Mesh Strainer

Directions for Strawberry Peach Soda Syrup:

Combine sliced fruit, sugar and water in a saucepan.

Over medium heat bring to a boil

Reduced heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Pour the fruit syrup through a mesh strainer to remove the fruit.

Allow the syrup to cool.

Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Directions for Homemade Strawberry Peach Soda
Fill a tall glass with ice.
Add 6 ounces of club soda or carbonated water.
Add 2 ounces of of the homemade soda syrup and gently stir with a eco friendly straw.
Garnish with a fresh strawberry if desired.

This drink is refreshing and perfectly fizzy without being incredibly sweet.

It is perfect for summer and is so easy to make. Even a beginner in the kitchen can handle making the syrup.

While I have only made this with fresh fruit, if you are craving this in the off season, I am sure frozen fruits would work out just fine!

You can find all of my favorite drink recipes here.
Bomb Pop Cocktails

Strawberry Cheesecake Floats 

DIY Barbie Serving Tray

My daughter is really into all things Barbie. So I made her this cute little rustic serving tray for her Dreamhouse play sessions. It took me less than 5 minutes and is pretty cute and you can personalize it if you wish!

We have all but given up on Barbie accessories. My kids lose them, the dog chews them and it seems like a big waste of money. I won't buy any more, but I will DIY some!

 I made this Rustic Barbie Serving Tray happen in moments with 3 supplies. It is pretty cute and it cost me $0 to make.

Supplies

6 small craft sticks 

Scissors

Glue Gun

Directions

Glue 3 craft sticks together

Trim the rounded edges off of 3 craft sticks then glue 2 of them to the longest sides of the base.

Cut the remaining craft stick in half

Glue this to the other ends

 Now you have a rustic serving tray for Barbie and her friends. Can you believe how easy that was?

We are already planning to make a version of this with taller sides to flip over as a coffee table for Barbie. You can paint the serving tray, or cover it with washi tape for a unique look if your daughter isn't into Farmhouse style decor yet.

Find all of my craft stick projects here

Handprint Fish Puppets

Monster Handprint Puppets

Wild Blueberry Gin Fizzers

Blueberry Gin Fizzers are perfect for summer entertaining.  They are so easy to make, and they have the ideal blend of sweet and tart flavors. 

 I was gifted 8 pounds of beautiful blueberries. My husband will eat them sometimes, the kids don't like them in any capacity. That left me with about 7.5 pounds of berries to use and enjoy. Naturally I had them on my cereal. I added them to oatmeal. I ate them on cake. I baked a small pie.  I froze half of them... I still had blueberries left! What is a girl to do? Why not drink them!?

This cocktail recipe is so easy to make. It is refreshing and tasty, making it perfect for summer entertaining. The flavor of gin is wonderful mixed with blueberries!

Ingredients:

2 ounces of fresh blueberries

Lime wedges

Sprite

Gin; I like Beefeater

Ice

Directions:

With a spoon,  or a muddler, smash the blueberries.

Add ice to the glass.

Add Sprite.

Top with 1 ounce of Beefeater Gin.

Squeeze the juice of a lime wedge into the glass.

Garnish with a lime if desired.

You can find more of my favorite blueberry recipes here.
Find more cocktail recipes here.

Awesome Soft Pretzel Recipes

If you like soft pretzels you will want to check out these awesome pretzel recipes! These are so easy to make and are all as yummy as the next!

Little known fact, once upon a time I spent a summer rolling pretzels at a flea market. It was a long time ago but I still think about how lucky I was to eat nothing short of 100 pretzels that summer! I loved them plain, with and without salt. I loved them with dips, garlic butter and in bun form for a one of a kind sandwich!

I have been in the mood to make pretzels for a while now, so I started rounding up some recipes I knew I wanted to try with the kids. I wonder if I can still twist them up like a pro?

Easy Soft Pretzel Bites by High Heels and Grills
Vegan Homemade Pretzels by Nerdy Mama
Semi Homemade Pretzel Bites by Juggling Act Mama
Cheddar Garlic Pretzels by Layers of Happiness
Garlic and Cheddar Soft Pretzels by Palatable Pastimes
Garlic Parmesan Pretzel Bites by Somewhat Simple
Pumpkin Spice Pretzel Bites by Little Dairy on the Prairie
Soft Pretzel Footballs by Hungry Happenings

You can find all of my recipes here

My family has been loving this creamy carrot soup recipe

DIY Superhero Cuffs

My daughter is all about Wonder Woman these days, so we made a cute and easy craft to keep her Superhero dreams coming! 

