Button Tower STEM Activity

Button Towers are an awesome way to spend the afternoon for stem loving kids! This activity comes together with only two supplies to keep the kids entertained and building all day long.

Now more than ever, creative exploration is important for kids.  Mine have been out of school for over 3 months already and we are not sure what the new year will hold. We have been staying at home, and seeing what we can do with the things we have on hand. This Button Tower Stem Activity has been a big hit with both of my kids, and all of the other kids in the neighborhood too! 

You only need 2 supplies to pull this off. Kids will love seeing who can build the biggest tower and what methods work, as well as which ones don't work!

Supplies:

Buttons in assorted sizes

Play Doh

Directions:

Roll an assortment of play doh balls in various sizes.

Offer an assortment of buttons and instruct the children to build a tower.

My kids opted to alternate balls of doh and buttons to stack them up.

They said the key to making them stand was how you press the button into the doh.

Sometimes the towers tumble over on the second or third button; sometimes they stack easily. Either way it goes; it is loads of fun and presents an enjoyable challenge that kids of all ages will love.

I love that this was as simple to set up as digging around in my craft supplies. Some of the best activities really are simple in design.

Be sure to supervise little ones with this, as buttons can pose a choking hazard.

Find more fun ideas for kids here

Reader favorites include:

Seashell STEM Towers

Easy Aquarium Craft

Summer Slim Down Guide

So, how did spring quarantine treat you? 

I gained weight. So much weight that I am in SHOCK still. 25 pounds? Yes, easily. None of my clothes fit and I am miserable. Out of necessity, I am making an effort to walk more, eat less and drop all 25 of those pounds by the time fall rolls around. If I don't, I am likely to roll into fall at this rate.

I thought I would share with you some of my favorite products for living healthier with you, as well as what efforts I am making to drop the weight I have gained during covid. Samples were received and affiliate links have been used.

First, I stopped buying FAMILY SIZED BAGS and instead started buying multi-packs in bulk for all of our snacks. While it might cost a little bit more to buy a 40 pack of little bags than it does to buy a few family size bags, but it really helps with portion control on snacks. 

I started buying bigger bags of vegetables at the grocery store. If I buy it fresh, I will find a way to use it because I despise food waste. This leads to bigger servings of veggies with dinner and less room on my plate for extras.

I fast.

From 10 pm to 12 pm, I do not eat or drink anything with calories. Although I sometimes waver around 10 am with an iced coffee. I try to keep my calorie intake under 50 calories during my fasting period, so I keep that in mind when adding a splash of creamer, to keep my calories down. I think it is too early to tell if this is effective for me, but 6 days in, my pants feel looser. I will update you on this later.

I stopped weighing in daily.

I was feeling discouraged the first week I started trying to cut back. I saw no movement on the scales, and then that made me feel like, why am I denying myself anything? I am now hungry and overweight.  Instead I now weigh in two times a week, in the morning. I have seen my weight drop by 3 pounds, which is a wonderful start.

I started switching out for better snacks and higher quality meals. 

I know from personal experience that lifestyle changes come in steps. We usually dine out 3 times a week, so I reduced that to two meals out the first week.  I started adding more healthy proteins like salmon to my meal plan, and I started looking for lower carb options. 

Some of my favorite healthier snacks are Good To go Bars. These are great because the flavors are light and the texture of the bars is unique and pleasant. These are one of my favorite things to toss in my bag for in the car snacking without the guilt. Order them online, at about $24 for 9 tasty bars. I love vanilla almond and the blueberry cashew flavors the most.

When you think about cutting back and getting healthier, you probably imagine saying buh-bye to cookies. But, Made Good has a line of soft baked mini cookies that are perfectly portioned for an indulgent treat minus the guilt. I love that they are organic and offer a ton of nutrients in a sweet snack. Find the store locator to get snacking with Made Good! They also have awesome granola bars. 

A diet that leaves out treats, is a diet that is likely to fail. I have been treating myself to The This Line from Blissfully Better. I love that these tasty treats are portioned perfectly for a sweet to share, but also, they have minimal ingredients for a better product that tastes like real candy! I couldn't pick a favorite, because they are all noteworthy, indulgent and several are even low glycemic. Order them online  at Amazon or Blissfully Better in 4 or 10 packs.

