Play Doh

We went to hang out with some friends last week, and I brought the ingredients to make play doh.  This is the same recipe I used to make the play doh for Morgan's Wiggle party back in 2009.  For Morgan's party, I used Koolaid for the coloring.  This time, I just used food coloring. 

Here is what you need:

2 cups flour

2 cups warm water

1 cup salt

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1 Tablespoon cream of tartar

food coloring (liquid, powder, or unsweetened drink mix)* mix last

Just mix the items together.  I added a little bit more flour as I worked the dough and noticed it was too sticky.  Just go by feel as you knead the dough.  After the dough is to the right consistency, divide it into separate parts depending on how many different colors you want (We did 4 colors).  Make a little indention in the clay with your finger.  Then, add a few drops of food coloring.  Knead it some more, and add food coloring until it looks the way you want it to. 

Store in Ziploc baggies or in an airtight container. 

Cheeseburger Cupcakes

These are the cupcakes that the girls ate at FNO.  Tamra's sister makes all kinds of fancy cupcakes for the FNO events.  This one was no exception.  Aren't these cute? 

They were wrapped in paper, just like you would get a real cheeseburger.  I could tell that a yellow cake and chocolate cake were used.  Then, there was "ketchup", "cheese" and "mayo".  I did not get the recipe from Tamra's sister because these seem easily re creatable just by sight.  However, here is something I found online, for those of you who are unsure of how to make them and wish to do so:

Glorious Treats

Snow 2/11/10- Building a snowman

Jaden earned her oven!

Jaden had to wash her small cake pans and supplies before baking.

Mixing it up

Putting the batter into the pans

Putting in the brownie to cook (above) and taking it out (below)

Jaden did it! She has officially given up the thumb-sucking! (Just in time because her adult teeth are coming in now).

I gave her the oven as promised (from Aunt Amy). She LOVED cooking and cooking- She made 4 brownies!! Yummy!

Watch out Martha Stewart- Here comes Jaden!!!

Freelance Writer

I did get a part-time job as a freelance writer with The Examiner, and will be looking for more work around that career. I am the Dallas Area writer for home-based business articles. Here is the link to my first article:
http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-29889-Dallas-Homebased-Business-Examiner~y2009m11d14-Unemployed--Now-is-your-time-to-start-a-homebased-business
This company pays based on the interest my article generates, so the more people that view my article, etc, the more money I am paid. That means it is all up to YOU the reader if I get paid tons of cash, or only pennies... There are a lot more great articles to come, so keep checking out my articles.
Also, if you are interested in being a freelance writer with The Examiner, I will receive $50 referral bonus (if the referral practices are followed). Therefore, contact me if you want more info.

Cheer up their day

I came up with this smiley face snack when Jaden & Morgan seemed to need some cheering up. It lifted their spirits immediately! It only took some crackers and some marshmellows!

Free Wi-Fi at the Cafe~ Money Saving Tip #20!

We are having problems with our computer off and on. The desktop is completely out of service, and the laptop doesn't always have an internet connection. Well, computer life must go on because there are many important things to do online (banking, selling, connecting with friends and family, etc). We found a free wi-fi spot close to home, and the girls came with me to "the office". They did their school work while I was online for 30 minutes or so. I have found that there are many places you may not even think of that offer the service. So, if you are out and about, and need an internet connection, check out some of these sites to find a free connection near you!:

Wifi Free Spot

Open Wifi Spots

Google Wifi Spots

Homeschool 2009 Part 2

Morgan made a "nest" with her playdoh (above) & Jaden made a next with eggs & a snake (below)

Our ants arrived in the mail & have just begun building their hill (the white stuff is the sand they will use to build on top of the plastic tan hill already there)

The ants take the sand from the back part of the hill and move it to the front.

We now have fully grown butterflies flying in the butterfly habitat! We were guarenteed to have at least 2 become butterflies out of the 5 caterpillers we were given... However, we got all 5 to make it to the butterfly stage! YAY!!!

This is a Brazialian treat called brigaderiros (VERY delicious!)
The grapes are closer to raisin stage now (no, we will not be eating these raisins!! LOL!!)
Nests made from homemade dough, coconut & jelly beans



Jaden coloring the animals found in the rain forest (above) and the Brazilian flag (below)

Painting apples

Leaf decorations using real leaves, paint, & paper


Jaden's "L" worksheets




Jaden's copywork from the book "Amy Loves the Sun" by Julia Hoban (below)
It has been a school pack past couple of weeks! This is what the girls learned during this time:

Brazil was our country focus, so the rain forest was discussed. For every chapter, the letter sound is discussed, the letter is written, and there is a challenge pag of pictures where Jaden has to figure out which pictures start with the letter we are discussing and which do not. The other letters learned up to this point as discussed as well as a review.

Chapter 3 was "L" Leaf. We discussed how the leaves change colors & what different colors they can be. We looked for different kinds of leaves in the yard, and then made leaf rubbings with crayons & leaf painting with washable paint. We read the books:

A Tree is Nice by Janice May Udry

Caps For Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina

Chapter 4 was "A" Apple. We discussed that appples grow on trees, and, also, the other forms that fruit can grow (grapes on a vine, blackberries on a bush, etc). We read the story of Johnny Appleseed online. We ate applesauce & dried apples. We read the books:

The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss and Crockett Johnson

Grasshopper on the Road by Arnold Lobel

Chapter 5 was "N" Nest. We made "eggs in a nest" for breakfast. We discussed that the yolk has most of the vitamins but the white has the protein. We talked about the various kinds of houses animals live in. We read the books:

A House is a House for Me by Mary Ann Hoberman

Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman

This is the short version of what we did, but the girls will happily show their notebook to anyone who is interested in their work.