Play Doh Sea Snails

 Play doh is always a favorite play time tool at my house. There are just so many ways you can create with it! This play doh snail activity is so easy! Kids of all ages will love to grab a can of doh and a few favorite shells and get creating! 

Summer is near, and we are so glad. We have been virtually learning for about 15 months now and we are ready for a break. While the kids have less work to submit each day as the year dwindles down, we have more idle time than ever. I am NOT the mom who wants to entertain kids all day long (sorry guys!) so I turn to open ended creative ideas like this one a lot. It keeps the kids happy and gives me a chance to get some things done. 

Even my 11 year old had fun with this one. Rolf usually is too tween cool for any of my hands on play anymore, but this one was high interest and he got involved with his sister.

These play doh sea snails are awesome for rainy day play too. You only need 2 colors of play dough and a few shells to make the magic happen!

Supplies:

Sea shells 

2 or more colors of play dough

Instructions:

Invite the kids to roll out a color of doh for the body of the snail. Carefully insert one end of the rolled doh into the shell. Make sure the end is rolled thin, and don't force it too far into the shell.

Form some small antennae and attach to the head of the snail.

Add small details with a different color of play doh.

Repeat with more shells for a bunch of cute little friends!

This is such a fun activity for kids that requires so little in supplies. It is economical and easy, but can create more detailed creatures with a little patience and imagination.

You can find more fun play doh ideas here

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Easy Fine Motor Sensory Ball Activity

Preschoolers will love this easy to set up and totally engaging sensory ball activity. It combines fine motor work and sensory play for a boredom buster with benefits. Best of all this activity is super affordable to set up. You can get everything you need at the dollar store.

If you have been reading this blog over the last decade, you might know I am passionate about fine motor and sensory activities. I love creating activities that are fun and benefit development. This is no exception. It is so easy to set up, but it is engaging for kids and helps them build fine motor skills. No fancy equipment required.

All you need to make this fine motor ball is two simple things.

A bumpy ball 

Tiny rubber bands

This is so easy to set up.

Simply stretch the bands over the bumps of the ball

For younger children, use fewer bands

To challenge older children use more bands and make the loops complicated. 

Offer the ball to your child and encourage them to remove the bands. 

Have your child place the bands in a container, storage bag etc as these can be a choking hazard and dangerous to pets. Supervise this activity please!

If you are looking for more sensory and fine motor activities check out these popular posts.

Feather Beading Activity

Dino Rescue 

Rainbow Disc Sensory Bag

Favorite Treats of Your Pets

All caring pet owners want to give their four-legged buddies some goodies from time to time. However, choosing a healthy and tasty alternative for your pet might appear to be not easy. What parameters should you take into account when picking up the best treats for your lovely animal? It’s time to explore this topic a bit deeper. 

Choose a Snack With A Breed In Mind 

There is nothing new that various breeds might have different problems with their health. For example, some dogs have a very sensitive digestive system, while others require special nutrition to maintain joints healthy. It is important to know all the weak points of your pet’s breed and avoid giving it improper goodies. For example, many dogs love grapes. However, this fruit is harmful to their stomach. Therefore, it is better not to treat your four-legged friend with grapes, even if it makes an incredibly sad face. 

Follow the Pet’s Diet 

Each pet is completely unique. When choosing tasty treats for your animal, it is important to consider its age, eating habits, and health condition. Moreover, there is a list of forbidden products for each pet. For example, it is better not to treat your cat with cow milk, chocolate, raisins, avocado, and raw meat regardless of its breed. The same rule works for dogs and some other home animals. 

Read the Reviews of Other Pet Owners 

If you can’t make the right choice in a whopping assortment of pet goodies in the supermarket, it might be a good idea to read the reviews of other pet owners. If you have a cat, feel free to start with exploring the latest young again cat food review. In case you own a dog, it might be interesting for you to read a fresh top rated dog food review. It’s easy to discover what goodies are among the favorites for other pets and offer this food to your buddy. 

Consult the Veterinarian 

According to most scientists, the best thing you can do before giving any type of goodies to your animal is to consult the veterinarian. The pet’s health professional might take some tests and help you choose the best alternative for your four-legged friend. This way, your pet is not likely to have any side effects after trying new products. Moreover, the veterinarian might help you determine whether your home animal has any allergies. 

Pick Up Healthy Options 

When choosing treats for your pet, it is necessary to buy only goodies that were developed for your type of animal. For example, it is better not to treat your dog with cat food even if it really likes it. Don’t forget to make sure all the ingredients in the pet food are healthy. For example, look for treats that contain chicken, rice, fish, and other natural products. Avoid picking up pet food containing preservatives and artificial ingredients since they might cause issues with the digestive system or allergy. Most veterinarians don’t recommend buying pet goods with propylene glycol and BTH. 