This is such an easy craft. All you need to make it is duct tape, toilet paper rolls and scissors!

Cut two toilet paper rolls in half.

Then cover them with duck tape in your favorite print. Make sure to fold the edges over to avoid paper cuts and rubbing! 

That is all it takes to make these crazy easy and cute Superhero cuffs for the kids! This is one of my favorite rainy day projects because after craft time ends they can engage in some dramatic play!

You can check out the short video below 

Find more crafts here

Cupcake Liner Crafts are perfect for preschoolers

12 Mermaid Craft Tutorials

If your kids are crazy about mermaids you are going to love these 12 Mermaid Craft Tutorials! From adorable bags to upcycled crayons, this list has so many ideas you will want to make!

Spring is here, so my family is day dreaming of the beach, the pool and all of the fun we will have this summer. My daughter wanted to make our mermaid tail craft again last week and we had so much fun with it! I searched some of my favorite blogs and found 12 more ideas for our crafty fun. I know you will love this collection of crafts too!


Mermaid Shell Necklace by Moms and Crafters

Ombre Mermaid Tail Crayons by The Crafty Guru

Mermaid Bath Bombs by Buggy and Buddy

Easy Mermaid Tail Craft by Stylish Cravings

Clothespin Mermaid Dolls by Create Craft Cook

Mermaid Succulent Garden by Creative Green Living

Mermaid Suncatchers by Sugar, Spice and Glitter

Paper Plate Mermaid Twirlers by Red Ted Art

Beach Towel Mermaid Tails by Somewhat Simple

Mermaid Mailbox Playset by Hello Wonderful

Mermaid Wall Art by Resin Crafts Blog

Mermaid Iron On Tote Bag by Sew What Alicia

You might also want to check out my easy mermaid tail craft for preschoolers.

You can find all of our easy craft ideas here

Stars and Stripes Bin

Bring a touch of patriotic flair to your sensory activities with this easy to set up Stars and Stripes Bin.

It is fun to play in and gives little hands a chance to design the flag. Make it for the 4th of July, or anytime for hands on play.

A few weeks ago I ran across a bag of white sand in my craft supplies and I wanted to use it before it spilled all over my craft room. I had visions of our rascally kitten Richard finding it and using it like a mini litter box. 

I kept poking around in my supplies and found a bag of glow in the dark starts. Inspiration was born.

This was an easy bin to assemble and both of my kids enjoyed playing in this bin. 

Supplies:

Popcorn kernels

Hand sanitizer

Blue food color

White craft sand

Red paper

Star Confetti

Small glow in the dark stars

Paint brush

Plastic bin with lid

Scissors

Zipper seal storage bag.

Directions:

To make blue dyed popcorn:

Place about a 1/2 a cup of unpopped popcorn kernels, 2 generous drops of hand sanitizer and several drops of blue food coloring in a zipper seal food storage bag. 

Shake well.

You can allow the kernels to dry in the bag overnight, or place them on a paper towel to dry for several hours.

To assemble the bin:

Cut a sheet of red paper to fit inside of the bin you plan to use.

Pour white craft sand over the red paper.

In the upper left section, pour the blue dyed popcorn kernels.

Add a paint brush and an assortment of stars.

Invite your child to brush sand away to create the stripes.

Encourage your child to add the stars to the popcorn kernels.

When not in use, replace the lid on the bin for easy storage for future play!

Find more sensory bin ideas here.

Reader favorites include:

Birthday Cake Bin

Flower Garden Sensory Bin

15 Fabulous Fountains for the Garden

Add an elegant touch to your garden this summer with a fountain. These options are classy, functional and best of all, affordable!

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase I will earn a small advertisers fee at no cost to you.

Water Pump Cascading Fountain
This fountain stands at 32 inches and creates a relaxing atmosphere. Water pours from a vintage style pump to fill the aged buckets with gently cascading water. It makes for a lovely sight and sound in any garden.

3 Tier Garden Fountain
This 45 inch fountain has a nice aged appearance and would look at home in the most elegant garden. It is made of fiberglass and requires no plumbing at all, as the water recirculates.

Tuscan Garden Fountain
This fountain stands 54 inches high and looks like it came straight from a Tuscan garden. It will add lot of elegance and charm to your garden, no matter where you live.

Stacked Stone Tiered Bowls with LED Light
These stacked stone bowls offer a modern look to your garden. I love the added bonus of an LED light to add even more charm after the sunsets.

Rustic Jugs Fountain
Three rustic jugs make the perfect vessel for cascading water. This low maintenance fountain would look fantastic in a country garden!

