Music Spotlight

This is a wonderful musical a student introduced to me! It's a Broadway musical based on the popular children's books. It's clever and adorable and goes right along with the stories! Both adults and kids will enjoy the jazzy vaudeville-style music and funny lyrics. Makes a great gift too!

What music does your family enjoy listening to? Have a favorite kid or family CD to recommend?

Mommy Exercise

Kids add plenty of changes and challenges to the lifestyle you knew before motherhood, and your health is no exception. Not only do they change your body with pregnancy and leave you with extra pounds but life with a child makes exercise difficult. I remember when my third child was born my mom was pushing me to go walking. I laughed in my head as I thought, "Walk? I don't have time to walk! I'm too busy running around to stop and walk!" I've tried to pass off my many trips up and down the basement stairs, chasing kids, and lifting baby and toddler as my exercise. And to some extent yes, but then some muscles are getting tired and others go unused. And I feel like I need a real workout so I can have the energy I need to be a better mom. So, any ideas out there? Whether it's losing baby fat or just shooting for a healthier lifestyle what do you do (or attempt to do) to keep fit?

Frosting Fun

Here's a fun way to teach kids primary and secondary colors from a lesson I taught while student teaching years ago:

1. Divide white frosting into three bowls
2. Add food coloring to each bowl to make yellow, blue, and red frosting
3. Give each child a spoonful of each color (in a triangle on paper plate to leave room for mixing between colors)
4. Talk about Primary colors ("starter" colors)
5. Take equal parts of two colors (i.e. red and blue) and mix with a plastic knife on the clean space between the two colors. Have your child guess what color they'll make.
6. After all secondary colors are made (and any other combinations-yellow and 2x blue) spread frosting on graham crackers for treat.

Got a fun craft, activity, or lesson? Share the fun! Leave a comment or send me an e-mail (with pics. if possible).

Lunch Makeover

Tired of the peanut butter sandwich and mac n' cheese lunch rotation? My problem with lunch is I don't really want to do much cooking or spend much money but I still want to keep it healthy. Here's a few simple lunches/snacks I do:

• cracker sandwiches (and ants on a log & fruit)
• leftovers (even when you have a little dinner left, it's often enough for kids)
• quesadillas
• peanut butter and raisin sandwich (and/or bananas)
• applesauce and graham crackers
• yogurt and granola (or other cereal)
• pb graham crackers
• goldfish/pretzel/raisin (or craisin) mix
• mac n cheese with hot dogs (yes, cook the hot dogs in the mnc-kids love it)
• grilled cheese and tomato soup
• Waffles with applesauce and fruit topping (When I make waffles I make a large batch and freeze the leftovers to toast later)
• Parents magazine had some good ones too: homemade lunches, sandwiches, power snacks

What do you do for lunch and snacks? Even your rut may be someone else's fresh idea.