Create Your Own Pattern Beach Totes

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is get crafty with my kids. The toddler is super into texture experiences like finger paint and sand. Cam wants to do digital art, which could come in handy if I ever setup my own site. Conner and Kenzie are super into Anime style drawing. Aly on the other hand likes to paint rocks and shells with nail polish.

Me, I like to play with multiple mediums and get my inspiration from Pinterest. Recently, I came across an article for making your own patterns on fabric. The author, Damask Love, is a professional at this. She basically free hand painted adorable fruit patterns that she turned into summer envelope bags.

I am far less talented. I went to Wal-Mart and bought a set of 3 white canvas tote bags for right around $8 dollars. The girls and I also picked some brightly colored acrylic paints for this project.

For this project you will need:

• canvas tote bag
• cardboard to fit inside the bag so paint doesn't leak thru
• a water bottle
• paint brushes
• stencils
• paint sponge for polka dots

Dampen the cloth by spraying it with a water bottle. Then place a stencil in your desired location. Using a dry paint brush, gently paint over the stencil. I recommend wiping excess paint off your stencil between uses, but you can move it around and reuse the stencil as many times as you like to make your pattern. 

Aly made pink hippos. Aren't they cute. Any mistakes can be covered up with white paint and a q-tip to ensure precision application. 

Use the dotting sponge to add polka dots to your design. Once you are finished, allow the paint to dry over night. In the morning, you can either paint the other side of the bag, or just leave it white. 

Didn't they turn out adorable? I can't wait to fill them with towels, sunscreen, and books for the beach. They will be great for vacation in 2 weeks. I would love to see what designs you come up with for your bags. 

Have fun!

Kristie 

Adventures at Imagination Station, Toledo Ohio

It has been a busy couple of days. We leave for a ten day camping trip in 2 weeks and the house is in full prep mode. That means lists are being made, laundry is getting done, the camper is being loaded with non perishables and everything for regular life still needs to happen. And since regular life consists of 7 people and 3 dogs, life is always busy.

Wednesday, we worked on decluttering the kitchen, took a child to a play date and had date night. Then yesterday the girls and I met a friend in Ohio at Imagination Station. I'm from Michigan, which means Ohio and I are not friends, but the kids had a blast and it was neat museum, so it was totally worth the stress of driving there.

We started in, and spent most of our time in the Little KIDSPACE. This is an area set up for kids 6 and under, but big siblings are able to help out and play with the little ones. One corner of the area has water play. (There is a big kid water area as well on the second floor.) Those flat sticks are used to make damns and learn how water flow works.

There is also a water table for babies and toddlers. The little ones can play with rubber duckies, strainers and other little toys here. Just be prepared for them to get REALLY wet. Little people tend to dump water all over themselves and each other.

And don't forget to let your little person go fishing while while you are in this area. They have little stools to make sure your child can reach. The fishing poles catch fish on little magnets, so you don't have to worry about worms or hooks. Just sit back and hope you don't get splashed.

The Little KIDSPACE also includes a tree house with a slide and tunnels. There is a grocery store with carts and food to buy. There is medical play area, complete with an ambulance to "drive." The baby room has puzzle boxes and toys great for your crawling babies. And don't forget to stop by for the daily story time, so you and your little one can catch your breath.
Besides the Little KIDSPACE, the second floor is home to a few other areas to explore. There is the Grow U, which has an education farming amphitheater, and a tractor to sit on. The big kid Water Works has similar displays to what is in the kids zone, but adds the elements of sand, and whirl pools. You can also visit the gift shop on this floor before you leave.

Downstairs, we visited the Mind Zone. This area has a bunch of optical illusion adventures and sensory fun for the kids. There is a whacky house, that makes you feel like the floor has moved, or you have shrunk. There is a room to create music, and keyboard that makes body sounds. My kids also loved the dance floor that broadcast their shadows onto in fun colors on a screen. 

Another fun area was Eat It Up! Here you will find the Heart Rate Rally game and have the opportunity to run across lava. You can smash food and explore a well stocked kitchen. Don't forget to run on the hamster wheel and have a caricature done as well. 

As I am sure you can see, we had a great time at the Imagination Station. The girls had fun learning about science through play. I would definitely recommend a day trip here with your family. They have things to do for all age groups. You will leave tired, but happy. 

