Easter Egg Crafts

With Easter fast approaching I have found some fun Easter Egg Crafts to try with the kids:

3D Paper Plate Easter Basket Craft for Kids

Paper Strip Easter Egg Art (or you could have them color the page behind)

Yarn Easter Eggs

Easter Egg Potato Stamping

Plastic Easter Egg Easter Bunnies

Yay! Let's celebrate!

It is a sunny day that feels like spring even if there is still LOTS of snow on the ground.  It makes me want to celebrate little things like the two awesome things about my kids today. 

1.  The tooth fairy fell down on the job and forgot to bring money for Princess Magpie last night.  Princess Belle came down with Princess Magpie and discovered the lapse before I got up.  She covered for us and picked up a piece of paper that had writing on it (Princess Magpie can't read well enough yet to read it).  She explained to Princess Magpie that it was a letter from the tooth fairy apologizing and letting us she had run out of money and would come back with some when she had more money.  GOOD BIG SISTER MOMENT!

2.  Little Prince looks like he may be adding a couple of new foods to his repertoire!  None of the foods are consistent and he still will be just as happy not eating as eating, but he seems to be adding chicken nuggets and waffles back into his menu along with peanut butter sandwiches.  I am hoping that as long as I keep rotating the foods, he will keep eating them!  Here's to variety!!

Fun Idea for supper

I made an easy supper tonight that was a hit too!  Tacos with lots of toppings!

First, I made a simple Pico de Gallo using 2 fresh tomatoes, 1/4 onion, 1 clove of garlic, 1 seeded jalapeno pepper, and some chili powder (although I love to use Southwest Chipotle Seasoning when I have it).  I blended all up in my Tupperware Quick Chef and in seconds I had Pico de Gallo! 

Next I took some of the Pico de Gallo to make a quick guacamole by mixing a little of the Pico de Gallo in with an avocado and some salt and onion.  Again, I throw it all in my Quick Chef and presto!  Guacamole everyone loves!

As a hint to make the meat go further for my kids, I sometimes add rice and beans to the mix with extra seasoning (although I didn't this time.)

I also made a cheese sauce and I used a vintage Tupperware Serving Center Set to make it all look pretty for the kids.  They LOVED it.  It was an easy supper that they felt was fancy just by the way I served it. 

For my veggie supper, I made veggie patties, cooked them with taco sauce and served them with lettuce, Pico de Gallo, and guacamole!  Yummy and healthy too!

Easter Ideas for the Kids

Here are some Easter Craft ideas I had to do with the kids.

1.  Easter Basket out of a paper plate

2.  Rice Krispies Hidden Surprise Easter Egg Treats

3.  Toilet Paper Roll Bunnies and Chicks

4.  Paper Plate Easter Bonnet

5. Paper Plate Bunny Mask

Gratitude Sunday

Sunday's heart felt tradition. A time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful.

Here are some things I am grateful for this week:

1.  How much we all love books.  There is nothing better than curling up with a good book!

2. Getting a chance to share a learning experience with my kids. 

3.  How creative my kids are. 

4.  Yummy healthy food like avocado toast and carrots with hummus!  Soo good!

5.  Watching my girls work together. 

6.  How much my kids love and enjoy each other.

7.  My boy transitioning to a smaller chair.  He didn't even give us too hard of a time.  

8.  Getting to the Farmers Market nice and early so that I could have my pick of the goodies.  

9.  An early morning ferry ride is a refreshing way to start the day AND I got out and home before the snow started again.  

Easter Table ideas

As anyone who follows me knows, I love to do fun things for the holidays.  Here are some ideas I have found so far for my Easter table:

1.  Bunny Cake

2. Carrot Napkins

3. Easter Basket in a Jar

4.  Easter Peeps Centerpiece

5.  Easter Egg Vase

Corn Tomato Avocado Salad

I LOVE new recipes and I love anything fresh and yummy. I guess that is one of the reasons why being a veggie works for me. I found this recipe recently and it is so good!!!

