Are you looking for a way to keep the entire family entertained without spending any money? I have just the thing to get everyone involved in some A to Z game play with this A-Z Challenge Family Game with Printable. It is the perfect way to engage in a challenge with the family! Featuring 5 A to Z challenges, you can play them all in one night, or stretch out the fun over 5 nights.
This free printable game is awesome to have on hand for those times when the kids ask “What can we do tonight?” Print off a few copies for now, and maybe print a few extra to add to your camping gear as a way to get everyone playing without a screen.
These games are simple, yet so challenging and fun! It seems like it would be so easy to come up with a food for every letter of the alphabet, but when you are on the spot, figuring out what veggie starts with the letter H can be harder than you might think! Add in your family pressuring you a little? You have a recipe for a competitive night of fun!
A-Z Challenge Family Game with Printable
This 5 page printable is sure to be a hit with your family. You will definitely want to share this idea with your fun loving friends on social media to inspire them to get into the spirit of things with their kids.
My favourite was the A to Z all about you challenge! I loved learning a few new details about my family as we played! My kids obviously were crazy for the Disney game! We all around had a ton of fun playing these, and making family memories in the process. I am sure your family will have a ton of fun too!
We have many activities and printables for the whole family to take part in on the blog. You can check out:
A well-stocked pantry means inexpensive family meal planning is a snap when the basics every kitchen should have are ingredients that are already on hand. With the COVID-19 pandemic, it has never been so clear to me that a well-stocked pantry for baking essentials is now a necessity at our house! Also, how to organize a pantry is equally as important!
We can learn some lessons in frugality from our grandparents who survived The Great Depression, especially when it comes to doing more with less. They saved money by growing some of their own food in the kitchen and container gardens. Click here for more information on Mason Jar Gardening!
They also came up with inventive stretcher recipes, ones that deliciously used what they had on hand. The well-stocked pantry was critical in their day, and the top ten basics every home cook should have is basically the same as it was in the 1930s.
The Well-Stocked Pantry
Staples for a Well-Stocked Pantry
Whip up most anything at a moment’s notice with these top 27 kitchen must-haves:
Pasta
Chicken broth
Rice
Canned fish (take your pick of salmon, tuna, anchovies, or sardines.)
Liquid sweeteners – honey and agave nectar, a great all-natural sweetener
All-purpose flour, unbleached
Bread flour – for bread making
Whole wheat or white-wheat flour, or both
Granulated sugar
Powdered sugar
Brown sugar
Molasses – not absolutely necessary, but helpful in cutting sweetness and adding a hint of sour.
Cornstarch
Baking powder
Baking soda
Yeast – regular or instant
Ground chocolate – semi-sweet, bitter-sweet, and Dutch-process cocoa
Chocolate chips – semi-sweet and dark are both good to keep around
How to Keep the Baking Essentials Safe
It is important to keep baking ingredients fresh and ready to use. Store white flours in airtight containers that help to keep moisture and bugs out. If stored in a cool, dry place, white flour can easily last eight months, and even longer in the refrigerator or freezer. Wheat flours have the tendency to become rancid and need to be kept in the refrigerator or freezer, also in an airtight container. Wheat flour doesn’t have an as long shelf life as its white counterpart and will only last six months to a year if in the freezer.
Sugar is much more durable and is fine in the pantry, airtight, for at least a year. Baking powder does not stand the test of time as well. Once opened, it needs to be used in three months, or it loses its potency. Baking soda is not quite so delicate and will stay a full six months after opening it.
Depression-Era Family Meals
With these baking pantry staples, the household food budget can stretch a very long way. The possibilities for inexpensive, pantry-based meals are endless. Peruse recipes online or purchase one of the oldest cookbook, the Joy of Cooking for easy recipe ideas.
Stretching Food Budget
Think about baking pantry stretchers, such as using leftover pasta to make the next day frittata lunch, with the just the edition of beaten eggs, salt, and a little milk. Here are some ideas:
A hearty healthy breakfast of oatmeal with nuts and honey
Save leftover oatmeal and form into a loaf, allow to cool in the fridge overnight and then to slice and pan fry in butter for a “stretcher” breakfast the next day
Spaghetti with a simple tomato sauce
Tomato soup with rice
Tuna and rice casserole
Creative Family Menus
Don’t be discouraged by no longer having the means to be high end in the kitchen with the artisan olive oils and fancy packaged gourmet goods. Good-tasting, healthful food that the family will dig into is no farther than the kitchen cupboard. The most important ingredient now, as it was when times were tough before – is love.
After reading this article on Baking Essentials: The Well-Stocked Pantry, if the urge to bake a cake, a simple meal for the family or brownies to take to the neighbour house, just open the newly stocked pantry and get to work!
This adorable little DK Canada book teaches you the process of how to plant a flower from planting the seed in your home to finding its home in your garden. This is perfect timing with the current weather changing and the boys are very excited to see a seed turn into a flower. They surprise you at the end with what flower they are speaking of throughout the book and there is a handy little glossary at the end.
I Can Grow a Flower
Marvel Amazing Powers DK Canada Book
Cover of Marvel Amazing Powers
What little boy doesn’t absolutely adore everything to do with superheroes? Marvel super heroes at that. This is a wonderful DK Canada book to reference and learn about all the top guys (and gals) – such as Spiderman, The Hulk, Captain America, Ironman and lesser known heroes that were fun to discover such as Ultron, Thanos and Namor. There is also a handy glossary in this book as with most if not all DK books. What’s great is that Jax and Hudson already enjoy this book at age 3 and 5 but it’s a Level 3 reader for when they are reading more advanced on his own down the line.
Inside of DK Canada Marvel Book
Dinosaurs DiscoveredDK Canada Book
My boys are fascinated with Dinosaurs. One of our favourite outings is our local Museum of Nature because of its super awesome Dinasour exhibit. This certainly isn’t their first book about dino’s but it’s certainly one of the best! It talks about how paleontologists discovered dinosaurs and the history as well of geography of where they are found and much more. Great illustrations and Jax enjoyed recognizing some of them.
Inside of DK Canada Book
All three of these DK Canada books would make excellent gifts for birthdays or to help pass the time during social isolation!
If you are looking for a great way to keep the kids entertained while social distancing, I have an excellent idea for you! Offer your kids a throw back from your youth with a totally fun, and completely free activity like this Indoor Scavenger Hunt Printable! Print a few copies and turn the kids loose, looking high and low for the items included!
Scavenger hunts are perfect as a boredom buster! They give kids something to do, they are virtually mess free and all ages can get in on the fun. As a kid, I always loved a good challenge as a kid, and putting me to task looking for things was a great way to keep me engaged. I might not be a kid anymore, but I still love a good challenge, so the time tested tradition of scavenger hunts still appeals to me! I was inspired to create a printable to share with you to keep your family happily hunting on indoor days.
Indoor Scavenger Hunt Free Printable
This free printable features common items that most households will have in them, such as blue crayons or markers, balls, and toys with wheels. While the concept and target items are basic, this scavenger hunt will have the kids happily entertained as they look all over for the items. They might want to race to see who can find everything first, or maybe they will look together for teamwork skills. Either way, the results are bound to be classic fun!
Print a few to keep on hand, or pin this scavenger hunt for later, so you can reference it on a rainy day when the kids are feeling cooped up. I hope this throwback activity inspires you to introduce your kids to more of the fun you had when you were a kid.
Simply click on the photo below and a PDF will open in another tab. All you have to do is print!
Encouraging your kids to write over the summer is relatively easy. Many of these activities will help improve your children’s writing skills and also maintain quality family time. You will find below 10 tips to improve children’s writing.
How to Improve Children’s Writing Skills
Writing is a skill that requires fine motor skills to hold the pencil, clarity of thought to have something to write, and the ability to transfer the thoughts to paper by writing them down. While any one of these areas can be difficult for a child, a parent can help with each step. Let’s have a closer look at how to improve children’s writing skills.
WRITING BASICS: HOLDING A PENCIL
First, ensure the child can properly hold a pencil. A child who cannot hold a pencil correctly will experience pain while writing and this can cause him to write very little. The thumb, pointer finger and middle finger should work together to hold the pencil. The wrist should be straight and in line with the fore arm. If the wrist is bent, this needs to be corrected.
If the child writes with the left hand, it is especially important to ensure proper hand and wrist position as poor hand positioning can cause poor handwriting. Learn more about how to write with the left hand.