Show me some of your favorite memories from Imagination Station or recommend other places for fun family adventure.

Have a great weekend!

Kristie

Simple Summer Potato Salad

So today was out first full day of summer break. The kids were kind enough to sleep until 10am before they started slamming doors and arguing this morning. I almost sent them outside to play, but the weather was overcast and threatening to rain, so instead we went to Wal-Mart.

Not the most exciting summer adventure, but we needed stuff for dinner and craft projects, which I will tell you about later in the week. It also gets them out of the house and away from the tv/video games, which makes me super happy. I don't mind them once in a while, but real life actually happens away from the idiot box.

For dinner tonight, we settled on fried chicken and homemade potato salad. This is one of my favorite summer meals, because you can eat everything cold, at a picnic by the lake, on a super hot day. Unfortunately the weather isn't cooperating, and I had to work, but the food was still fabulous.

I tend to be super picky about potato salad. I start with organic rainbow potatoes and boil them in a big pot of salted water. Are you aware that there are ACTUAL health benefits to using different colored potatoes? They do more than make a pretty meal. While all potatoes are a good source of vitamin C, red and purple potatoes have slightly less calories, and yellow potatoes are a better source of calcium and iron.

After boiling the potatoes, I mix up my dressing in a small bowl while the potatoes cool. The base is mayo, like most summer salads, but I balance it with lemon juice, spicy brown mustard, and seasonings. I find this recipe to have a brighter taste than most potato salads I have tried in the past.

After the potatoes have cooled, I slice them into bite size pieces. Then I pour the dressing over the top and mix it all together. Voila! Simple Summer Potato Salad.

Simple Summer Potato Salad

Ingredients

1.5 lbs organic rainbow potatoes
Salt
1/8 cup mayonnaise
2 stalks of chives, chopped and trimmed
1 TBSP spicy brown mustard
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp dried parsley
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/4 tsp dried basil
Pepper to taste

Directions

1. Put the potatoes in a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until your potatoes can be easily sliced with a fork. Drain and let cool. 
2. While the potatoes cool, make your dressing In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, chives, mustard, rosemary, parsley, lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper. 
3. Slice your potatoes into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the top and stir to combine. 
4. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until serving time; at least 1 hour. 

Makes 4 servings

I hope you enjoy this potato salad as much as we do. Let me know if your opinions. I am am interested in things like what you served it with, what you would change, and of course how you liked it. 

Have a great evening.

Kristie 

Hello Summer

It's official. The kids have had their last day of school and we are officially on summer schedule. That means later bed times, sleeping in, days at the beach and dinners outside. It means getting the camper ready for 4th of July camping and activities to keep the kids from whining about being bored.

They trooped through the door after school today with backpacks full of junk that has been collecting in their lockers all year. There are gym clothes in the laundry that I swear I haven't seen all semester. They have already covered the refrigerator with list of school supplies and next year's calendar. Basically, there is stuff everywhere, and I have no idea what is happening in my living room.

So instead of getting to relax, the kids were given chores. Once chores are done, they have a few minutes to relax before Cam's baseball game. After that we will have a quick dinner and then finally get to just veg out for a couple hours before bed.

My relaxation plan includes on of these, Red, White and Blue Wine Slushies. Normally I have a thicker layer of the blue, but I didn't have as many blueberries in the freezer as I thought I did. I will have to show you a proper picture when I make them for the 4th of July.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a big alcohol drinker, but since we are camping with my family next month, I am playing with some cocktail ideas to enjoy during the week. They all tend to be more of a party crowd, so who knows what they will come up with, and I really want to be able to share.

And in the spirit of sharing, here's the recipe for you to try as well.

Red, White and Blue Wine Slushies

Ingredients
3 cups white wine moscato
2.5 cups frozen raspberries
2.5 cups ice
2.5 cups frozen blueberries

Directions

1. In a blender, mix the raspberries with 1 cup of moscato until it is slushy. Divide into 4 cups. 
2. Rinse the blender and the mix 1 cup of moscato and the ice to create your white layer. Divide among the 4 cups. 
3. Rinse the blender again. Mix the final cup of moscato with the frozen blueberries. Top each layer with the blueberry slush. 

Makes 4 festive slushies.

I hope you try this drink and add it to your holiday festivities. If you do, send me a picture and tell me how you liked it. 

Have a great night, 

Kristie