Family Togetherness: Story Dice – johanna
August 24th, 2010 | Filed under: CREATING MEMORIES, THE CRAFT CLOSET

One night when tucking my son into bed he asked me to tell him a story. The sad part was my mind was blank. I could not come up with anything. I relayed the incident to a friend of mine who comforted me with her own tale of bedtime woe. We agreed our husbands were excellent storytellers but somehow over the years we lost touch with that creative side. Stephen calls it work mode. Over time with practice my friend and I have become more comfortable telling bedtime stories. Jim Jinkins is best known for his bedtime stories, “Pinky Dinky Doo”. He originally made up the Pinky’s Adventures as bed-time tales for his children. Each night after he closed the door he would write the stories down.

To make story dice you will need:
- 6 to 12 (3/8-inch) square wooden blocks.
- For the images use permanent ultra fine tip markers to draw your own pictures, stickers, stamps, a wood carving tool and stain, temporary tattoo sheets, pictures from old story books, magazines, print them from the computer using sheet labels, sticker paper or regular white paper.
- Seal the blocks after the pictures have been applied using a sealant or Modge Podge.

Use pictures of animals, transportation, food, household objects, clothing, landscapes, fairy tales and people.

To Play:
Divide the dice among the participants. Take turns rolling a single die. The first person begins the story based on the picture they roll. The next person adds to the story based on the roll of their dice and so on around the group of participants. You can opt to time each segment. Say each person has 30 seconds or a minute then the next person rolls and adds on to the story line. Or each person must tell a short story in one minute using the pictures rolled from all of their die. When they are done the next person rolls and takes their turn.

Variations:
- Paint pictures on small rocks.
- If you do not want to spend the money or time making story dice use print out and laminate small slips of paper or cardboard pieces. Throw the pieces into a bowl or basket and toss.
- Make dice from card stock.
- Print a selection of pictures at the top of a page with lines across and down the page. Use the pictures create a story and the lines to write the story.

Technorati Tags: camping, family, family games, fun activities for kids, games, holidays, kids, story dice, story time, summer, traditions, winter

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Potatoes and Asparagus Omelet – johanna
July 9th, 2010 | Filed under: BUDGET MEALS, RECIPES - Breakfast, RECIPES - Snacks, THE BUDGET PANTRY, THE CRAFT CLOSET

On Saturday or Sunday morning I like to make omelets as a way to use up left over vegetables. Ideally to make this recipe for potatoes and asparagus omelets use precooked cubed potatoes and steamed asparagus to cut down on cooking time. If leftovers are not available blanch the asparagus and potatoes in boiling water for 5-6 minutes. Our potatoes and asparagus omelet also makes for a tasty comfy dinner entree. Use 5 egg whites and 1 whole egg for a low cholesterol version.

2 small red potatoes, chopped into 1-inch bite sized cubes
1/2 cup chopped 1-inch pieces asparagus
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
6 eggs
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 thin ham slices, chopped
Butter
Salt and pepper
Salsa

In a bowl whisk eggs together until well blended. Set aside.

Saute potatoes and asparagus in 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat until browned and caramelized. Season with salt, pepper and cilantro. Reduce heat to medium.

Pour whisked eggs over vegetables in pan. Once the egg starts to set gently lift one edge with a spatula and tilt the pan so the uncooked egg runs underneath. Repeat all around the pan until most of the omelet is set with a small amount of uncooked egg on top. Carefully use a spatula to flip the omelet over and turn off heat. Sprinkle with ham slices and cheese. Flip one side of the omelet over folding in half. Remove from heat. Top with a dollop of salsa and serve. Makes 2

Technorati Tags: 4th of july, brunch, cheap meals, food, fun family food, kids, omelets, Potato asparagus omelet, RECIPES, RECIPES - Breakfast, summer

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A love of the Earth – johanna
April 19th, 2010 | Filed under: CREATING MEMORIES, THE BOOKSHELF, THE CRAFT CLOSET

Photo By: Unknown

It was a beautiful clear day in Southern Florida. The date January 28th 1986. I was in fifth grade at the time and a member of the Jr. Science Academy. I joined the club with the promise that one day I would be the one looking out the window back at earth. I doubt anyone was more excited than our Science teacher as we stood on the lawn with our faces to the sky. We watched as the speck of light ascended upward our teacher radiant with anticipation for this monumental occasion. The mood changed from delight to horror in what seemed like an instant. I heard the words “Oh no” muttered and turned to see tears blinding my teachers eyes. I like many of the other students were confused. These were not tears of joy. Something was amiss. With eyes turned upward we gathered together as our teacher pointed out the scene before us. The boosters ejected but the brilliant star in the cloud of smoke dropping from the crystal blue heavens was not normal. The Challenger Space Shuttle had exploded.