PARENTS WORK WITH CHILDREN TO IMPROVE WRITING Skills
Improve papers together. When assignments come home from school, parents can sit with the child and work together to add details to the papers or make corrections to them. Ask the child to read the paper aloud and write down several questions or suggestions that the child can use to make improvements.
Have children submit written requests for what they want. This is a great way to improve persuasive writing skills. Children have to articulate what they want, why they want it and why the parents should give it to them. Go over the papers together to ensure the best persuasive argument.
Improving children’s writing skills takes patience and hard work, but with some careful attention to details, improvements will be seen. Watch for correct hand positioning, foster creative thinking, and model editing and revising skills.
How to Improve Children’s Writing
Helping to improve children’s writing can set the stage for a more successful education and the ability to communicate clearly.
1. ENCOURAGE FREQUENT AND CREATIVE WRITING
Play games to encourage creative thinking. A child who claims to have nothing to write about, needs to be taught to think creatively. One game to play is “once upon a time …” where each member of the family adds one line to the story.
Give them a writing prompt or let them pick a story title. As they begin to write, ask them questions to help them be descriptive. Ask them what their main character is wearing, what food he/she likes, where does he/she live, does he/she have any family, and other simple questions. It teaches them to expand their writing and become improved writers.
Have children write in journals daily. Daily practice writing will go a long way towards improving writing skills. The children can write about anything in their journals and parents do not have to read the journals. This encourages free thought and expression.
2. Have your children write thank you notes to everyone that gives them a gift, or does something nice for them.
A hand written note by your children is more personal, is more creative, and means more to the recipient. The children also have the opportunity to draw on the note to bring out even more creativity. Shop at local dollar stores, retail stores and office supply stores for inexpensive stationary, and keep a variety on hand for any occasion.
3. Have kids write letters to long distance family.
4. Write one sentence on a piece of paper, or notebook, and leave it somewhere in the house.
Each person that finds it writes the next sentence. When the page is filled, you can read the story everyone created.
5. Introduce your children to writing comic strips.
This may also help a child to read who is not interested in reading. It’s a great way to introduce reading and writing in one activity.
6. Read books.
Kids are often encouraged to write a story after they have finished reading a good book.
7. Allow kids to write and put on a play together.
Give them the tools needed, and then watch them write a play and assign parts to siblings. They’ll benefit with social interaction, creative writing, drama, and will have lots of laughs.
8. Supply kids with sticky notes.
Let them make daily to-do lists, or reminder lists for school. Teenagers will also benefit from this because they will learn to be more organized and responsible for their own work at home and at school.
9. Sidewalk chalk is great for encouraging younger kids to write.
With sidewalk chalk, they can draw and write names, short sentences, and practice writing. They are more willing to learn this way because it’s fun!
10. Keep a supply of writing materials available year round.
Simple spiral notebooks are sold at extremely low prices when schools start, and check clearance sections of stores often. Buy pencils, pens, markers, paper, notebooks, journals, and many other writing materials when they are on sale. Having the items constantly available allows for freedom and creativity. They might even decide to write you a poem!
These are additional tips to help improve children’s writing
Check with your local library and book store(s) for writing workshops for kids.
Let your kids catch you reading or writing.
Buy journals on clearance for road trip writing.
Mechanical pencils are great for writing in the car or while on vacation.
With these helpful tips, you are on your way to encourage and improve your children’s writing, not only for the summer, but during the school year too!
Whether you’re in bed with the flu, stuck at home because of COVID-19, or the weather outside is frightful, sometimes there just isn’t the time nor the means to give our canine companions the exercise they need. If your hyper dog is bouncing off the walls and you don’t know what to do about it, don’t despair! There are creative ways to exercise dogs indoors. Put these stimulating tips to use to help keep your dog in good health and bring both you and your hyperactive dog some peace.
Creative Ways to Exercise Dogs Indoors
1. Stuffed Bones and Kongs
The Kong – a rubber toy fashioned with a small hole and easy stuff-ability – is an age-old favourite of dog owners. Especially those with dogs who appear to be endless bundles of energy and do well with an hour of chewing and dissecting that is a natural instinct of all dogs. Not only will this fun activity exercise your dog, it will be a mentally stimulating activity to help your dog release some energy. It will also keep him out of trouble, which is especially useful with young puppies who are still in training and might otherwise tear the house down while you are occupied.
The easiest and quickest way to stuff a Kong toy (you can also use dog safe marrow bones that have already been emptied – avoid chew hooves as these splinters easily and are not safe) is to use the tried and true mix of kibble and peanut butter. All-natural peanut butter is best due to low salt and sugar content, but any kind will do the trick.
How to fill the bone or Kong
Fill a small bowl with enough kibble to stuff the Kong or bone. It’s a good idea to throw in a few special treats – dog kibble, a baby carrot, liver treats – to keep your dog’s most intense interest level. Think of it as setting up the wins in a slot machine. Dip a piece of kibble in the peanut butter and toss it in the Kong – repeat. Remember to use just enough peanut butter to make it all stick, or you might have a sick puppy on your hands. Once you’ve stuffed the Kong, seal the top with an extra dab of peanut butter and freeze for at least two hours. Closer to four hours is ideal in my experience – this way, the peanut butter is solid and will take your pup longer to get through.
Kongs are much healthier and safer than heavily processed and potentially life-threatening rawhide bones. Sometimes dogs will swallow large pieces of rawhide – often the knots in the bone-shaped rawhide – which then cause an obstruction and merit an emergency vet visit.
Time-saving tip: keep a few stuffed Kongs ready for battle in the freezer for when you’re on the run.
2.Indoor FetchTo Exercise Dogs Indoors
If you have a small dog, then exercising him indoors is an easy feat – as long as he plays fetch. For a small dog, find the longest hallway or open space and simply play fetch for as long as you both can stand. It’s easy enough to tire a small dog out this way, provided you have the patience. Remember that it’s better to take your pup on a walk or run – don’t rely on indoor exercise, or you will be severely limiting your dog’s joy of life.
With medium and larger dogs, try tossing a ball down the stairs, as running back up and down them will tire them out much quicker than running on an even surface. Be wary if your dog has hip problems or is a larger breed that is prone to them. In such a case, I would recommend using one of the other indoor stimulation activities in this article, at least until you have discussed the issue with your vet.
3.TrackingTo Exercise Dogs Indoors
A fun activity to exercise dogs indoors is tracking. Tracking is a low impact, intensely stimulating, and very engaging activity that most dogs love to do. To first teach your dog this fun activity, choose 5-10 small treats that are especially smelly (such as small cubes of cheddar cheese). With your dog in a down-stay or in the other room, lay them out in an open area in a line. For smaller dogs, try placing the treats just a few inches apart; place them about a foot apart for larger dogs. Play around with the positioning to find whatever your dog responds best to initially. Offer your dog a small piece of the same treat you laid out (making sure he smells it first) then say “find it” as you use your finger to lead him to the general area of the first treat.
Your dog’s nose should take over from here. Make sure you don’t jump in too quickly and start showing him the treats. Only offer further assistance if he loses interest. Don’t worry, once your dog understands the game, he’ll be zooming all over the house in search of his hidden treasures.
Slowly raise the stakes, each time only moving forward when your dog easily completes the current “stage.” A good next step from laying treats out in the open is to lay them along walls. This will help your dog to follow the trail by leading him along a physical barrier and is great practice for more difficult future trials. Eventually, you can hide treats under towels, in small boxes, or under desks – just don’t use anything you don’t want your dog sticking his face in.
Transition to a meal
If your dog is a food fanatic or just loves his kibble, you can transition to using his regular meals for tracking and phase out the special treats. Of course, it’s still a good idea to intermix just a few into each session to keep the excitement strong.
4.Tricks are Tiring
Tricks are definitely tiring and another creative way to exercise your dog indoors. If your dog could use a nice walk to burn off energy, but you only have 15 minutes, use the time to do some obedience training or teach him a new trick. Some simple ideas include: give paw, high five, speak, sit up, and jump.
Clicker training is the most effective route to go by and will keep your dog happy and engaged in the training. There are countless excellent resources on clicker training obedience and tricks on the internet. To find detailed instructions for tricks, or just to learn more about positive dog training, see Clicker Training by the brilliant Karen Pryor, one of the founders and proponents of clicker training.
Hoping you liked our tips on creative ways to exercise dogs indoors! A combination of all of the above indoor exercise methods for dogs will get you the peace you need on an odd day that you just simply can’t get outside. Putting these into play on a regular basis will also serve to enrich your dog’s life as well as inevitably lead to a better-behaved dog.