Moreover, if your four-legged friend consumes only pet food, it is better to avoid treating it with human food. According to many animal health experts, combining pet and human food might not be good for your buddy. 

Consider Treat Size 

The best option for treating your pet is small-sized goodies or food that can be easily broken into small pieces. This type of treat is convenient for the pet owner and can be easily consumed by your four-legged buddy. Another benefit of offering small treats is that your home animal can consume many pieces at once with little to no risk of having an upset stomach. Anyway, it is better not to give too many tasty treats to your pet during one session. Keep in mind that overfeeding is not good for any pet. 

Don’t Stick to Only One Option 

Pets are like people. They love diversity, too. Therefore, it is better to have several types of goodies and switch between these alternatives from time to time. This simple trick will help you maintain the pet’s interest for longer and boost its motivation to learn. Consequently, you will achieve better results within the shortest terms. 

Let Your Pet Choose 

What if you bought expensive and healthy treats for your animal, but it refuses to eat them? Well, sometimes, it happens. This way, it is better to shop for another option to pick up the best one that suits your buddy. 

Conclusion 

Choosing quality and healthy pet food might be easier than you might think. Pick up treats that don’t contain artificial ingredients and are developed exactly for your pet’s breed. Select treats of small sizes for maximum effect and your pet’s comfort. It might also be good to consult a veterinarian to make the right choice and to eliminate any health risks. 

Popular Summer Drinks With Coffee

 What? Have you ever heard of summer drinks containing coffee? Well, it’s nothing bad if you haven't. You are not the only person who wasn’t aware of them. Actually, even coffee enthusiasts may not know about the variety of cold, refreshing, and saturating summer drinks based on classic espresso or Turkish coffee brewed in a cezve.

That’s why this article should be useful for every enthusiast looking for some new ideas and recipes. Here, we’ll describe four coffee drinks that will be perfect for adding taste and freshness to your regular hot day in spring or summer. You might want to use the best coffee beans to ensure the perfect quality of your new drink.

Freddo Espresso

The first recipe on the list will suit those who prefer coffee without milk. A bit of sourness will be your bonus. Freddo espresso is simple enough to make.

First, take a shaker if you have one. If you don’t – no problem, come up with something suitable to replace it. Then, add 4 to 5 ice cubes, a slice of lemon, an espresso portion, and up to 7 ml of caramel syrup there. You got it, right?

Yes, shake it well for 20 seconds. After that, pour the contents into a 100 ml shot with three new cubes of ice. Make sure the ice and lemon slice from the shaker don’t make it to the shot.

Freddo Espresso is easily customizable and adjustable. You can pick a syrup with another taste, or use another fruit, or experiment with the balance of drink components. The simplicity of a receipt allows making a favorite drink almost anywhere, even if the menu does not include Freddo Espresso.

All in all, it’s a perfect digestive drink able to cheer you up, along with adding some fresh tones to your hot day.

Cold-Brew

The next drink became a part of the menu for the majority of coffee shops throughout the world. Cold-brew is a cold black coffee. The feature of this coffee is actually described in the name of its recipe.

Cold-brew is really brewed at low temperatures for up to 24 hours. Of course, no coffee shop will make clients wait for their order all day long. Usually, they brew it in advance on the evening before to have some stored product and offer it to guests.

On the one hand, cold brew is an easy recipe to keep up with. Get freshly ground high-quality beans, pour the powder with cold water, and put the mix in a fridge. There, it takes eight, fifteen, or twenty-four hours to become perfect.

On the other hand, it is critical to pick a nice grind to guarantee good taste extraction and to balance the portions of coffee and water.

The killer feature of cold brew coffee is that the low-temperature brewing process allows it to avoid being excessively sour. Additionally, it is a pretty universal coffee basis. If you like pure black coffee, just drink it as is. Otherwise, cold brew feels well when you customize it with syrups, spices, or different kinds of milk.

Bumble

A perfect refresher and tonic, this drink made it into the minds and hearts of multiple coffee enthusiasts all over the world quickly enough. Bumble means a combo between espresso, fresh orange juice, and, once again, caramel syrup. If you are a coffee gourmet yourself, you don’t have to be a pro barista to make a cup of bumble at home.

So, you’ll need a glass. Then, place five ice cubes, 10 ml of caramel syrup, 100 ml of fresh juice, and a standard espresso portion. After doing so, you’ll understand why the drink is called bumble. See those colors? Though the image may be amazing and always unique, professionals recommend mixing the drink before taking it.