I have never been an energy ball person but, I am a snacking person who likes real food. These energy bites from Metaball are actually really tasty and perfect for after a long walk with my dog when my appetite is peaked. I loved the cinnamon apple crisp balls! So good! Order them from Metaball for about $15 for a trial box to try them all.

Being more active means I need to keep hydrated. After a long walk, I like to wash down my healthy snack with a Greater Than Sports Drink. These are packed with electrolytes and have no added sugars. They have a great line to try, including watermelon and chocolate. Order a variety pack from Greater Than for about $44.

Mint Chocolate Chip S'mores

S'mores are a summertime staple for good reason. They are incredibly delicious! This recipe takes the tastiness up a notch with the addition of mint chocolate chip to the equation for a melt in your mouth campfire snack!

Summer is here and my kids have been begging to make s'mores. Last weekend they talked their Daddy into building a campfire for them and they looked at me with big eyes, hopeful. Do we have any graham crackers?

Well, we didn't. But that didn't stop us from smashing some delectable ingredients together and creating something incredible Mint Chocolate Chip S'mores are gooey, chocolate-y and have a hint of crisp coolness from the mint, making them perfect for summer!

This recipe is so easy. It was created based on availability of what was in our pantry. We had a pack of Smash Mallows lingering from Easter, some single serve Chips Ahoy and snack size Hershey bars. I picked mint chocolate chip marshmallow because mint is my thing lately. I don't know if Smash Mallows are a thing you can get anywhere. I am not affiliated with their company, so I would advise you to check them out via my amazon affiliate link. Smash Mallows assortment.

Ingredients per 1 S'more

2 Chips Ahoy Cookies

Smash Mallow Mint Chocolate Chip 

Hershey Milk Chocolate

Directions:

Place a Hershey bar on one chocolate chip cookie

Roast a smash mallow mint chocolate chip

Smash it on the chocolate bar

Top it with the other cookie.

Enjoy!

If you enjoyed this easy Mint Chocolate Chip S'mores recipe check out this Easy End of the Rainbow Snack

or 

Homemade Blueberry Lime Soda 

Poppy Snot Slime

If your kids love Trolls and slime, they are going to go wild for this easy to make and visually appealing Poppy Snot Slime!

We love hands on activities, and we love all things Trolls! This Poppy Snot Slime is so easy to make and it is so much fun to play with. It has so much stretch to it that it is hard to resist stretching it thin and peeking through the clear slime!

Ingredients:

Clear Elmer’s School Glue

Sta Flo Laundry Starch

Water

Chunky Confetti Style Glitter (I got mine at Target in the dollar spot)

Poppy Slime Directions:

Mix water and clear glue.

Add as much pink chunky glitter as you desire!

Slowly begin adding liquid starch, add about 1/4 cup to start with.

Right away your slime will begin to pull away from the sides of the container you are mixing in.

Keep stirring until you have a blob of slime that has no liquid.

Dribble just a drop of starch on your hands. Now begin kneading the slime until it is no longer stringy.

This was my first time using starch to make slime and I was super impressed. It was easy enough for the kids to handle and it was so much fun for all of us! Hands on science is irresistible when it involves slime.

You can find all of my hands on kids activities here
Reader favorites include:
Seashell Towers Stem ActivityEasy Aquarium Craft

End of the Rainbow Treat

If you are looking for a no cooking and no fuss snack that kids of all ages will love, this end of the rainbow snack is perfect! It has variety, and comes together so easily!

Under normal circumstances, if my kids requested this as a snack I would scoff! But, these days with the social distancing, lack of youth sports and all of the other oddities associated with the virus, life is anything but normal right now.

On one particularly rainy day, I thought the kids needed cheering up, and I surveyed my pantry to see what I could come up with. I had twizzlers, marshmallows and golden oreo's. I was inspired to make them these easy end of the rainbow treats. They were a big hit! I know your kids would love these for St. Patrick's Day, or anytime of the year.

Ingredients:

Rainbow Twizzlers

Golden Oreos

Mini Marshmallows

Directions:
Pour mini marshmallows into a clear container, I used wide mouth mason jars.
Add twizzlers in the order of the rainbow.
Top with a few Golden Oreos.

Serve immediately, or close the container to keep fresh.

If you love rainbow crafts and fun as much as I do you won't want to miss these rainbow crafts.
Reader favorites include:
Rainbow Disc Sensory BagsRainbow Coasters

Buttery Shrimp Bake

If you need a super simple yet totally delectable dinner idea, this buttery shrimp bake will grab your attention. It is so easy to make and features shrimp, mushrooms and potatoes swimming in butter!