“Fail” is an awfully loaded word. Despite it coming to mean — within the education system — a failure to meet the expectations of a course, it carries a lot of other baggage. “You failed”, to the ears of a child, can quickly translate to “you’re a failure”. And that’s simply not the case. You will find below tips on What To Do If Your Child Fails A High School Course.
A failing grade can be attributable to a number of different things. Your child might have struggled early on with a few core concepts, which left them behind and unable to contextualize further course concepts. Your child might have struggled with issues external to the course work: emotional or social setbacks which distracted them from performing their academic best. It could even be that your child felt unchallenged by the course work, allowing boredom and apathy to affect their studies.
What to Do If Your Child Fails A High School Course
1. Enrol in Online Classes
A great way to rectify a failed grade is to retake the course online. Through online schools offering accredited Ontario courses, like Ontario eSecondary School, your child can work through the course again, this time at their own pace and with the discrete, direct help of a teacher. If there were certain concepts your child struggled with the first time around, here’s an opportunity for them to take their time focusing in a pressure-free setting. And if your child felt unchallenged by the pace of their classroom course, here’s an opportunity to move more quickly through the course material.
2. Encourage Instead of Punish
Everyone’s brain is different. While it’s tempting as a parent to jump straight to punitive measures when you hear about a failing grade, it’s important to ask yourself, “what tools will my child need to rectify this?” One of those tools is your encouragement and understanding.
The end goal, any time a poor mark shows up on your child’s report card, should be to improve that grade. Punishment may only lead to a further resentment of their education — feeling “checked out”, in other words. It’s important to maintain a you-can-do-it attitude throughout their education, helping them understand that failure is just an opportunity to pick back up and try again.
3. Determine the Issue
One of the benefits of encouragement over punishment is that it puts you in a prime position to figure out what went wrong. In a judgment-free way, ask your child to explain what happened, what held them back from achieving their academic best. Was it that the course material felt too difficult? Was it shyness around asking for help? Or was it external pressures or problems? The more you know, the better poised you are to help them.
A failing grade isn’t the end of the world. With a little encouragement and investigation on your part, and the help of an online school, that failing grade will be nothing more than a hiccup on the road to their academic success.
Follow a few simple rules, learn some how-to tips and tricks for making homemade whole wheat bread recipes, and bread making will become second nature. Be one with the bread! You will find below 15 Easy Whole Wheat Bread Recipes to try with the family!
Whole Wheat Bread
These whole wheat bread recipes use some ingredients that may or may not look familiar to you. They can all be purchased in a natural food store, health food cooperative, buying club, or a major supermarket chain. These recipes might also mention vital wheat gluten, instant yeast, kneading bread by hand, mixer or bread machine, and which oven temperature to use, so let’s have a look at what they are.
What is Vital Wheat Gluten?
Vital wheat gluten is dried and milled to a powder and usually added to ordinary flour dough. This improves the whole-grain dough to rise and helps the bread’s texture and chewiness. These heavy doughs must be worked vigorously if they are to rise to the top of the pan. Kneading heavy bread by hand would be laborious and tiring, so a bread machine or stand mixer would be useful for this process. Bread flour is the ideal flour to use for bread making as it has a higher percentage of gluten already in it.
Using Instant Dry Yeast To Make Whole Wheat Bread
There are three popular types of yeast for baking for making bread. Active dry yeast like the Fleischmann’s yeast sold in little packets. Bakers yeast, which is a live wet yeast sold in blocks in the grocery store’s refrigerated aisle. Instant dry yeast made by Saf-instant yeast. Once instant yeast is opened, it should be sealed in an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
This is the yeast used in most modern commercial recipes. Because it’s instant yeast, it doesn’t have to be dissolved in water first. Saf-instant yeast gets added to the rest of the dry ingredients and mixed and kneaded into the bread dough. Also, by using instant yeast, the final bread dough only has to rise once. No more punching down the dough and waiting for it to rise a second time.
Kneading Bread By Hand, Mixer or Bread Machine
Because whole grain bread doughs are usually heavy, and most batches make four loaves, it would be easier to use a stand mixer or a bread machine. The whole wheat bread dough can be kneaded by hand. It will take approximately 10-15 minutes or so of heavy kneading with the heels of the hands to develop the dough fully. If using a bread machine, check the manufactures’ instructions.
Oven Temperatures And Bread Machines
Bread baked in loaf pans generally bakes at lower temperatures (350-375 degrees F.) for a longer period of time (30-45 minutes). Hearth bread that is baked in brick ovens or on stones is baked at higher temperatures (400-450 degrees F.) for shorter periods of time (25-40 minutes) depending on how large the loaf is and how heavy the dough. Always check the recipe before baking. If using a bread machine, check the manufactures’ instructions on how to bake it.
15 Easy Whole Wheat Bread Recipes
No-knead whole wheat olive bread (easy and yummy!) – The Curious Frugal
This no-knead olive bread is made with whole wheat flour and is super flavorful and hearty. It takes only minutes of prep and no mixer required!
Authentic French Whole Wheat Baguette with 3 Ingredients (vegan, wfpb) – Ve Eat Cook Bake
Are you in the mood for a delicious whole wheat baguette that is so authentic that you feel like you’re at a French bakery? Or you do not want to go to the next Panera and buy some whole grain baguette?
How To Make Irresistible Whole Wheat Bread Your Family Will Love
An easy whole wheat bread machine recipe has the rich flavour of whole wheat, the delicate sweetness of honey, and the soft fluffiness of white sandwich bread. This irresistible homemade honey whole wheat bread is simply the best.
This no-fail wholemeal bread recipe uses just a few ingredients and is perfect for beginner bakers. Ideal nutritient-dense bread for sandwiches and toasts.
Flaky on the outside and soft on the inside, this homemade Italian bread recipe is easy to make and it will allow you to make your homemade bread by hand.
These soft and fluffy dinner rolls are 100% whole grain and stay softer than most white rolls for several days! Perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
There are several reasons why Canadians don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are an integral part of the daily Canada’s Food Guide. It is recommended that you have one half of your plate covered with fruits and vegetables. And for good reasons, as a diet rich in vegetables and fruits can reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and some types of cancer.
As per Statistics Canada, in 2017, only 28.6% of Canadians aged 12 and older reported that they had consumed fruits and vegetables five or more times per day which was the daily recommendations by Food Canada back then. This means that 71.4 % were not eating enough fruits and vegetables on a daily basis! It is also reported that the proportion of Canadians that consumed the recommended fruits and vegetables per day has been decreasing every year.
Canadians Don’t Eat Enough Fruits and Vegetables
Time, convenience, cost, texture, and taste are the biggest culprits as reasons why people don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables as part of their daily nutrition.
Lack of time
Time is a major factor as to why many people lack in the fruits and vegetable department of their food intake. With today’s society as fast-paced as it is, meal preparation time is severely limited. In years long since passed, people used to make their meals from scratch, and they always included a healthy portion of fruits and vegetables.
Nowadays, with schedules compacted beyond all recognition, many people are simply grabbing a quick bite, either at a fast-food joint or through a quick microwavable meal. In this regard, vegetables and fruit are not typically available, and if they are, they do not taste very appetizing. The convenience factor weighs heavily on people.
Photo credit: Canada’s Food Guide
Convenience
Meals today are predicated upon convenience, and this is why fruits and vegetables are lacking in many diets. It takes time to cut up fresh fruits and vegetables, and it also takes effort. For convenience sake, many people forgo the fruits and vegetables because it is too much of an inconvenience to get to the market to purchase fresh ingredients, and so they make something more convenient.
Higher Cost of Fruits and Vegetables
The cost of fresh fruits and vegetables is rather high, which is another detriment to their popularity. Money is tighter these days and, unfortunately, they tend to scrimp when it comes to eating. Although this is a big mistake, it is one that is made with gusto by a large portion of society.
Texture And Taste
Texture and taste are perhaps the biggest culprits as reasons why people don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables. Many of the foods that are good for you happen to be too bland or the texture may be unappealing. If you do not like the taste of vegetables, you will certainly be less likely to purchase and devour them.
People tend to be picky eaters and become creatures of habit, eating the meals that they enjoy with regular frequency. This also stems from childhood, when fruits and vegetables were disregarded with reckless abandon and carried over into adulthood.