Iced Latte

No other drink could close up this list of summer coffee recipes better. Meet pure classics of cold coffee drinks, iced latte!

The simplicity of the original latte makes it also stand among the easiest recipes of summer coffee drinks. The balance between milk and coffee is nearly the same in both iced latte and the traditional hot variation.

Additionally, the same simplicity became the reason for the iced latte to become one of the most customizable drinks really open to any experiments. Every coffee shop and the barista can have their featured, unique version of iced latte to offer. And, of course, any coffee enthusiast can try making a portion of an iced latte at home. You’ll only need an espresso portion, cold milk, and some ice.

Place five cubes of ice into a glass, add fresh espresso, and shake it up a bit to let the coffee cool down. Then, fill the glass with milk to make it full. That’s it. Your iced latte is ready. 

Meals to Cook When Hiking

Hiking is a favorite type of activity for many people. Traveling through mountain ranges and forests brings a lot of positive emotions. In addition, you can be alone with nature and enjoy the silence. Considering the length of the hiking trip, you should think about food in advance. You can, of course, buy a couple of MRE packs and a flameless warmer. But what if you want to cook a culinary masterpiece in 20 minutes? Here are meals to cook while hiking.

Chili Mac and Cheese

This smoked macaroni and cheese dish is as simple as possible to prepare. Cook it over an open fire or a charcoal grill. You need to boil water and add some beans. Wait 10 minutes and add noodles. After all the ingredients have boiled for another five minutes, you can add cheese and chili powder. The proportion depends on your culinary preference. The main advantage of this dish is its simplicity. You need to add all the ingredients in turn. It is worth noting that you are best off choosing instant macaroni, so you don't have to wait long.

Jerky Noodles

The second recipe is also fairly simple. You need to boil water and add rice noodles. After fifteen minutes have passed, you can pour out the water and add beef jerky and peanut butter. Whisk all ingredients and add salt or pepper as desired. The butter adds a pleasant astringency, and you can enjoy every bite of beef jerky. But do not forget to take all the ingredients for the hike in advance.

Also, you should pack all your things in a backpack so as not to be left without lunch in the forest or the mountains.

Mediterranean Couscous

The third dish is also very simple and will suit even beginners. All you need to do is add the ingredients one at a time. Boil water, add couscous and wait about 10 minutes. As soon as you see that the groats are ready, you should drain the remaining water, grate the cheese and add the pesto mix. Stir all ingredients and add 5-10 olives.

This dish has a delicate aroma and is very easy to prepare. It will take you no more than 20 minutes to complete all steps. Any student can use this recipe to enjoy a delicious meal somewhere in the woods near the tent.

Chicken and Rice

What could be simpler than this dish? You need to buy pre-cooked chicken cut into small pieces. Boil water and add broccoli. Once five minutes have passed, you can add instant rice and wait 4-6 minutes. Pour the water out of the pot and add chicken, soy sauce, and olive oil. This type of recipe does not require salt or spices, but you can add any ingredient if the dish's taste seems inferior to you. In general, even a child can prepare all the ingredients according to the instructions.

Eggs and Bacon

If your plans do not include a long stop in one place, then you can eat eggs and bacon. Boil water and add powdered eggs. Stir the powder until smooth. Next, you can add bacon bits and mashed potatoes. As you can see, it will take you no more than 10-15 minutes to eat deliciously and not waste time on complicated culinary processes. You can even bring a flameless heater and some water with you if you don't want to stay in one place for a long time.

Trail Mix Butter

Imagine that you wake up in a tent somewhere on the side of a mountain and observe a beautiful coniferous forest. Most likely, you don't want to spend about an hour preparing complicated dishes. Boil water and make coffee. Next, you need trail mix, peanut butter, and honey. All you need to do is take a plate and stir all the ingredients. It will take you no more than a minute to start eating. This breakfast is full of vitamins and minerals. Plus, you get enough energy to continue your hike.

Cereal

Here's another great option for those who love quick breakfasts. Sprinkle powdered milk and add cereal or granola and dried fruits. Pour boiling water over all the ingredients. Wait about five minutes and start eating. Such a simple dish will be a great addition to tea or coffee.

Final Words

When you walk through the woods or climb a mountain, you hardly want to burden yourself with complex culinary recipes during a lunch halt. All the dishes on the list are quite simple to prepare. It will take you 5-20 minutes to start eating. Plus, you will be surprised by the delicate taste and texture. Now hiking will become even more comfortable for you.