Corn Tomato Avocado Salsa Salad

Print
Prep time
15 mins
Cook time
5 mins
Total time
20 mins

This can be served as a salad or salsa. It goes perfectly with any barbecue.
Serves: 8 as a side dish
Ingredients

    1 tablespoon olive oil
    4 cups corn (frozen works fine)
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
    1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
    1 avocado, chopped
    1 scallion, minced
    ¼ cup cilantro, minced
    ½ jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, minced
    juice of 2 fresh limes
    a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
    ½ teaspoon ground cumin
    sea salt
    fresh ground black pepper

Directions
Heat oil in pan and add corn and garlic. Saute until corn has some brown spots. Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl and serve.

Saturday Photohunt: 'Sport'

The Saturday PhotoHunt for this week is: 'Sport'.

For this one, I shared pics of Little Prince playing ball, the best sport he can do at this point.  And of the girls swimming.  It is funny, they all love water, even if the little ones are a little afraid.

Technorati PhotoHunters and Photohunter Facebook

Some Things Never Change (EDITED 4000!!)

Even when my girl, Princess Magpie, wasn't even two years old she loved to draw.  If you gave her paper and a crayon, she would drop to her belly to concentrate on her 'artwork'.

To this day, at almost seven years old, she loves to draw.  She works hard and puts everything she has into creating wonderful, thoughtful and unique pictures that are all her own.  When she colors, she doesn't just color, she makes it personal adding details that weren't there to begin with.  I love her creative soul.

EDITED TO ADD! I just noticed that this is my 4000th post.  Who would have thought I would have to much to share with the world??

This Moment:

A beautiful and fun Friday ritual. Inspired by SouleMama.

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. – Amanda Soule

Throwback Thursday

#TBT

For my Throwback Thursday Post today, I decided to go back to March 2007.

Here is Princess Belle at 5 years old, being goofy.

And here she is 'balleting" 

This was when I had only one baby girl, Princess Belle.  And what she wanted more than anything in the world was to be a big sister.  I guess that is one of the reasons she is such an amazing big sister.

I remember making this scrapbook layout for her:

The Journalling read: Forgive me if I hug you a little too tight, stare a little too long or take a few too many pictures. I love you so much and I am so scared that I am going to let too much time pass by without letting you know. As the time goes by and no new little bundle arrives, I look at you and see how fast you are growing up and I am scared too that you will be the only little one I get to pour my love into and I want to love you a little harder, hold you a little tighter, make it count just a little more. You are so special and so sweet and you want a Sibling so badly. And I want to give you one with all that I have, so when you ask, I just hold you a little too tight, and I stare a little too long and take a few too many pictures. I capture every moment because they pass by too quickly and I want save enough of them to last me a lifetime. I LOVE YOU, BABY

I also went back and looked a post from this week in 2007, entitled, "I Can" 

The Perils of Pauline by Collette Yvonne

• Amazon: http://amzn.to/1zbZrnS
• Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1DGMuXv
• Kobo: http://bit.ly/1tqQBDq
• Astor + Blue: http://bit.ly/1Ki2LE0

I was recently lucky enough to be given the opportunity to read and review The Perils of Pauline by Collette Yvonne. Collette Yvonne has written more than 150 articles publishing in Ontario's Dailies. Her short story, Snapshots for Henry, was made into a short film directed by Teresa Hannigan and received a 2007 Genie nomination for Best Live Action Short Drama. More of Yvonne's short stories, including From the Cottage Porch and Wild Words 2010 appear in published anthologies. She graduated from Toronto's York University.

The Perils of Pauline follows Pauline Parril who is a survival expert, ex-army veteran.  As the story starts, she is happily married, raising three children, with a promising career. But things change when she gets a termination letter, husband Donald grows distant and she returns to school to meet a handsome and exciting poetry professor.  Pauline survived a long deployment halfway around the world, but can she survive the front lines of her fraying household?

This book was heartbreaking and hysterical!  If you are looking for a fun book, then read this! Pauline is a character that so many of us will relate to. As wives and mothers, we have all been stretched to thin, but keeping a sense of humor is paramount.  If we can find laughter and happiness in everyday small things we will be better mothers.  I really just enjoyed every word of this book. I laughed so hard at times that I think Prince Charming thought I was losing it a little. One of the funniest scenes is when both Pauline and her 16-year-old daughter are in the doctor’s office. This book helps us keep a positive and funny outlook on things. Highly recommended!

I even took it to the laundromat with me!