Leprechaun Slime

Those tricky leprechauns were at it again, concocting a putty that changes shape right before your eyes just in time for St. Patrick's Day. It transforms from a solid to a liquid then back to a solid over and over again. Cameron and I had a blast creating this using just 3 simple ingredients found in the kitchen: cornstarch, water and green food coloring! Cam is into anything science and I was hoping to come up with something for St. Paddy's Day so working together this is what we came up with:

We combined 1/4 cup of cornstarch with approximately 4 TBS of water premixed with a couple drops of green food coloring. Slowly add colored water to the cornstarch in a small bowl, stirring constantly. Add enough water until mixture is no longer crumbly and holds shape. Pick up putty and roll and pound in your hands. Dough should get firm. Relax your hand and dough should turn to a liquidy goo. When mixture starts to dry and no longer spreads out to liquid just add a few more drops of water to keep the fun going!! To add a little smart to the fun explain that the green slime is a referred to in the science community as a Non-Newtonian liquid, meaning it is a non conforming substance which can be either a solid or a liquid, depending on how much pressure it receives.

The mess cleans up easily with warm water, so enjoy the tricks in store with our Leprechaun Slime!

Vacation!

We are just getting settled in after our trip to Florida. For the first time in a while this trip felt like a true vacation in every sense of the word. The kids slept great, ate great, got along beautifully and for the first time ever (we've been going for 10 years), we didn't have to pay a visit to the local Urgent Care or Emergency room! We stayed with my parents and Aunt so got spoiled not having to cook or do laundry and the weather couldn't have been better. It was sunny and 86 every. single. day. We couldn't have asked for a better vacation! We would be out of the house and at the beach or playground by 9 and stay there until the kids were ready to move onto the pool. The pool was kept at 90 degrees so we would all swim for hours. The girls got so comfortable swimming with their face in the water, blowing bubbles and jumping off the side. Addie was absolutely fearless in the water and would jump and dunk and come up with a huge smile! The boys had fun playing games, diving for toys and using their new squirt guns. After the morning activities the girls would all nap for a good three hours leaving us time to relax, play Boggle with the boys or go off fishing. I even made my way through a whole book (Sarah's Key, which I would recommend).The boys are quite the anglers and caught their share of the intracoastal's supply of catfish and yellow-tailed snapper. Jameson even managed to reel in a pelican,who was released unharmed! We got out for many great meals where the girls ordered their first "pina koalas" as Ella called them, visited the turtle marine life center, went out for boat ride, and the kids went on a Lion Safari with Nanny and Papa while Jim and I escaped for a mini vacation of our own. We drove down to Miami were we checked into a fabulous hotel, went out for a very nice dinner and relaxed on the beach and drank fruity cocktails. It was perfect!

A few more Valentine's Decorations

I added a few more Valentine touches around the house and now we are all set for Tuesday...
I Arranged alphabet blocks to spell "love" on top of some favorite dessert cookbooks. I hung some wooden hearts that I covered in pink and green fabric from a thick pink ribbon, which I draped along white wall.

This little face

Oh, this face just lights up my world. It is so nice having you, little one all to myself on Fridays while your brothers and sisters are at school. You are such a love, I just want to eat you up! You hold my hand, and keep glancing up to me as we walk across the field to the playground and nod your head in agreement as we sit in Starbucks and chat like little old ladies. You are my pal and I think maybe I'm not the only one that relishes the three hours we have to ourselves once a week!

Cute and Clever Valentine's Cards

We've been busy crafting for the big day, trying to come up with some clever and unique Valentine's for classmates, family and friends. Luckily the girls preschool class is small, but of course they had to each make their own and I had to address double the cards! The boys have had a little more free rein, but Cam still needs a little supervision, making sure every one gets addressed properly.

Cute as a Button

These were easy enough to make. I had the girls glue on all the buttons onto a styrofoam heart, then I attached the ribbon at the top.

You're Sweet

The twins had fun with stickers and doilies then we glued on the dot candies cut in a heart shape, a few conversation hearts, and finally stuck a lollipop through the doily and finished it off with a bow.