In order to maintain optimum health and well-being, fruits and vegetables should be a staple in your daily diet. This may be hard for some, but if you give it a try for two weeks, it will become a habit. Your body will certainly appreciate the effort. Taking care of yourself should always be a top priority! Whatever the reason for not eating enough fruits and vegetables, adapt and overcome!
Keep the kids entertained with their knowledge of their favourite Disney films with this Disney Word Scramble Free Printable! This Disney activity set comes with 4 different versions of Disney word scrambles including Disney Movies, Disney Princess, Disney Characters, and Disney Villains, and a sheet with the answer key, for an 8 page printable pack.
For many Walt Disney has been part of childhood memories for as long as they can remember. For so many years, the company has made films the whole family can enjoy. Let’s have a look at Disney’s different period Era movies.
Disney 1930’s and 1940’s Movies
1937 of course introduced the world to “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Opening the door for many timeless stories to be told. In the 1940’s animated features were the product of the company due to the 1937 hit. “Pinocchio,” “Dumbo,” “Bambi,” and an unforgettable telling of the “Legend of Sleepy Hollow” followed in the 1940s. Other masterpieces from this time included “Fantasia” and “Song of the South.” These features are considered Disney gold, although they do have qualities that make them offensive to today’s political correct world.
Disney 1950’s Movies
The 1950’s ushered in the classics “Cinderella” and “Treasure Island.” The latter was the first live action Disney feature created by the studio. It was followed by others such as “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” “Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier,” and “Old Yeller.” Many consider the 1950’s the golden age of Disney due to the popularity of the television series “The Magical World of Disney.” Beautiful features were created at this time including “Lady and the Tramp,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “Sleeping Beauty,” and “Peter Pan.”
Disney 1960’s Movies
The 1960’s began a time when Disney began reflecting the culture and music of America at the time.
Examples of this are “101 Dalmatians,” “The Jungle Book,” and “The Parent Trap.” Live action features dominated the Disney cannon during this time. Hayley Mills became the ideal all American girl, and Disney’s mascot for promoting virtuous living and the American way. During the 60’s she starred in “The Parent Trap,” “Pollyanna,” “Summer Magic,” “That Darn Cat,” and “The Moon-spinners.” Her movies gave the country innocent idealistic scenes to take the collective mind off the social turmoil that brewed in the 1960’s. Disney focused on white middle class America at this time. And the poorer characters were princes in hiding.
Disney 1970’s Movies
The 1970’s introduced features like “The Arisocats,” “Bedknobs and Broomsticks,” and a folk music driven “Robin Hood.” Characters in these films became more independent just as our nation had. Teenagers were no longer polite dolls their parents dressed up to take out in public. They were more taught the perils of adult life. More live action features were added to the list such as “The Apple Dumping Gang,” “Freaky Friday,” and the “Herbie” series. The fast care-free 70’s had found Disney.
Disney 1980’s Movies
The 1980’s became more technological. “Flight of the Navigator” captured the country’s imagination as the idea of robots became more main stream. Villains became darker and the line of good and evil were reestablished. The comical dote being out-witted by younger much cleaver heroes slowly faded away. The end of the decade promised a renaissance for the company with the release of the phenomenon “The Little Mermaid.” Finally, the heroine was smart and resourceful. She embodied the real desires of young girls in the 1980s.
Disney 1990’s Movies
“The Little Mermaid” lead to classics such as “Beauty and the Beast” as a story that featured a girl who demanded more from her suitor than wash board abs and boyish charm. The Disney heroine was finally someone a girl could look up too. Belle was selfless, kind, and cleaver. Her introduction brought a new audience to the company. After Belle’s triumph young girls every where watched with glee as Princess Jasmine charmed Aladdin. The comical Disney film was reinvented with Robin Williams’ portrayal of Genie. The age of adult humor coupled with kid friendly story had begun.
Live action flourished during time as well with “White Fang,” “The Rocketeer,” and the “Mighty Duck” franchise. Disney films began to teach morals, racial tolerance was encouraged and personal responsibility worked itself into the stories. Disney reign supreme with the release of the “Lion King” in 1995. The company had opened new doors and earned a reputation as one of the most successful studios for animation ever.
Disney Computer Generated Imaging
With that realm seemingly conquered, Disney once again wowed it’s audience with the new technology Computer Generated Imaging. Although “Beauty and the Beast” had dabbled in the new medium, “Toy Story” was the first ever full length CGI Disney/Pixar project. A new Disney standard was set. “Toy Story” was followed by “James and the Giant Peach,” than a “Bug’s Life,” next “Toy Story 2,” and finally “Monsters Inc.” Others followed of course, but by that time the magic of CGI had it’s curtain pulled back.
These CGI features were treated like live action comedies and the audience often forgot they were watching computer generated characters. Top Hollywood comedians flocked to the studio to continue building on the reputation Robin Williams’ started with “Aladdin”. Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, John Ratzenberger, and Eddie Murphy. This format is still common for Disney’s work today. CGI has taken the place of traditional animation and making Disney features more about comedy than art.
Disney has cemented itself in the public view as forward thinking and technologically savvy. If the company remains open to the new develops in its field and keeps track of the pulse of American culture, Walt Disney studios plan on being around for many more years!
Disney Word Scramble Free Printable
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Research has shown that children who eat dinner every night with their family are 40% more likely to get As and Bs on their report cards than their peers who didn’t eat together. Here are some ideas for family night that incorporate games and activities.
1. Making Dinner Can Kick Off Your Family Night Fun
Some tasks are obviously too dangerous for a preschooler to do. Chopping vegetables and putting stuff in the oven are just a couple. But, a child can put the vegetables you’ve chopped up in a bowl.
Think simple, especially if your children are young. Making a pizza is a fun and easy dinner to make altogether. Use a premade crust and let the kids help you put on all the toppings (after everybody has washed their hands). Give each child their own topping to put on, or let everybody do it together. It can be a lot of fun to make your own combinations. One of the best things about making homemade pizza is the freedom to add less than traditional toppings if you want to.
Place the pizza in the oven and have your kids watch it cook through the oven door. They will be excited to watch the fruits of their labor.
As your pizza cooks toss together a salad. Use a premade salad mixture and add whole vegetables like cherry tomatoes to minimize the need to chop up vegetables. Once all the food is done cooking, eat it all together around a table without any electronic influences like television or cell phones.
2.Craft Activities for Kids
One fun family night idea is to make arts and crafts projects. It’s a simple way to entertain children indoors. Plan a craft around a specific theme such as a holiday like Christmas, the winter season, a movie, or a favourite animal. Many craft activities are available free on a variety of art or craft websites. Select simple, age-appropriate art materials and enjoy an afternoon of crafting fun.
As an alternative to a product-based craft project, try exploring a process-based art activity. This may include puppet making, free painting, colour mixing with finger paints or shaving cream, cutting and gluing (collage), or simply drawing with crayons.
3.Movie Madness
Family night activities can also include movie madness night! This depends on the age of your children. Older kids might want to watch a monster movie marathon (PG 13, of course), whereas young kids might enjoy the latest animated movie. To make the family night movie a little more special, gather all the pillows and cushions around your house and make a big, giant bed for everyone to lay on and watch together. We actually drag the bed from our guest room into the living room for an authentic on the bad experience. Or you can make a fort or a tent, and view the movie from there. The point is to make it something fun and unusual. Kids get tired of the same routine every single time. Try and keep things fresh and new.
Of course, deciding on a movie can be a challenge in itself. Find something that is age-appropriate. You want to steer clear of anything that may give the little one’s nightmares, have excessive violence, or adult content. Nowadays, film companies try and make family movies that will be entertaining for adults and children, so don’t worry.
Grab some blankets and pillows, pop some popcorn, turn down the lights, and snuggle up together to watch.
4.Card Games
Card games are also a fun activity for families. The following are some card game ideas:
Uno
Contact or Shanghai Rummy
Hearts
Go Fish
Apple to Apples
Crazy Eights
5.Board Games Don’t Leave You Bored
At some point in your own childhood, you probably huddled around the coffee table or dining table, dice in hand ready to take your turn and move your piece for a board game. Maybe you remember silly arguments among your siblings, laughter from your parents, and staying up late. Mostly you remember the fun.
Most board games are fairly inexpensive for the use you will get out of them. Old classics like Monopoly are great but don’t be afraid to try new ones either. Even Monopoly has been revamped with the U-Build option.
Young kids can play matching games or easy games like Candyland. Keep in mind the age recommendations on the box. You don’t want your four years old to play Trivial Pursuit. They might have a serious disadvantage. Whatever game you decide to play, make sure you don’t take it too seriously. Above all else, have fun.