The months following the Challenger disaster brought clarity and closure. Extensive investigations revealed the failure of an O-ring on one of the boosters that allowed gas to leak out upon take off. Fingers were pointed and the blame passed from department to department and person to person  until the country moved on and forgot. Cities, schools and clubs did their best to honor those fallen through memorials. Our group of Jr. Scientist banned together with our fearless leader to ensure that no one would forget the crew on board the Space Shuttle Challenger that frightful day. The press was called. The dignitaries invited. The school witnessed as we each stood around a young newly planted tree and dedicated it in the memory of Michael Smith, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis and Judith Renick. In

In 1993 I took a summer job with the City of Parks and Recreation Department in West Palm Beach teaching art and drama at different summer camps throughout the county. My last week of summer camp took me to the Christa McAuliffe Middle school in Lake Worth Florida. Being there reminded me of that day we placed plaques for each member of the Challenger team around the base of young tree. Last I knew the tree was torn down by a hurricane but the vegetable and herb garden at the middle school was vibrant and thriving.

Earth Day and Arbor Day reside in the month of April. It is only fitting as Basho told Annie and Jack in The Dragon of Red Dawn, “After something is destroyed by fire, a good new thing often takes its place…just as after the bleakest winter, beautiful flowers return with the spring.” When I think of Earth Day I am reminded of all the bounties Mother Earth gives us. The towering trees for shelter and shade. A babbling brook for respite and thirst. Flowers for beauty. Clouds for the rain that cleanses the dusty fields. It is our job as caretakers of this world to minister to the land. We each are charged with the task of keeping the grounds clean and beautifying the planet. The thing that moved me most about the memorials for the Challenger astronauts was the thoughtfulness of planting a tree and garden. It was not just an hour of band music and crafted speeches that die off with the close of the ceremony. I believe these seven men and women cared deeply for the earth and the galactic space around it. What better way to pay tribute than to plant a life that in return can help sustain us.

Caring for the earth should be an everyday mission. On April 22 the world will come together to celebrate our amazing planet. Many will join with local groups and organizations to plant, clean and educate. Here are just a few ideas to teach your family and friends about caring for our home and to usher in the glorious spring.

Trash Duty: Clean up the trash around the neighborhood, school, park, beach and highways. It is important to keep our beaches clean. Trash can be deadly to the native animals that live near and in the water. In addition to picking up trash along the shoreline we can plant grass and plants that aid in the building up of the dunes to deter erosion.

Graffiti Patrol: In the city where we used to live there was a graffiti task force that went out every morning at the crack of dawn looking for tags to clean up. Where we live now the city is not so concerned about vandalism. If your town does not have a system in place local volunteers can work together to keep the signs and fences free of graffiti.

Green Thumb: Plant a garden, trees, flowers or herbs. Use egg cartons as pots to start seeds. Learn how to compost. Composting is a way to recycle kitchen scraps and and yard waste. When done properly compost becomes a healthy chemical free fertilizer.

Earth Friendly: Switch to earth friendly cleaners such as the Shaklee brand of chemical free products. Spruce up the home with energy efficient light bulbs and appliances. Always ask if antibiotics are necessary. Dispose of harmful chemicals, batteries, cell phones, appliances and paint at designated depositories.

Conservation: Use less water by turning the water while brushing your teeth and taking shorter hot showers. Monitor the sprinkler system to avoid over watering the lawn. Start the dish washer when there is a full load. Adjust the washing machine to the size of the load. Quickly change loads as soon as the dryer stops. The dryer will not have to work as hard to heat back up again. Turn off the lights when leaving a room that is not occupied and unplug appliances when not in use.  Change out air filters. Make repairs to leaky faucets and toilets. Carpool, take the bus or ride a bike.

Declutter: Vow to live within your means. Buying less unnecessary items equals less stuff in the land fill. Sell, donate or freecycle unwanted items.

Recycle: If you do not have a recycling service help implement one or take your recyclables to a local school that has a recycling program. The money they earn goes right back into the school for programs and supplies.

Recycled art: Milk jug bird houses, pine cone bird feeders, paper necklaces, cardboard doll house, Egg cartons space ships, kids clothing and tote bags from t-shirts. Family Fun, Kaboose,

Ways to Celebrate: Enjoy a hike or picnic. Relax, connect with nature and enjoy the little things around you. Host an Earth Day Party. Have booths set up to teach your guests how to compost, seasonal cooking, plant a garden and recycle clothing and toys into something else.