You're a Hoot & Owl Be Your Valentine

Cameron and I transformed paper lunch bags into these adorable owls. We rounded out the owls head by cutting off the corners, and used these for the ears. We added googly eyes, a triangle nose, some arms, and a heart.

You're Just "Write" Valentine

We punched holes around the perimeter of the heart then wove some ribbon around the edge, to deck out these Valentines. Also using the hole punch, we attached a Valentine pencil. A perfect gift approved by parents and teachers alike.

Conversation Piece

We've been busy decorating for Valentine's Day and this "Conversation Piece" makes a beautiful centerpiece on the kitchen table. I placed the tulips in a cup inside the vase then filled the space between with a large assortment of conversation sweetheart candies. This bright cheery arrangement feels like spring and reminds us that love is in the air!

Super Superbowl

We threw a last minute Superbowl party yesterday. On Saturday I made a few phone calls and we invited some family and friends over to watch the big game, then off I headed to stock up on groceries and game day necessities. My most exciting purchase was a new crock pot! I can't believe I've made it this long with out one, but after my pulled pork was such a success (and so easy) I can't wait to try many more recipes. I cooked two pork tenderloins in the crockpot with a can of root beer and topped with barbecue sauce. After 6-8 hours the pork practically shredded itself! I had fresh rolls to make sandwiches and served it with coleslaw and a delicious corn salad with bacon dish that my cousin Libby brought. For apps, I served these delicious buffalo chicken egg rolls:

Source: canyoustayfordinner.com via Amanda on Pinterest

. I used Texas Pete's Buffalo sauce instead of hot sauce and I think it took the edge off. It was hot enough to have some good flavor but not too hot that the kids couldn't enjoy them. I also made this yummy fruit salsa but served it with Stacey's All Natural Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips (instead of homemade)

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Amanda on Pinterest

. I had a dutch oven full of sweet and sour meatballs cooked in pineapple juice and red currant jelly. Of course it wouldn't be a football game without salsa and chips so we had some set out with some guacomole my sister-in-law brought. I also made these baked Zucchini sticks with a french onion dip:

Source: kingarthurflour.com via Amanda on Pinterest

. And then I served our household favorite, Savannah Sin which is always a hit. For this delicious and hearty dip served in a bread bowl, mix together a small carton of sour cream, an 8oz stick of cream cheese, a cup of shredded cheddar cheese, a small jar of chopped green chills, a small ham steak (cubed), a dash of Tabasco sauce and a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce. Place in bread bowl, wrap in aluminum foil and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until heated through. For desserts I made cupcakes topped with green frosting made to look like grass, then I placed a toy football on each. I made football shaped whoopee pies and piped white laces onto each football. I also made brownies shaped into footballs with a cookie cutter. Finally I made a stadium pound cake using a mold purchased many football seasons ago at William Sonoma. The kids and I added flags we made out of construction paper and toothpicks. We decorated the house with red and blue streamers and balloons for our favorite team who sadly did not deliver, but it was a fun party nonetheless!

Cute as a button...

I used the left over fabric from yesterday's tree project to make these "Cute as a Button" Valentine's. We glued on the fabric, a couple of pink buttons and using a hole punch wove some ribbon through the cards for a decorative touch.

I heart Trees!

We made this sweet Valentine tree to fill the empty spot on our kitchen table where one of our Christmas card trees stood not long ago. We have gotten in the habit of making a tree centerpiece for each holiday season. For our Valentine's tree, we found a branch in the yard and stuck it in some oasis which we placed in a small tin bucket. We painted the top of the oasis white and then glued a soft pink ribbon around the pot. We cut out cardboard hearts, then glued fabric onto both sides and finally using a hot glue gun, I attached the ribbon hanger.

How fitting...

The boys have a new nick-name for Addison; The Master of Disaster. She's cute alright, affectionate and super- lovable, but she's also quick, clever, curious and fearless. I think their new nick-name is quite fitting for this 21 month-old wrecking ball. She can scale a counter top in 5 seconds flat, empty a drawer in the blink of an eye, squeeze out the toothpaste tube when I turn my back for less than a second and dump out every bin of toys in the playroom before I finish uttering her name. I can't wait 'til she masters clean-up!!!!