Many board games have been converted to computer formats for a more interactive experience. Newer televisions come equipped with USB ports to allow a hard drive to be plugged in. This makes the television to become a large monitor.
Some board games that are great for four or more players and are available on a board or PC format are listed below:
Monopoly
Scrabble
Yahtzee
Life
Pictionary
Sorry
Boggle
Take advantage of the kid’s desire to spend time with you when they are young. The only thing holding you back is your imagination. Spend the time together and plan a weekly fun family night full of ideas with games and activities. You’ll be happier and so will your children!
Having the right indoor activities for children on hot, cold, or rainy days will make all the difference in keeping them entertained for hours.
When the weather is bad outside or you are in isolation due to a pandemic and the kids have to stay in, there are plenty of ways to keep them entertained and to have fun in the process. Adults can also partake in said indoor activities and make the whole day a family affair.
The children are going to have so much fun that they will look forward to rainy days so they can have a great day indoors doing these activities.
Fun Indoor Activities For Children
Baking Cookies and Using Them as Game Pieces
An old-time favourite indoor activities for children is to bake cookies. But, with this activity, not only are the kids going to have fun baking the cookies, but they will get to play with them once they are made.
Begin by letting the kids choose what type of cookies they want and make sure that all the ingredients are available. Be sure to obtain all the ingredients needed on any prior grocery store trip, so that they are on hand whenever a rainy day may come up.
Make the cookies by letting the children each take a task, making sure that whatever they are assigned is appropriate for their age. Once the cookies are in the oven, have the kids pick a game that uses game pieces and preferably a board.
When the cookies are baked and cooled, substitute the game pieces with the cookies and start playing! Make sure that the game is set so that when game pieces (the cookies) are disqualified (such as with checkers), the opponent gets to collect them. It’s good to play in teams so that the cookies can be divided between all players.
Hosting Children’s Drawing Contests
A fun indoor activities for children that most kids love to do is drawing, and it is a great one to do while it is raining outside. The best and easiest way for kids to draw is with crayons and large sheets of white paper. Although, if parents or caregivers don’t mind the mess, paint or oils can also be lots of fun.
Set an area where there’s lots of floor space and place down the crayons and paper. Have the kids use their imagination and go wild! Adults can also take part in the drawing activity and make their own creations.
Then, when everyone has finished his first drawing, hang the pictures up on a wall and have the kids vote for their favorite one. In order to include everyone in the winnings, other contests can be done by adding different categories.
For example, have the kids vote on which drawing has the best use of the color blue, or the one with the shiniest sun, etc. Use ways to get the best of each drawing so that every kid can get a prize. For the prizes, items from the dollar store always work well, such as lip glosses, beach toys, or stationery items.
Reading Books and Acting Them Out
Have the children take out a bunch of books and bring them to the living room, or another comfortable area that has some space available. Tell the kids to choose one book and begin reading it out loud by taking turns (have each child read one page, for example, and pass it along to the next one).
Once the kids read the book and become familiar with the story, have them pick a character from it to act out. Tell them to rehearse first, and once they are ready, they can “act” out the book’s story in a skit or play.
If there are many kids (and adults) at home, they can be split into groups where each can act out a different book. Adults can also participate in the play by being actors as well or the directors. Pick books that are age-appropriate so that the children can act them out successfully.
Rainy Days Will be Fun Again
With these indoor activities for children, rainy days will never be boring again, and the kids will look forward to bad weather. Baking cookies when it’s pouring out is a wonderful way to stay busy, as is using them as game pieces when they are done. Nearly nothing can keep the children more entertained than a good session of drawing contests or reading books and acting them out. So, be sure to try these fun indoor activities for children the next time the forecast calls for unpleasant weather.
We are having so much fun reading, building, and learning with LEGO this month thanks to DK Canada Books. My boys couldn’t wait to get their paws on these three books that not only are all about LEGO, but include LEGO pieces in every single one! Now, let’s have fun reading with LEGO books and start building LEGO models!
Three DK Canada books gifted this month
Below are the three books we were given to review:
Cover of “LEGO Harry Potter – Build your own Adventure”
My eldest son Jax LOVES Harry Potter LEGO, so he was so excited he wanted to open this one first and build the cool figure with his Dad. And in fact, it’s a 2 in 1 figure that comes with it so even better!
Page inside DK Canada Book
The LEGO book itself has all sorts of interesting Harry Potter facts and over 50 ideas for building Harry Potter scenes just like the movie!
LEGO Ninjago Book – Choose Your Own Ninja Mission
Cover of “LEGO Ninjago – Choose your own Ninja Mission”
I was soooooo excited about this LEGO book! Talk about nostalgia… Growing up I used to LOVE choose your own adventure books, and I couldn’t wait to share this with Jax. He thought the idea was pretty cool, and of course it keeps the book relevant and interesting for a long time given there are 40 different ending possibilities!
Inside of DK Canada Book
Every page has two options to choose from after reading one part of the specific adventure. Along the way, the LEGO book provides facts and pictures of all of everyone’s favourite Ninjago characters. It certainly helps that there was a Ninjago Jay minifigure included. Just the icing on the cake!
LEGO – The Book of Bedtime Builds
Cover of “LEGO – The Book of Bedtime Builds”
This incredible LEGO book has a whopping EIGHT mini models! They all correspond to a different adventure to discover before bedtime and to help your kids wind down while spending time off screens before bed! The adventures are super cute and include stories about a pirate ship, dinosaur, robot, bird, elephant, spider, and spaceship. Anything that gets my kids off their tablets and engaging their imagination and creativity is a win in my books!
Inside of DK Canada Book
It was fun reading these three LEGO books! They would make excellent gifts for birthdays or to help pass the time during social isolation!
When it comes to your pantry, are you like Old Mother Hubbard or a packrat? In other words, is your cupboard bare or overflowing? Learn how to organize your pantry in 6 easy steps and tame the pantry blues.
There’s nothing more frustrating than coming home, tired and hungry, to an empty pantry. Do you make a mad dash to the grocery store or order takeout – again? On the other hand, a jammed-packed pantry isn’t useful either. Sometimes it’s so hard to see what’s in there that it’s easier just to buy some more. Before you know it, you have 42 boxes of pasta and a pantry door that won’t shut – and you still don’t know what’s in there.
Take everything out of your pantry shelves so you can assess what you have. Toss any products that have expired and sorted everything that’s left into groups – for example, pasta, sauces, tinned vegetables, and so on. This will help you work out what you have plenty of and what things are missing.
2. Make Your Own List of Pantry Staples
Think about what you need to keep in the pantry cabinet. Remember, every household is different. There’s no point stocking up on baked beans if no-one is ever going to eat them. Instead, determine what foods you do eat. If you love Asian food, your staples might be noodles, rice, and soy. If Italian is more your scene, maybe your staples are tomatoes, olive oil, and pasta.
Of course, there are some basics that most pantries need, like cooking oil, sugar, flour, salt, and pepper. Don’t forget to stock up on these as well.
3. Have a Back-Up
Aim to have at least two items of each of your pantry staples: one open and one in reserve. When the open item is used up, grab the reserve, and then add the item to your shopping list. This way, you’ll never run out of anything again!
4. Have a System
There’s no right way to organize your pantry by category, but having some sort of system will save you wasting time looking for that packet of pasta that you ‘just know is in there somewhere.’ For example, you might like to keep all the breakfast cereals and spreads on one shelf and all the tinned food on another. Or maybe you’d prefer to group foods by cuisine or frequency of use – find a system that works for you and stick to it.
5. Plan Your Menus
OK, so planning meals in advance may seem a little too organized. But by thinking ahead and only buying the ingredients you actually need, you not only prevent any last-minute dashes to the grocery store, but you also stop filling your pantry with things that never get eaten. In other words, you save both time and money.
6. Go Through Your Pantry Regularly
Just about every pantry has at least one product that somehow never gets used. Every so often, go through your pantry and get rid of any out-of-date or never used products. This way, you get a feel for what your family is actually eating and what’s just sitting there taking up space. If you feel bad about tossing perfectly good food, consider giving it to a friend or donating it to a charity.
With the help of our tips on how to organize your pantry, you should be off to a good start to achieve balance!
You will find below homemade green cleaning recipes and solutions to help get ride of the toughest stains, dirt, odours, mold, and bacteria!
