Go Bananas for Teacher Appreciation Week!

Teacher Appreciation week was definitely my FAVORITE week of the year when I was teaching elementary school. Muffins in the teachers' lounge each morning, luncheons, goodies, flowers, sweet cards from the kids and parents...it was AWESOME.

Since I'm now on the giving end with my kiddos being in school, I am happy to return those gestures of appreciation to their fabulous teachers. This was a fun one that I put together for Abby's teacher when she was in Kindergarten. It was a big hit (especially since her teacher was on a diet!) -

(Yay for clipart!)

And these went along with the poster - gotta love banana pops!



Her teacher had two young boys so I thought this would be fun activity for them to do as a family too. She commented several times how much she loved the idea, and the class really liked having that monkey hanging around in their classroom all week!


*Teacher Appreciation week starts May 7th so more ideas to come! Would LOVE for you share your ideas too! 

Our Tiny Tomato Project

My kids LOVE tomatoes - especially my daughter. Grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, Roma tomatoes. She's been known to take a bite out of a round, juicy tomato just like you would out of an apple! We've tried planting tomatoes in the past. We did a mini-version of the square foot garden thing, but the squirrels ended up enjoying the fruits of our labors more than we did. Grrrr. But this time is going to be different!

I hope.

We decided to try planting cherry and grape tomatoes as our Earth Day project hoping for a quicker turn around time and that we will get to them before the squirrels do.

We scooped.

We planted.

We watered.

The best part? It took less than a half an hour (not counting the quick run to the store) and we didn't have to dig up the yard. Our crazy lab does enough of that already.

Even better? These tomatoes are portable just in case those pesky squirrels come a callin'.

Earth Day Fun for Little Ones

*This was a fun one to write for B Kids this week. My kids and I love Earth Day!

Looking for something special to do with your kiddos to celebrate Earth day? Here are a few activity ideas that will be fun for the whole family!

1)    *Go on a treasure hunt! Talk to your kids about earth’s treasures like trees, flowers, butterflies, animals…and then take a walk in your neighborhood and count all of the “treasures” you can find.  For preschoolers – let them collect a few items like dandelions, rocks, and leaves along the way. 

2)      *Plant a seed. All you need is a foam cup, a bit of potting soil, and a seed.  Help younger kids scoop the dirt into the cup, bury the seed, and pour a little water. Place the cup in a sunny spot and wait for sprouts of green.  Don’t forget to help your little sprout water the seed daily!

3)      *Create an outdoor masterpiece.  Break out the sidewalk chalk and decorate the driveway or sidewalk for all to see! For extra fun, ask your child to lie down  and let you trace his body with the chalk. Then add eyes, ears, a nose, and a mouth. A great way to practice body part recognition too!    

                        

4)      *Have a backyard picnic! Make some sandwiches, grab some fruit, and spread out a blanket in your backyard.  Enjoy the fresh air, do a little cloud watching, and throw in some bubble blowing for extra giggles. Ask older toddlers and preschoolers to help clean up the trash and remind them of how important it is to keep our earth clean!

H

How does your family celebrate Earth Day?

Ever Tried to Plant A Kiss?

Simply adorable and a perfect spring picture book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal - Plant A Kiss -




We saw it a couple of weekends ago on the picture book wall at Barnes and Noble, and I read it with my son - twice! When we went to the library last week, I made a beeline for the Rs in the children's section,  and it was there so, hopefully, you can find it at your library too. 

A must read with your kiddos!

What Do Daffodils and Mini Muffin Cups Have in Common?

Displayed on the bulletin board outside of Noah's kindergarten class - how cute and clever is that?

 His teacher told me that they did a tulip craft too - can't wait to see it!

Family Favorite: Strawberry & Cool Whip Cake

In honor of my dad's birthday, I thought I'd share this super easy Strawberry & Cool Whip cake recipe that I made for him this past weekend - a long time family favorite!

That's really all there is to it - strawberries and Cool Whip double layered on top of a white cake - a box mix, of course!

Be sure to refrigerate leftovers - if you have any, that is.

An Easter First - Peeps S'mores!

I had heard rumors about these and knew we had to try them out...

Oh my GOODNESS! YUM! Just place a peep on a graham cracker and pop them in the oven at 300 degrees for 2-3 minutes - until they puff. Take them out, place a piece of chocolate on top and another graham cracker and SQUISH!

Definitely our new favorite Easter treat. Like my friend Jenny texted after I sent her a pic, "Every s'more needs a bit more sugar."

We'll eat to that! :)

It's Tulip Time!

There's nothing I love more than admiring and smelling the tulips with my kiddos at this time of year - so pretty!

 Makes all the seasonal sniffles and scratchy throats totally worth it.