I love to eat, but I get so tired of cooking these days. With the kids missing enough school to have already had a summer break, I feel like I have cooked a million meals already. This dish was born out of a desire to eat fast, without making a mess in my kitchen. The results were delicious and I am certain this recipe will stay in my menu rotation! I think your family will like it too!

I happen to have a ton of shrimp in my freezer thanks to the fresh beef and chicken shortages in my area due to co-vid. I hope to be sharing a ton of tasty recipes with you in the coming weeks as I figure out how to cook it all!

The next time I make this, I will chop the tails off before cooking just to make it less messy for the kids.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of baby red potatoes

1/2 package of pre sliced white mushrooms

2 cups of de veined and peeled shrimp

3 tablespoons of butter

Garlic, salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Cut baby red potatoes in half

Place the mushrooms, potatoes and shrimp in rows in a baking dish

Cut 3 tablespoons of butter into small chunks

Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic over the ingredients

Distribute the butter over the ingredients.

Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the shrimp and potatoes are tender.

Cocktail Hour Favorites

Cocktail hour is my latest obsession. After a full day of summer fun,  I love to mix up something refreshing and savor it while my kids splash around in the pool.  If you too love cocktail hour, or are thinking about starting the classic tradition this summer, you are going to love these items I have been adding to my home bar. 

Samples may have been provided, or affiliate links may have been used in this post. 

I am over 40, and sometimes if you give me a cocktail, I might try to sneak off for a nap on the nearest sofa. Eboost is perfect for those times when a cocktail makes ya sleepy. Available in 3 tasty flavors, you can get these by the case for about $70. They are perfect for making the party a little perkier. Get them from the Eboost site.

Every well stocked home bar has straws in it, but these are the best silicon straws that I have tried.  I love that Gosili has so many styles and colors to choose from, making cocktail hour a little kinder to the planet. Get them online for  $5 to $7 a pack.

While you are at it, why not grab a few of these portable silicon straws to take with you? Sip on in style while reducing your footprint with these options from Gosili. They start at $3 and are a great addition to your purse.

If you are sipping drinks with someone prone to hangovers, give them a Tou Ta Lou shot to help make the morning a little lighter. These are packed with healthy ingredients to keep you feeling fine after a fun night. Get them online for about $30 a 6 pack.

Mimosas are not just for brunch; Ohza brings them to cocktail hour with ease. Available in 3 delicious varieties, this is one  canned cocktail that you are going to want to keep on hand all summer long. Order them direct, or locate a store on the site. 12 packs are about $36.

Every home bartender needs a good bottle of bourbon on hand. My new favorite is FEW straight bourbon whisky.  Visit the FEW website to find tour times and ways to purchase this grain to glass spirit. In addition to this impressive bourbon, FEW offers Rye, and single malt as well as some tantalizing varieties of Gin.

A few great mixers can make any cocktail hour next level. Square One has an organic line that is worth writing home about. I love the lively lemon in the afternoon and the Bloody Mary for Sunday morning sipping. Order it online for about $14 a bottle. Just add booze and club soda to create awesome drinks.

Cocktail hour is the ideal time to pop a bottle of bubble Rose or Prosecco. I love that Mionetto makes full size bottles and these little minis. These are awesome for sipping or sharing. Connect with Mionetto online and check out their collections. Order online from Drizly.

It is always a good time for wine. If you are like me, you probably dig trying new varieties . Gold Medal Wine Club gives you the chance to do just that. For about $40 a month you can try two California wines that won gold medals, so you know you are getting something good with each delivery. Order online.

Glass drinkng straws add function and class to any cocktail while reducing plastic waste. I am fond of the design and durability of Drinking Straws Glass brand. Order these online and find them on amazon starting at about $8. 

Button Stacking Fine Motor Activity

This button stacking activity is easy to set up and is really fun for little hands. With basic household supplies you can set up an activity that will challenge fine motor skills in your kids while giving them a fuss free boredom buster.

Summer is here, but, really, it feels like summer has been here for months already with the school year going as it did. My kids have been getting a little restless.  I have been finding easy ways to entertain them, and give them the quiet play options like this button stacking activity.