Technorati Tags: arbor day, art, compost, conservations, declutter, earth day, family kids, freecycle, gardening, green cleaners, organization, recycle, thrift

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Springtime Chocolate Nests – johanna
March 26th, 2010 | Filed under: RECIPES - Treats, THE CRAFT CLOSET

The birth of Spring is a marvelous sight to see here in the Valley. The medians along the highway flourish with a backdrop of orange and red poppies in addition to random purple and yellow wildflowers. The once boring lifeless hills awaken with the fresh scents of vibrant greens. The fragrant air recently cleaned by the passing rainstorm breathes life and beauty into the sleeping earth.

These little chocolate nests are just as delightful as the surrounding landscape. They are a little messy to begin with but they are so darn cute. They would make an adorable place setting to welcome guests to for Easter day dinner or an extra special treat at a tea party. You could even share one with the Spring Bunny. So don the aprons and let’s make some Springtime Chocolate nests.

8 oz dark, semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
1 bag (2 1/2 cups) chow mein noodles
Small egg shaped candies
Waxed paper

Place the chocolate in a bowl and microwave on medium for 30 second intervals, stirring each time, until melted. Or place the chocolate in a heat proof bowl set over simmering water, stirring until melted.

Gently stir in the chow mein noodles.

Divide mixture into 5-6 mounds on the waxed paper shaping to form the nest with an indentation in the middle. Let set 15-20 minutes. Place a few eggs in the middle.

Technorati Tags: birds, chocolate bird nest, chow mein noodles, crafts, easter, family, fun, kids, preschool activites, spring

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Chinese New Year Dragon Puppets – johanna
February 8th, 2010 | Filed under: THE CRAFT CLOSET

Artwork by: Brittany Mei Hill

In our home we enjoy learning about other cultures and their traditions. Last year for Chinese New Year we made lanterns and masks and fortune cookies. This year for our New Year’s craft we are making dragons.

In China, the dragon is a sacred animal. The legend has it that the dragon hibernates in the ocean in the autumn until spring when it ascends to the sky, bringing with it much needed rains. The dragon dance is a major highlight of the New Year celebration. It is believed to bring good fortune and power.

To make a dragon puppet for a Chinese New Year parade you will need the following:

Paper bags
Streamers in various colors or ribbon
Sequins
Glitter
Jewels
Flowers
Glue
Markers

Begin by using the markers to draw a face or designs on the bag. Then glue on strips of the crepe paper or ribbons and any decorations you choose. Let the dragons dry completely.

Technorati Tags: chinese new year, dragon puppets, family, fun, kids, parade, tradiitons

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Super Bowl Pom Poms – johanna
February 3rd, 2010 | Filed under: THE CRAFT CLOSET

Women always get a bad wrap when it comes to football. In high school and college football games the place to be to hang out with friends and have a good time. But I have to admit I am not so interested in the minute by minute plays anymore. Maybe it is because I have three kids that make enjoying a game impossible. In years past we have had friends over on Super Bowl Sunday. I take care of all the munchies so the guys can focus on the game while the women move into the kitchen to talk recipes and parenting.

This year it is just us. The secret is “we got rid of cable”. Horrible for the football lover yes but it was the best thing we ever did. We now have more time to spend together and we do not risk having risque commercials popping up while the children are watching. We did buy a box from Best Buy that gives us three channels that mostly consist of the news and sports. I am hoping, as is Stephen, that we get the Super Bowl broadcast.

We will be prepared just in case with Italian Subs to munch on and pom poms for the kids to cheer on our team. Plastic bags work the best for this project but at 10 bags per pom pom it can get expensive and it is hard to find any other color than black and white. We used construction paper because that is what we had on hand.

Materials:
10 sheets of paper, trash bags or tissue paper per pom pom
Scissors
Masking tape

Lay the sheets of paper on top of one another. Cut thin strips lengthwise leaving 3-inches at the top.

Roll the salvaged end up tightly securing with the masking tape.

Scrunch up the fringe.

Technorati Tags: cheerleading pom poms, crafts, family, kids, paper, Super Bowl

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February Website Review: Instructables.com – johanna
February 1st, 2010 | Filed under: THE BOOKSHELF, THE CRAFT CLOSET

Instructables is sort of like a combination of YouTube and Ehow.com in one jazzy spot. A few of my favorite posts are how to build your own BBQ-Barrel. Or how to make chainmaille from soda pop tabs. How to make a PVC pipe lego table. Make a chocolate bar mold of Han Solo. I loved the apple martini glass for halloween. There is even a post on how to amuse toddlers.

Instructables offers DIY information, tutorials, guides, a community and contests in the following areas of:

• Art
• Crafts
• Food
• Games
• Green
• Kids
• Home
• Life
• Music
• Offbeat
• Outdoors
• Pets
• Photo
• Ride
• Science
• Tech

The guides are open to the public but you do need to sign up for a free membership to participate.