DIY green cleaning recipes
Long before it was popular to buy a vast collection of different kinds of household cleaners that were “new and improved” with “stain fighters” and “grease busters” that promised to make cleaning easier and hassle free, homemakers knew that there were already items in their organic pantry that were stain-fighting, odour-controlling, and grease-busting tools of nature. These are the best homemade cleaning recipes! Hope you make some of them.
Cleaning with Salt: Nature’s Absorbent Scrubber
Salt poured on spills, especially greasy spills, helps to absorb and lift the grease and then can easily be wiped off.
Cast iron pans and skillets can be cleaned by sprinkling salt in them and scrubbing clean. This will clean them very well without drying out or rusting the pan.
Burnt pans can be cleaned by sprinkling salt over the entire inside of the pan and adding a small amount of water while the pot is still hot. This mixture should soak for 30 minutes or so before scrubbing.
Scrubbing with salt is not good for non-stick pans as it can mark the finish.
Sprinkling salt on a lemon half and using it to scrub metals will remove grease, dirt, or tarnish. Once the surface is clean it should be rinsed thoroughly and buffed to a shine with a soft cloth.
Sprinkling salt on a lemon half and using it to scrub counters will disinfect and whiten them.
Sprinkling salt of fresh wine stains will absorb the liquid and the colour.
Rubbing salt in a stained coffee pot will remove the hard water and coffee stains.
Green Cleaning with Vinegar: Bacteria and Mold Killer
Vinegar’s properties have been scientifically tested and it has been proven to kill both mold and bacteria. Vinegar can be used straight or diluted with water, mixed with salt water, and mixed with baking powder for a soft scrubbing paste. It will not harm most fabrics, but should be tested for colorfastness just to be sure.
Vinegar is also a solvent and is useful for removing sticky adhesives and calcium, lime, or rust build-up. Because of its solvency properties, it should be diluted. It should also be used sparingly on surfaces with a waxy surface or on marble or linoleum as it can remove the finish.
Cleaning with Baking Soda: Sucks Up Dirt and Odours
Baking soda can be sprinkled on any dry surface to help remove odours, such as carpets and fabrics. Allow to sit and vacuum or mix with water and scrub on with a sponge for smelly surfaces such as trash cans, diaper pails, or other places that odours hide.
Mixing three parts baking soda to one part water will make a paste that can be used to remove tarnish from silver.
Scuff marks on floors can be eliminated by sprinkling on baking soda and scrubbing off with a wet rag.
Pouring 1/4 cup of baking soda down a drain once a week, then following it with running hot water, will keep a drain clog-free.
Adding 1/4 cup of baking soda to the washer when doing laundry will help to freshen clothes.
Cleaning with lemons and their Juice: Natural Bacteria Killer and Whitener
Rubbing lemon juice on stains in plastic bowls will bleach them back to white.
Soaking white socks that need bleaching in a mixture of 1/2 cup lemon juice and hot water in the sink will bleach the stains and make the socks white again. After soaking, they can be washed in the washer with the remaining soaking liquid.
Rubbing lemons on counters will clean and bleach away stains. For stubborn stains, sprinkling salt on the lemon before rubbing will help to make the lemon abrasive.
As you can see by using only vinegar, baking soda, salt, and lemons a house can be cleaned, deodorized, and have stains removed. Even though bacteria and mold can be organically eliminated, I am hoping you will use these household hacks and will make the homemade green cleaning recipes mentioned above!
Have you tried making your own green cleaning recipes? Which pantry item do you like best?
French Toast is usually served for breakfast, but these French Toast recipes are so delicious you’ll want to eat them in the morning, noon, and at night!
How do you make French toast? This French Toast recipe below is extremely simple and very tasty. It only calls for six common ingredients and takes only six little steps to make. All in all, it takes roughly fifteen minutes to make from start to finish.
French Toast Recipe
Ingredients
5 eggs
3/4 cup of milk
2 tablespoons melted butter, cooled to room temperature
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 slices of bread
Oil or non-stick cooking spray for greasing the pan/griddle
Maple syrup, fresh fruits, whipped cream, or powered sugar for serving
Equipment Needed
Plates
Forks and Butter Knife
13-inch Frying Pan
Spatula
French Toasts
How To Make French Toast
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, butter, vanilla extract, and sugar. Take your bread and dip it in the egg mixture on both sides.
Heat a skillet and pour enough vegetable oil or non-stick cooking spray to cover the bottom of the pan.
Place dipped bread – 2 at a time – in the skillet and brown on one side, then the other until golden brown. Place on a serving plate and spread with butter immediately so it melts.
To the French toasts, you can add maple syrup, fresh fruits, whipped cream on top, or just sprinkle with powder sugar.
French Toast
Lyne Proulx
French Toast is usually served for breakfast, but these French Toast recipes are so delicious you'll want to eat them at any meal of the day!
The cinnamon and powder sugar is optional, and different types of syrup can be used like maple or butter flavoured. Any kind of bread can be used! Those who are looking for a healthier French toast recipe can use wheat or whole-grain bread and all egg whites. Some people like to add fruit toppings such as bananas, strawberries, or blueberries. For grown ups, you can add strawberry liqueur syrup on the French toasts!
Stuffed French Toast Sandwich Recipe
Rather than pour syrup on top and start eating, some cultures will use the French Toast to make sandwiches instead. In many places around the world, this is called Stuffed French Toast. For instance, in Italy, they will put a slice of mozzarella cheese in the middle, and dip it in tomato sauce. This dish is called “Mozzarella in Carrozza“.
37 French Toast Recipe Ideas
You can choose from many recipes and bake an overnight baked French toast casserole, a brioche French toast, a cinnamon roll French toast, a cream cheese French toast, and many more! An Instant Pot or Crock Pot is getting more popular to bake French toasts too. You will find below a list of 37 delicious French Toast recipes to bake for any occasions!
Life is busy with kids and we often forego our workouts as a method of managing it all. Our workout routines can sometimes take a back seat. Our healthy eating often goes out the window. We feel sluggish, tired, stressed and out of shape; however, we can still make it work! You can squeeze in small bits of activity, maintain a (mostly) healthy diet, feel energized, and happy. Here is how you can do a 10 Minute Workout At Home!
This is the best 10 minute workout! No gym, no equipment, nothing fancy. I will often do this after the kids go to sleep. Ten minutes is all it takes to do a workout, just ten!
1. Push ups
Place your hands under your shoulders and start from your knees. Keep your back straight and engage your core (try not to let your back arch). Bend your elbows and bring your chest down to the floor, lift yourself back up. Do 12-15 repetitions. Advanced tip: try these from your toes.
2. Squats
Stand tall with your feet shoulder width apart. Bend at the hips, bend your knees and ankles, and imagine you’re sitting in a chair. Push through your heels to come up and squeeze your glutes. Do 12-15 repetitions. Advanced tip: hold at the bottom position for an extra 4 seconds on each rep.
3. Plank Hold
Place your elbows under your shoulders and lift your body up onto your knees or toes with your back straight. Engage your core by drawing your navel in and lifting your ribs up. You should feel your core (not your back). Hold for 30-60 seconds. Advanced tip: lift one leg and switch sides
4. Bridge
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Squeeze your glutes, push through your heels, and lift your hips off the floor. Lift as high as you can without feeling your low back or hamstrings (back of the legs). Focus on keeping your glutes engaged as you lower down. Do 12-15 repetitions. Advanced tip: try elevating one leg and perform all repetitions on one side, switch sides.
5. Lying draw ins with marches
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Draw your navel in, press the top part of your ribs down to the floor (try coughing to achieve this), and Kegel. Maintain this cemented position with your core and bring one leg up, maintaining a 90 degree bend in the knee. Lower down and switch sides without letting your hips shift. Use your core to stabilize your hips and pelvis. Do 12-15 repetitions each side. Advanced tip: Start with both legs up and lower one leg at a time. (See a video here on how to do it!)
If you feel you have more time, attempt another set of all 5 exercises. Voila! Your easy 10 minute workout is done and you’ve squeezed a bit of activity into your day. Aim to get a little bit of cardio workout too by walking outside. Focus on healthy eating when you can and incorporate smoothies as a healthy food option for when you need a snack on the go. Stop reading and go do that quick 10 Minute Workout At Home!
A family movie night is a great way to spend an evening. You can spend some time together inexpensively, with a movie rental, Netflix, Disney + or others! These movies are rated G, for General Audience, or PG, for Parental Guidance. Parents know their children best and know whether or not they can handle a scarier movie or an occasional bad word. Use this list below as a source of ideas to find the best movies for family night. The movies are recent releases on BluRay/DVD and old movies that have become beloved classics.