Modern Sphere Fountain 
With a curve and  sphere, this modern fountain is elegant, artsy and ideal for adding a special touch to your outdoor oasis.

Faux Marble Bowl and Pillar Fountain
This fountain has a very classy appearance with a faux marble look. This fountain features LED lighting to add another wow factor once the sun goes down.

Rippled Slate Fountain
This fountain is visually stunning with a spotlight and copper accents. It will add a sophisticated feel to your garden along with peaceful sounds of falling water.

Wishing Well Fountain
This cute fountain adds a touch of charm with its wishing well design. At under $100 it is perfect for small gardens or as an accent to the beauty of your outdoor space.

Curved Cascading Fountain
With a super quiet pump, this curved beauty is nothing short of garden art. No one would ever believe it retails for under $150!

Two Tiered Zen Fountain and Bird Bath
This fountain brings a lot of zen to any outdoor space. It is peaceful and will attract birds for even more natural beauty in your garden.

Peeing Boy Fountain Statue
These fountains are classics, with an antique finish, no one would ever suspect this fountain didn't come from a historic estate.

Cherub Fountain
With an LED light, this timeless cherub style fountain adds a sweet touch to you garden. Low maintenance and under $100 make this a great choice for any garden.

Farmhouse Watering Can Fountain
This watering can style fountain is chic and stylish. With a metal tub and multiple watering cans, this fountain looks great in any farmhouse garden!

Virginia Rock Fountain
With lovely rocks and cascading pools, this elegant fountain adds an element of relaxation to any garden area!

Rustic Water Barrel Fountain

This fountain features 2 barrels for soothing water to cascade into. With a rustic look, this would be an ideal fountain for a farmhouse or a cabin, but would look charming in any garden!

Imperial Lion Fountain

This fountain is regal and charming and adds a touch of classic sophistication to any outdoor living area. Standing tall and proud like any lion should, this fountain will capture the attention of anyone to view it.

Bomb Pop Cocktails

All the flavors you loved as a child in bomb pops take a grown up turn to create a cocktail that is perfect for your holiday festivities, or anytime of the year!

I might not be sipping on boozy drinks very often, but I do love to play bartender for friends and neighbors.  Last weekend one of my favorite neighbors caught me outside taking photos and he asked me to make his lovely wife a drink, something cheerful that would take the edge off. She had a rough day. I knew right away what I wanted to serve. I dashed inside and gathered my supplies. This drink came out so beautifully that I made a few and headed over with my little drink tray and visited with them. 

This drink looks like it might be complicated to make, but trust me. Layering this bomb pop cocktail is effortless!

Ingredients:

Strawberry syrup (torani makes a nice one that is easy to find)

Vodka

Sprite

Ice

Blue Curacao

Directions:

Fill a glass with ice.

Add 1 ounce of strawberry syrup.

Add 1 ounce of vodka.

Add 6 ounces of sprite.

Add 1 ounce of blue curacao.

Garnish with a strawberry if desired.

Enjoy!

You can easily make this a mocktail for the kids and friends who don't indulge by omitting the alcohol and replacing the curacao with blue gatorade or Hawaiian Punch.

You can find more cocktail recipes here

Reader favorites include:

Goodnight Kiss

Keeping Your Kids Safe On The Internet

The internet is a powerful tool now that pretty much everyone uses. With a multitude of internet providers available, like Viasat internet, it's now easier than ever to get connected and get online. It’s now something younger generations grow up with, and it can be easy to forget that there are always dangers to using the internet in regards to your children. Here’s how you can keep your kids safe on the internet.

Image Source

Talk To Them About The Dangers

There are many dangers on the internet, but if you just tell your children that the internet is
dangerous and give no other information than that, it will likely pique their curiosity to find what
these dangers are. Ultimately, that’s something you don’t want else they’re going to put you and
your household in danger. So talk through the different dangers that are on the internet. Tell
them to be wise about what websites they go on as some may cause viruses to infect the
computer. Encourage them not to speak to any strangers on the internet, no matter what. Stress
the importance of not giving out any personal information, particularly where you live, your
name and age. You don’t want to petrify them into having nightmares, but you need to find the
right balance to ensure they’ve taken note of your warnings.

Know Their Passwords

For younger children, it’s good to know their passwords for anything they use. This way, if you
ever need to keep an eye on what they’re doing, you’ve got access to any accounts and sites that
they use. Failing that, you can always check the browsing history of what they’ve been looking
at and control this feature so that only you can delete what you browse.

