National Swap Ideas Day!

September 10th is National Swap Ideas Day.  Take a look at our page at the top called link parties.  A link party is where bloggers put their ideas on other blogs so that more people will see their ideas.  They are swapping ideas.  You can find new crafts, recipes, home decor projects, projects for kids, printables, the list is endless.  A couple of my favorite link parties to look at each week are:

on skiptomylou.org

and

on tipjunkie.com

You can get hundreds of ideas just from these two blogs, but be careful, you could spend hours on the computer.

Journal in a Box

I created this fun "Journal in a Box" two years ago.  It has been a lot of fun now that we are through multiple years.  The idea is simple.  We keep it by the dining room table, so at dinner we can add to it.  There is no pressure to journal every day.  The idea is that it is a perpetual journal with an index card for every day of the year.  You might write just a sentence about something that happened on September 10, 2011.  Next year on September 10, 2012, you would make another entry.  It is so much fun to look back at what happened the previous year.

I started with just a simple sterilite clear plastic recipe box.

I created a different divider from cardstock and fun scrapbook paper.  You could just by index card divider, too, for an easier project.

I cut a piece of card stock the size of the index cards and used my creative memories circle punch to create a cardstock circle to glue to the top of the index card sized cardstock.  I used the smaller hole punch to cut the complimenting scrapbook paper to go over it.

Then, you just start writing every thing you want to remember from one year to the next. 

I think this project would be perfect for a new mom who wants to record all of those milestones of her new baby.  It is also perfect to record bible verses that might mean something to you that day of that year from one year to the next.  Whatever you want to journal, this is just a fun, creative way to do it.  I let the whole family record stuff so it is in all of our handwriting.  It's fun to look back at my now second grader's handwriting from when she was in Kindergarten.

Create those memories!

Microwave Oatmeal Granola Bars

September 4th and 5th are Oatmeal Day.  Try out this easy recipe.

Microwave Oatmeal Granola Bars

2 cups quick-cooking oats

½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup margarine, melted
¼ cup corn syrup
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (we used 1/2 cup chocolate chips & 1/2 cup butterscotch chips)

In a bowl, mix together oats and brown sugar.  Stir in melted margarine and corn syrup.  Press into a greased 9x9 inch microwave-safe dish.  Microwave uncovered for 4 minutes.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Microwave for another 2 minutes or until chips are glossy.  Spread chocolate evenly over top.  Refrigerate for 15 – 20 minutes before cutting.

You can try different chips such as peanut butter chips and chocolate chips or butterscotch chips.

Acorn Art

We have a couple of huge oak trees in our front yard that produce hundreds of acorns each year.  We like to collect a few and paint with them.  If you don't have an oak tree, head to the local park and go on an acorn hunt.  Your kids will love it.

First off get a large box, put a piece of paper in it, put some drops of paint on the paper and then throw in a couple of acorns (tops removed).

Now is the fun part, let your child shake the box.  Notice I have a box with high sides.  I have done this before with lower sides and we have had acorns flying through the house with paint on them. 

Finished product:

Another fun way to use the acorns is to get an old Pringles can, wipe it out and slip a piece of paper in the can.

Now add a few drops of paint and the acorns.

Tape the lid on good and hand it to you child to shake.  It makes a great noise too with the metal bottom.

Results:

They can also use the acorn tops as stamps.

Happy Painting!

Taco Salad Waffles

September 4th - 10th is National Waffle Week.  Here is an interesting twist on using a waffle.

Taco Salad Waffles

1 pound ground beef

1 cup salsa

1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies

1 envelope taco seasoning

8 frozen waffles

Shredded cheddar cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, cubed avocado, salsa and sour cream, optional

In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.  Stir in the salsa, chilies and taco seasoning.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, toast waffles according to package directions.  Layer with the cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, salsa and sour cream if desired.  Top with beef mixture.  Makes 4 servings.

This recipe was found on the Taste of Home website here.

For another fun waffle idea, check out our Cake Waffles post last month.



Skyscraper Day

Skyscraper day is on September 3rd because that is Louis H. Sullivan's birthday (1856), the architect credited with the first skyscrapers.  My kiddos are busy building a giant lego skyscraper.  (I will post pics later.)  They love to have races to see who can build the tallest building in a certain amount of time. 

Meanwhile.........here are some statistics about skyscrapers posted from our friends at Holiday Insights.

	Building	Country	Height(Feet)	Year Built
1.	Taipei 101	Taipei, Taiwan	1,671	2004
2.	Petronas Tower 1	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	1,483	1998
3.	Petronas Tower 2	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	1,483	1998
4.	Sears Tower	Chicago, Il	1,451	1974
5.	Jin Mao Building	Shanghai, China	1,381	1999
6.	Two International Finance	Hong Kong, China	1,362	2003
7.	CITIC Plaza	Guangzhou, China	1,283	1996
8.	Shun Hing Square	Shenzhen, China	1,260	1996
9.	Empire State Building	New York, New York	1,250	1931
10.	Central Plaza	Hong Kong, China	1,227	1992

Child Safety Month

I am a partner in a store called the mommyshop, in Overland Park, Kansas.  We have 60 vendors that cater to moms and kids under the age of 12.  Of course we meet lots of interesting people, and most of our vendors are moms who have started a small business of their own to fulfill a need in the baby arena.  I was introduced to a business last week called It's a Belly.  It's a very cool concept.  The mom who started it realized that it almost took a college education to buy and research safe things for her kids.  In doing all of this research, she realized that other people might appreciate a knowledgable business that will do that work for them.....and It's a Belly was born. 

They focus on green products, baby proofing your house, and maternity concierge.  Check out their blog and website for some great info.  to help keep your kiddos safe and to keep our earth green.

http://www.itsabelly.com/blog/