Homemade Play Dough

I have twin boys that just turned 4 and a daughter that is 9. I sometimes have a little difficulty getting the boys to patiently wait for their "schooling" while I work with my daughter. I am so blessed that the boys love "school". We don't do any official curriculum, but we have certain things we work on regularly: saying their abc's, counting orally and with objects, spelling their names orally (and now starting to write it), reading books, coloring, etc. The problem is sometimes they are done with a independent activity before I can finish with my daughter.
I love the idea of them having an activity box, and often times they will get out their blocks and play with them. But I recently found something they love even more - play dough!

I had seen recipes for homemade playdough on the internet and decided to try it. I wasn't sure how it would go, but it was worth a try. I made a batch last night with things from my kitchen (plus I purchased some Alum out of the spice section of the grocery store). There are lots of recipes on the internet - you can just google "homemade play dough" like I did. Most of them called for large amounts of flour (like 4 cups) but I wanted to try smaller version first. So, here's the recipe I found online and used:

Alum Playdough

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

2 tablespoons of Alum

1 cup water

2 tablespoons oil

liquid food coloring

Pour dry ingredients into large pan. Stir together to mix. Stir oil and food coloring into the water. Pour liquid into the dry ingredients while mixing, squeezing and kneading the playdough. If too sticky, add more flour. Keeps best in the fridge.

I found that we did need like an extra tablespoon of flour.. and there was enough for each of my 3 kids to have plenty to play with. You could add a little extract to make different scents - but I didn't want to entice the boys to eat it. It is all natural since all the ingredients are edible and from the kitchen, but I don't believe it would taste very good. Perhaps that would be for an "older crowd". They sat and contently played with it for a couple hours last night (until bedtime).

The boys weren't sure what to do with it at first, and I decided next time I would give them some cookie cutters to use with it. I also noticed that as I put it away - the dough was a little dry. It will probably need some more water and a little oil when we get it out again. You could also do different colors to give some variety.

Until next time, much love and God bless.

Courtney Short-Prudhomme

Homeschooling Mom Extraordinaire

Recycling

by Mommy N

I know.... it's sounds like an odd subject for a homeschool blog, but there is so much more to recycling than just taking your used cardboard boxes and aluminum cans to the local recycling center.

Recycling has become a new game to me. Although we do take our cardboard boxes and our aluminum cans to the local center (about 20 minutes away), I like to do so much more with everyday items so I don't have to throw things away. I haven't become a trash junkie, keeping everything, but I keep things I know I will and can reuse.

Here are a few items I have been able to reuse and what I'm doing with them now:

* baby wipe container - pencil, bead, candle, or button holder, etc.

* Enfamil containers - can be used for drums for the baby - just add beans or noodles and glue the lid on

* map container - rain stick

* baby food jar - store tree seeds in when learning about trees; homemade baby food; rubberband, small staples, and/or trashbag/bread tie containers

* Clorox wipe container - pencil/marker holder

* Diaper box - old clothes or paint clothes

*Peanut butter jar - hide-n-seek jar

(add rice and few small items - have kids find items by rolling the jar around to uncover what's hidden in the rice - K really liked this one!)

Those are just a few of the hundreds of everyday items that be "recycled" into another everyday use so they don't have to be thrown away. What other items do you "recycle" and how do you use them?

Making do..

Making do.. It was something my grandmother would speak of when I was a child. She would tell me stories about the great depression and how certain things, so-called luxuries were not available, or not affordable. So - they did without those luxuries.

It reminds me of one of my favorite shows - "17 and Counting" - that's the show on TLC about the Duggar family that has 17 children. This family manages to support themselves fully without one dollar of help from the government (i.e. welfare). Through watching the show I try to discover some ways to help my own family save and pinch pennies to make our money go farther.

The main thing that sticks out to me - is "making do". It is obvious that they aren't starving and are all dressed in what I would call "average" fashion - not too much and not too little. They aren't exactly wearing couture fashion - but they don't look like nerds either. They do things like buy clothes and shoes second-hand. This thrifty mom does that ALL the time. I have a hard time finding things for myself or my husband - but always find cute things for the kids. I shop Goodwill and the Salvation Army quite often.

The Duggars not only go the second-hand (and hand-me-down) route - but they also "make do" with what they have until it is NECESSARY to replace shoes and clothes. They aren't concerned with the very latest fashion, and don't appear to go out and buy a pair of Levis jeans for all the kids just because they WANT one. Even if you didn't want to go the second hand route - you would be surprised to see how much money you save by waiting to buy shoes and clothes only when you need them - like when your shoe's sole comes away from the upper, or they are beat up beyond being able to wear them in public, or when your daughter's sun dresses have all grown too small. (Verses - running out to buy a new pair of shoes for your DD just because her friend next door got a new pair.)

I know with my own kids each new season brings a long a list of "needs" because they can't wear last year's clothes (because they are too small) - but I guess this tip has even more to do with us moms going out there and having to have 300 pairs of shoes. I love shoes as much as the next girl - but is that REALLY necessary?

I guess what also made me think of "making do" is what's going on in my own household right now. We have one income and trying to start up a trucking business. Money is a bit tight. We have a dishwasher that doesn't want to drain properly. So we are having to "make do" right now by handwashing all our dishes. With Christmas coming and trucking being slow - we can't afford to walk out and purchase a new one. I could curse, or have a bad attitude - or I can do it the Christian way - and "make do" cheerfully. At least I have a house to wash dishes in - some can't say that - especially with today's economy and so many people getting foreclosed on.

So take a moment today and see where you could perhaps cut back or purchase one less "want" item - to bless your family budget.

I know I have been on a soapbox lately - I promise to come back next week with a cool holiday craft to share with you:-)