Best Family Movies
Check out the following list of movies for family night that are age-appropriate for young ones, but still interesting enough to keep an adult’s attention.
List of Family Friendly Movies
The movies below are excellent choices for a family movie night!
Alice in Wonderland
Antz
A Bug’s Life
Beauty and the Beast
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Bee Movie
The Black Cauldron
Bridge to Terabithia
Chicken Little
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Corpse Bride
Dinosaur
Ella Enchanted
Enchanted
ET
Finding Nemo
Frozen
Ghostbusters
Goonies
Happy Feet
High School Musical
Hocus Pocus
Hoot
Horton Hears a Who
Ice Age
The Incredibles
Indiana Jones series (Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Temple of Doom are PG, the rest are PG-13.)
James and the Giant Peach
Jumanji
The Last Mimzy
The Little Mermaid
Madagascar
Mary Poppins
My Fair Lady
Monsters Inc.
The Neverending Story
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Open Season
Over the Hedge
The Princess Diaries series
Ratatouille
The Rescuers
Robin Hood
Robots
Shark Tale
Shrek
Snow Buddies
The Sound of Music
The Spiderwick Chronicles
Spy Kids
Stuart Little
Surf’s Up
The Sword in the Stone
Toy Story series
Wallace & Gromit
The Wizard of Oz
Other Movie Choices with Multiple Ratings
Some other good movie options for family night have different ratings depending on which one it is in a series or if it is a remake. For example, the original 1967 Dr. Dolittle movie was rated “Approved.” The 1998 remake was PG-13, but all the Dr. Dolittle sequels since then were rated PG. Other movies were originally rated G, but the modern remake has earned it a PG rating. Movies in this category include Freaky Friday and The Parent Trap. Some movie series got less family-friendly as newer ones were created.
The first three Harry Potter movies, like the books, are more suitable for younger ones and have a PG rating, while movie number four and on is rated PG-13. Two of the Indiana Jones movies, Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Temple of Doom, are rated PG while the others earned a PG-13 rating. And finally, all the Star Wars movies except for The Revenge of the Sith, are rated PG. The Revenge of the Sith (Episode III) is rated PG-13.
chocolate chip cookies with sprinkle
Elements for Making Family Movie Night Perfect
There are a couple of other things to keep in mind in order to have a great family movie night beside the film. Make sure you have comfortable seating. Bring in pillows and blankets and put younger kids in their “jammies” if they may fall asleep during the film, or if it runs past their bedtime so you can get them up to bed faster when the movie is over. And don’t forget snacks such has popcorn, chocolates, candies as well as beverages such as water, soft drinks, or shakes! Popcorn is the traditional favourite, but not safe for kids under age 2. Try trail mix or even fresh-baked cookies can be served! Another fun idea is to make a snack that fits the movie.
If you are looking for some fun Star Wars crafts for May the Fourth, then you are going to love this collection of 40 out of this world Star Wars crafts for kids!
There is something for everyone on this list, regardless of skill level! The force is strong with easy projects like how to make a Star Wars night light out of a tissue box and DIY Yoda running shirts. This list also has fun projects for kids such as Yoda paper bag puppets and how to make decor for the home for parents too!
May The Fourth Be With You
May the Fourth be with you is actually the catchphrase of Star Wars Day on May 4th. It’s the unofficial holiday celebrating the Star Wars franchise, except if you live in California where it became an official holiday last year. It is a pun on a famous line from Star Wars, May the Force be with you. Normally you reply ‘And also with you’ or ‘May the force be with us all’.
The phrase was first used on May 4, 1979, when Margaret Thatcher took office as Prime Minister of the U.K. There was a full-page advertisement in the London Evening News congratulating her: “May the Fourth Be with You, Maggie. Congratulations.”
The first organized Star Wars Day events in Canada was actually held at the Toronto Underground Cinema on May 4, 2011. The events included the Original Trilogy Trivia Game Show, Star Wars tribute films, parodies screenings, and a celebrity judged costume contest.
Which idea is your favourite? Be sure to leave me a comment after clicking through to some of the tutorials so I won’t have to use Jedi mind tricks to find out your top pick!
Our basement work area is, well, a bit stark (as you can see, it really is a work-in-progress). Since this is our hideaway spot to get work done, we did not think to dress it up much. Now that the weather is getting warmer, I want to be able to make this space more of a part of our home so we can hide from the heat in comfort. One way we thought to spruce up this space is to hang some art on the walls so we are not looking at blank walls all the time.You will find below some Picture Hook Options For Your Work Space!
Picture Hook Options to Help Spruce Up Your Work Space
1. Gallery System
Since I did not know where to start, I started doing some research as to how to hang wall art, I came across the gallery system as a picture hook option. We could use to not only put up wall art and personal family photos quickly and easily is by using a Wall or Ceiling Track system with C-Hanger clips with a Ball-End Cable to hang onto the track. This system is great for hanging wall art and framed photos from non standard locations.
2. Grid-Ceiling Wall Hanger
The ceiling in our basement is made up of ceiling tiles, so we also like the Grid-Ceiling Wall Hanger as a picture hook option. It is designed to be used where ceiling tiles have a square edge cut and sit above T-bars, concealed T –bars or other less popular configurations. The Grid-Ceiling Wall Hanger is also great to use with L-Molding. I like this look because it fits into the framing of your suspending ceiling, so it is easy to move art works and photos around with ease.
3. Panel-Top Hanger
Another hanging wall hook choice we would think of using in our basement to hang wall art and framed photos is the Panel-Top Hanger. These hangers are available in different sizes, and with the use of a Ball-End Cable, can be used to easily suspend from panels and similar structures. I like that these hangers are easy to remove from panels so they can be used over and over again without making any holes in the walls.
Photo Credit: AS Hanging
All of these three picture hook options are great to use, depending on the look you are trying to achieve in the space you would like to hang your art. A great aspect of all of these options that the cables can be set to your desired length to achieve a different look or to accommodate different size frames. Finally, all of these methods, once properly installed, prevent a peppering of holes in your walls from not being satisfied with where you chose to place your art or framed pictures.
Since starting our family, we have created so many memories. Now I have so many different looks to think about where these different picture hook options and the gallery system are concerned, any one of these ideas will make it easier to make our basement work space into more of a part of our home.
Which of these ideas would you use to hang your wall art or framed photos in your work space?
Disclaimer: I was compensated by AS Hanging to write this post. The views expressed within this post are my own.
Mother’s Day is coming soon! Children everywhere are getting ready by making crafts to give their mother’s on her big day. Many children like to give mom breakfast in bed that day or at least make breakfast for her or the whole family. The following 2 favourite recipes and a list of 25 recipes below are for Mother’s Day Breakfast RecipesKids Can Make that can be suitable for children to prepare with the supervision of an adult or an older sibling.
French Toasts
Tasty French Toast Recipe
A French toast recipe is always a family favourite, and it is really easy to make. Kids can mix up the batter and dunk the bread in. An adult may have to be on hand to put it in the frying pan, so no one gets burned.
Ingredients:
5 eggs
3/4 cup of milk
2 tablespoons melted butter, cooled to room temperature
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 slices of bread
oil or non-stick cooking spray for greasing the pan/griddle
Maple syrup, fresh fruits, whipped cream, powered sugar for serving
Directions:
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, butter, vanilla extract, and sugar.
Take your bread and dip it in the egg mixture on both sides.
Heat a skillet and pour enough vegetable oil or non-stick cooking spray to cover the bottom of the pan.
Place dipped bread – 2 at a time – in the skillet and brown on one side, then the other until golden brown.
Place on a serving plate and spread with butter immediately so it melts.
Mom can put her own syrup on, but this is good with any fresh fruits, whipped cream on top, or just sprinkled with powder sugar.
Yogurt Parfait
Yogurt Parfait Recipe
Even the little ones can do this because there is no cooking to it.
Ingredients
2 to 3 cups yogurt (any flavour)
1 cup granola
2 to 3 cups frozen and thawed or fresh fruit
cups, bowls or mason jars
Instructions
Place a few tablespoons yogurt in the bottom of a cup.
Sprinkle generously with granola.
Spoon a few spoonfuls of fruit over the top and start over with the yogurt.