Be Wise With Electronic Devices

There are so many electronic devices that have access to the internet, and sometimes we can
forget they exist when we give them to our children. Devices like Kindles and iPads all have
access to the web, and it’s easy enough for them to jump on. Children are very bright, and they’ll
likely figure out how to use devices faster than you can. Going forward, be wise with your
electronic devices and at what age you decide to give them to your children. Mobile phones are
ideally given to children when they are teenagers as they are likely to be going out more with
friends and therefore it’s good for them to contact you, so you know where they are. A lot of
mobile devices also have GPS tracking so that you can subtly keep track of where they are if
ever they ring you in a panic and have gotten lost.

Set Parental Controls

Parental controls for the internet are something everyone should be using, particularly for young
children going on the internet. Family Orbit is the best parental control app that allows you to
monitor your children’s activity on the internet and to block certain sites that might be harmful
to them at that age. The app helps block these sites from your phone, and it can help you lock
or unlock your child’s device if you’ve banned them from using their mobile device. They may
not like you for it, but as a parent, it’s looking out for their interests and safety.

Keep Computers Visible

Any computers at home should be kept visible and that means that they should be out in open
areas of the home, like the office or living room. Avoid getting laptops or desktop PCs in your
children’s rooms until they’ve reached a certain age where they can buy it for themselves. By
that point, they’re likely to be at an age where they understand the dangers of the internet
anyway and are using it for work or for socially connecting with friends.

Assign Rules And Stick To Them

Finally, ensure you assign rules for using the internet and be strict with them. Set a time limit on
how much internet they can use on a daily basis. Keep electronic devices from the dinner table
if you tend to eat together as a family and ensure that these devices are removed from the
bedroom at night if they’re young. These rules will help them understand that the internet is a
luxury and something that should be used wisely.

Keeping your kids safe on the internet is going to allow them to go forward with safety in mind
whenever they use the web. Remember to be clear about the dangers of the internet and don’t
avoid any sensitive topics. Keep computers visible and assign rules that they need to abide by.

Grass Imprinted Concrete Garden Art

Easy Grass Imprinted Concrete Coasters are functional art. These are so easy to make; give them as a gift or use them at home for an eye catching accessory. You could also use these as garden art if you like.

This is such an easy project. When I got my first bag of concrete I wanted to start small. I wanted to use items I found around the house instead of purchasing supplies.

The first place I looked was our recycling bin, and BOOM! There was a lid, that was just the right size for making a coaster. Inspiration hit, and I was ready to create.

Supplies:

1/2 cup of portland cement
1/4 cup of water
A plastic lid, like from a chip canister
Some grass
Cooking Spray

Instructions:

Spray a plastic lid with non stick cooking spray.

Mix cement.

Pour cement into the lid, this mixture makes enough for 2, or 3 depending upon the size of the lid you use.

Add a few blades of grass.
Tap out air bubbles by tapping the sides.
Allow to dry in the sun for an afternoon.

Pop the cement out when dry. This should be pretty easy to do.

You can peel the grass out easily, or use an old toothbrush if needed to get any remaining grass out.

Paint the grass imprints.

These are great for outdoor use, if you have a really lovely table, you might wish to add 3 or 4 foam or felt pads to the bottom to protect the table, but these have not damaged my glass topped table.

Find more DIY Projects here

18 Treats for the 4th of July

The 4th of July is here, but have no fear! I have you covered for all treats Red, White and Blue! I rounded up 18 fun recipes that I thought you would love!  From kid made to downright Patriotic, this list of treats are perfect for your 4th of July party!

Patriotic Pudding Pops from We Made That
Red, White and Blue Patriotic Pops from Oh My! Creative
Red, White and Blue Layered Jello from Coffee Cups and Crayons
Patriotic Jello from We Made That
Patriotic Popcorn from Life with Moore Babies
Patriotic Dipped Pretzels from Mama Miss
Patriotic S'mores  from Club Chica Circle
4th of July Drink from We Made That
4th of July Layered Kids Drink from Artsy Mama
Berry Sparkler from Bitz n Giggles
Exploding Cookie Bars from Life with Moore Babies
Red, White and Blue Marshmallow Decorating from Stella 123
4th of July Fruit Kabobs from School Time Snippets
4th of July Homemade Gummi Candy from Mama Miss
4th of July Sugar Cookie Bars from Kids Activities Blog
Red, White and Blue Cake from Just Enza
Patriotic Mini Cheesecakes from KleinWorth & Co
Summer Velvet Parfaits from Bitz n Giggles


Which of these patriotic treats will you be making for Independence Day? Do you have a favorite festive recipe to add to this list? Tell me about it in a comment!

This easy patriotic parfait is perfect for a last minute dessert!