Technorati Tags: blogs, crafts, DIY, family, green, Halloween, how to make chainmaille, kids, make a BBQ grill, RECIPES, tech

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Making Felted Beads Craft Session – johanna
January 20th, 2010 | Filed under: THE CRAFT CLOSET

I learned the art of felting a couple of years ago with a friend. We drove up to Sonora to visit a little Waldorf supply shop and could have easily spent hundreds of dollars on the amazing creations displayed there.

Felting is one of the oldest forms of fabric making. There are two ways to felt. One is needle felting and the other is wet felting. You can make felted beads using the needle felting method but for today we are going to avoid piercing our fingers with sharp needles and instead burn them in hot water.

Felted beads are really fun to make and create a wonderful learning experience in the use of natural products. Felted beads can be easily jazzed up with the addition of beads and ribbon. If you want to be a little more creative after the balls have dried you can use the needle method to add flowers or other designs. Little kids love to rub them, and bounce them and pretend they are treasures.

Some people like to roll tuffs of the undyed wool into a ball then add the color. I prefer to get it done with no fuss and just use the colored roving.

Supplies:
Merino Wool Roving
(wool that has been washed and combed but not yet spun into yarn. Can be found in a variety of colors on Etsy.com, some natural craft stores (such as a Waldorf supply store) or a sheep farm.)
Hot Water
Dish Soap

Grab a tuff of wool.

I use a pot of hot water (as hot as I can stand). Place the wool roving in soapy water.

Gently pass the roving back and forth between the palms of your hands; wetting the ball frequently in the soapy water.

As the ball begins to form start to apply a little more pressure. Keep rolling, pressing and wetting until the ball is firm and hard.

Rinse under cold water.
Continuously rolling and pressing to get all the soap out.

For a simple tutorial watch the following video from Sara’s Textured Crafts. She really makes the process look easy.

Technorati Tags: family, felted beads, felting, homemade Christmas presents, kids crafts, memories, Merino wool Roving

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Fall Harvest Craft Session – johanna
November 23rd, 2009 | Filed under: THE CRAFT CLOSET

The theme for our latest craft session is the Fall Harvest. If you have seen my previous posts on gardening you will know I have a black thumb so unfortunately there was nothing to actually harvest here. However, at the end of our street is a corn field and not too much farther from our home is a cotton field.

CORN:
We made ears of corn by gluing bubble wrap, cut in the shape of a corn cob, to a piece of construction paper also in the shape of a corn cob. Here we used yellow but you may also use green. We painted the bubble wrap with yellow paint. After the paint dried we glued on the husks, using green construction paper. Glue the corn to a piece of paper or to skewers to display.

APPLE TREES:
Use a toilet paper or paper towel roll for the trunk of the tree. I happened to have an empty wrapping paper tube which allowed us to make various sizes of apple trees. Next, cut 1-2 inches off the bottom of a paper plate. Color the paper plate using green paint or markers. We used a sponge cut into a 1-inch square piece and dabbed the paint on. For the apples we used a 1/4-inch square piece of sponge and red paint.Cut a slit in the top of the tube to slide the paper plate into when dry.

SPICED ORANGES:
Whole cloves are expensive at the grocery store. Instead shop your local dollar store or Big Lots. Push the cloves into the orange for a wonderful fall aroma. Make a design or completely cover the orange and display.

Technorati Tags: apple tree craft, corn on the cob, fall crafts, fall harvest crafts, games for kids, Halloween, october, preschool lesson, Thanksgiving

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Rainy Day Fun: Animal Habitats – johanna
November 4th, 2009 | Filed under: CREATING MEMORIES, THE CRAFT CLOSET

With the onset winter comes rain. Most days kids love to play in the pouring rain and stomp in the puddles. On the days the kids are stuck inside create a magical forest to host a tea party or fight off the bandits.

We made a zoo animal habitat. We had a lovely time learning about the way different animals live. We used the animals we made in a puppet show. The cave was their favorite place to hang out.

Use plastic animals or create your own from paper.

For the desert we set up a bowl with sand and used a work lamp to simulate the hot sun. We discussed the purpose of a camels humps and how some of the dessert animals dig a hole in the sand to keep cool.

For the jungle we used brown paper found at a teacher supply store or the shipping supplies section of target. We stapled leaves to yarn for the vines.

In the cave we talked about what animals hibernate and why. We read the book “Old Bear” by Kevin Henkes.

We jumped over the river made of blue construction paper. You could also use a sheet or towel. Have your child sit in the center while you make ripples by flapping the sheet up and down. We sang a song about the five little monkeys teasing Mr. Alligator.

In the savanna we crept like lions and jumped like kangaroos.

Technorati Tags: animal habitat, crafts, kids, rainy day fun, zoo theme

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