Kids of all ages will love this activity. It is perfect for preschoolers and kindergartners as it works their fine motor and pincer grip.  It is just as fun and beneficial for elementary aged kids because it gives them a chance to practice working with fragile materials like brittle spaghetti. My kids like to challenge each other to see who can build the tallest tower the fastest.

This post uses affiliate links, if you make a purchase I will earn a small commission.

Supplies:
Dry spaghetti
Play doh
Buttons

Directions:
Flatten a can of play doh.
Insert two dry spaghetti noodles into the play doh.
Offer your child a pile of buttons.

Encourage them to thread the buttons on the pasta. See how many they can stack up without breaking the pasta.
Or encourage them to make a pattern of colors for variety.

Or encourage them to race!

See who can make the tallest stack of buttons without breaking the pasta!

Find all of our fine motor activities here
Veggie Garden Sensory Bin

Fine Motor Counting

Wine Fairy Gift Basket Ideas

Has the wine fairy trend taken over in your community? It is so much fun! I have been making baskets to share with strangers since covid started. I am obsessed! I have found some fantastic goodies to include, should you be moved to get in on the secret sister, wine fairy movement.

My friend Kristy invited me to join a facebook group in March called Secret Sisters Pay it Forward. At first, I kind of rolled my eyes at the idea. But, I found myself scrolling the posts after cocktail hour. Within an hour, I was ordering goodies and making a basket for a mom of two girls who happened to live on the next street. 

Things may have spiraled from there. I joined another group, started building baskets and sneaking them on porches of perfect strangers. I have even been blessed to be visited by the wine fairy!

 Here are some of my favorite items to include. Affiliate links may have been used in this post, or samples may have been sent.

With  dining options limited, why not gift a little gourmet with Lanconiko olive oils and balsamic vinegar. I have used many kinds of olive oil, but this is one of my favorite brands. Order it online for about $22 a bottle

Bicycle playing cards are a great goodie to include in a secret sister basket. They can be enjoyed solo or with a friend and during times of social distancing can surely offer a fun way to pass time. Buy them from retailers nationwide, or order a special deck from Bicycle.

Kabaki Kenyan Purple Tea is perfect for sharing with a secret sister. These are really good purple tea, that feels fancier than the standard bottled version. There are several great varieties available. Order them online for under $20 a 6 pack.

Adding some Sugarpova bars, truffles or gummies to a wine fairy gift basket is a recipe for delight. These are such good, high quality candies that everyone will love. Order online, or find a retailer near you on the Sugarpova site.

Wine Fairies can deliver comfort as well as good booze. Yogalastics is one of my favorite hair tie brands for good reason; they are so comfy! Order a few packs to share, and to treat your hair to no pulling, less slipping and no headaches from your hair ties for about $12 a pack.

If you want to add a one of a kind greeting to your secret sister, wine fairy basket, these quirky ones from A Couple Puns are perfect. Order these spunky and adorable cards from Amazon at 5 for $20.

While it might seem like a strange thing to gift a stranger, the Restroom Kit is a handy and thoughtful way to spread cheer. I mean, even strangers need to potty on the go, and this is a sanitary way to do it. Order these online to give wipes, paper and a seat cover as needed, anytime, anywhere. 3 packs are $11.

Give your secret sister a secret weapon with these hang over preventative gummies by Always Toast. These are a great and delicious way to make sure that when the wine fairy visits, the next day is as pleasant as can be. Find them online.

Surprise a secret sister with a delicious assortment of bubbly drinks in cute little bottles with these offerings from Mionetto. I could sip the rose all day. These are perfect for a treat, or making a tiny celebration feel uber elegant. Check out the collection online to purchase or find Mionetto in stores.

Groove Life rings are my latest obsession; I love them so much because I work with my hands a lot. It is not uncommon to find me sawing something, mixing cement, or even building with pallets. All of that action can be disastrous to my jewelry. Groove Life rings are perfect for hands on chicks like me. There are so many styles to choose from from men and women! Add one to a gift basket for a wow moment that is a big win for the wine fairy. Order them online for about $35 each.

Mimosas are perfect with brunch right? Who ever said Mimosas aren't perfect for anytime, any day? Ohza brings the bubbly favorite to wine fairy gift baskets with ease this summer. Available in 3 ah-mazing flavors, you can order these for about $36 a 12 pack. Buy online, or locate a store near you from the website. 

If you have been making wine fairy baskets? I would love to hear what you are including in yours!