Continue layering until the cup is full.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
You can top with whipped cream. Good mixtures are peach yogurt with peaches, strawberry yogurt with strawberries or raspberries, blueberry Yogurt with blueberry, and so on. You can make banana nut parfait by using banana yogurt with bananas and crushed nuts instead of granola. Serve it with banana nut bread made from a mix. Cranberry orange parfait can be achieved by using an orange-flavoured yogurt with cranberry sauce and granola. Serve it with cranberry-orange quick bread made from a mix.
You will find below a list of 25 Mother’s Day Breakfast Recipes Kids Can Make!
Delicious and easy make ahead pancake casserole. This recipe is made from pancakes that soak up a “casserole” batter overnight and are popped in the oven in the morning. They are a fun take on traditional pancakes and easy enough that kids can help make them.
These Rum & Raisin Sheet Pan Pancakes are like Rum & Raisin ice cream in an easy pancake form! They are family friendly, quick and simple to make, and can be made ahead and/or frozen.
These Overnight Cinnamon Sticky Buns use frozen dinner rolls and are prepped the night before. They are baked in the morning so they are a quick and easy breakfast the next day.
Your whole family will love these fluffy, warming Chocolate Chip Sweet Potato Waffles. Use up your leftover mashed sweet potatoes in these breakfast or brunch waffles and serve them up with some fruit and maple syrup.
Light, fluffy and delicious Cheesecake in a Jar recipe made with skillet granola, cottage cheese Greek yogurt filling and roasted vanilla rhubarb topping is healthy, easy and takes 30 minutes to make from start to finish!
This Strawberry Piña Colada Parfait recipe is great for breakfast or brunch. It is very easy to make and only takes seconds to assemble. It’s also very versatile and you can add in dried fruits, nuts, chia seeds, and so much more to create a unique parfait every time.
This blueberry baked oatmeal is an easy and delicious recipe for every occasion.
French Vanilla Dalgona Coffee Breakfast Recipe
Dalgona coffees in glass mugs
25. This coffee is the all new crave, so don’t forget to make mom a cup of Dalgona Coffee with some added French Vanilla Syrup. It is actually whipped coffee that is similar to a toffee-like texture when whipped into foam. You can also omit the ice and make it a hot beverage by heating up the milk!
I hope you enjoyed our round-up of Mother’s Day Breakfast RecipesKids Can Make! Mom will appreciate a beautiful breakfast made even by the smallest child. It will let her sleep in a little longer than usual. Just make sure you clean up afterwards, so she doesn’t have to do it!
For a few years now, I have been making DIY spa products to enhance the soothing and relaxing experience, including these scented bath salts, lavender bath bombs, lavender vanilla soaps, and now I am sharing with you the Rose Petal Bath Bombs recipe.
At Home Spa
Are you looking forward to relaxing in your bathtub and spend some quality “Me Time” away from the kids and your every day life for at least 30 minutes? My weekly spa time at home is important for my sanity, well-being, and mental health, on top of relaxing my muscles. It’s part of my self-care routine that so many of us “moms” seem to neglect. I am more calm and definitely less stressed afterwards.
These Rose Peal Bath Bombs don’t have an overpowering rose smell and will leave your skin feeling soft and silky. I used rose fragrance oil, but if you are into essential oils, you can try using rose geranium oil instead.
Simply add 1 bath bomb to the bath water and let dissolve. I would recommend removing the rose petals from the bathtub before you drain the water.
To create a relaxing atmosphere, don’t forget to add soothing music, scented candles, and to drink your favourite beverage or alcoholic drink!
Rose Petal Bath Bombs
Ingredients:
1/4 cup Epsom salt
1/2 cup baking soda
1/4 cup corn starch
1/4 cup citric acid
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tbsp water
15-20 drops Rose fragrance oil
1 drop Peach soap colorant
¼ cup dried rose petals
Rose Petal Bath Bombs
Supplies:
Large bowl
Whisk
3-4 medium size round bath bomb molds
Small jar with lid
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
How to Make The Rose Petal Bath Bombs
1. In a large bowl, combine the Epsom salt, baking soda, cornstarch, and citric acid.
2. Mix well with a whisk, making sure to remove any clumps.
3. Pour the olive oil, water, fragrance oil, and soap colorant into a jar. Secure the lid and shake well to form the colour.
4. Very slowly add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture. Add just a few drops at a time, while continuously whisking. If you’re not pouring slowly enough and whisking while pouring, the mixture will start to fizz and the bath bombs won’t form correctly.
5. Once all of the liquid has been poured into the dry mixture, mix very well until the colour is consistent.
6. Add the rose petals and give the mixture a quick stir.
7. Immediately fill the molds with the mixture, firmly stuffing each side full.
8. Secure both parts of the mold together and let set. I always give it about a day, just to be on the safe side.
9. Carefully release bath bombs from molds and put into an airtight container, or individual cello bags.
Rose Petal Bath Bombs Recipe
Rose Petal Bath Bomb
Lyne
These Rose Peal Bath Bombs don’t have an overpowering rose smell and will leave your skin feeling soft and silky. I would recommend removing the rose petals from the bathtub before your drain the water. Simply add to bath water and let dissolve. To create a relaxing atmosphere, don’t forget to add soothing music, scented candles, and to drink your favourite beverage or alcoholic drink!
In a large bowl, combine the Epsom salt, baking soda, cornstarch and citric acid.
Mix well with a whisk, making sure to remove any clumps.
Pour the olive oil, water, fragrance oil and soap colorant into a jar. Secure the lid and shake well to form the colour.
Very slowly add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture. Add just a few drops at a time, while continuously whisking. If you’re not pouring slowly enough and whisking while pouring, the mixture will start to fizz and the bath bombs won’t form correctly.
Once all of the liquid has been poured into the dry mixture, mix very well until the colour is consistent.
Add the rose petals and give the mixture a quick stir.
Immediately fill the molds with the mixture, firmly stuffing each side full.
Secure both parts of the mold together and let set. I always give it about a day, just to be on the safe side.
Carefully release bath bombs from molds and put into an airtight container, or individual cello bags.
This list of 20 Mother’s Day edible gift ideas will show your loving effort to help you mom enjoy her special day. This could show her more effectively how much you appreciate her lifetime of helping you.
For those who aren’t very creative, there’s always the big box of chocolates, a cake with her name spelled out in icing, a dozen fancy cupcakes, or some gourmet jelly beans. This year, instead of simply buying the usual things for Mom on Mother’s Day, create personally-prepared and unique edible gifts.
strawberry jam
Homemade edible mother’s day gifts
You can make homemade Mother’s Day edible gifts, including seasoning mixes, truffles, scones, cakes, cookies, pies, and candies. You will find below edible gift ideas for mother’s day!
Preserved fruits
If you prefer to prepare sweet preserves for your Mom, instead of vegetables, fill the gift jars with strawberries, raspberries, oranges, or other fruits. Of course, your labels would have to be something like Sweets for the Sweetest Mom in the World.
You can create some wonderful edible gifts for Mom or Grandma. She may not only enjoy eating your preserves, but feel some nostalgia as she remembers the long-ago days when her Mom created her own preserves.
Whether your Mom is a busy career woman or retiree, she’d appreciate a week’s worth of frozen dinners. It won’t be those tasteless 99-cent specials from the supermarket, but high-quality homemade foods she can quickly prepare at the end of a busy day.
Buy frozen dinner containers, and make your Mom seven tasty meals, each containing totally fresh ingredients. If you don’t already know, find out her favourites in meats, poultry, seafood, and vegetables. Keep your Mom’s health needs in mind with your use of salt, spices, and other considerations. Cook them, place in individual dinner servings in the containers, and flash freeze them.
Plastic containers with prepared meals
Put all seven meals together into a gift box, wrap them together in fancy paper and ribbons, and deliver to your Mom on her special day. Place them immediately in her freezer, so she can use the meals whenever she desires. For the gift card or label, you can come up with an appropriate message, such as A Week of Homemade Frozen Dinners for My Warmly Delightful Mom.
20 Edible Gifts to Make for Mother’s Day
20 Mother’s Day Edible Gift Ideas
You can make an easy and yummy customizable gift for your mother. Use this cute free printable with a bath bomb, a book, and a favourite bag of homemade sweets to help treat mom this Mother’s Day.
Edible Gifts: Preserves, Pickling, and Butter
1. What kind of mom doesn’t love a fresh, vibrant peach jam? This canning recipe makes classic peach, vanilla peach, Grand Marnier peach jams! {This recipe is developed without pectin}.
3. Overnight Pickled Vegetables – Perfectly pickled vegetables, great for eating alone or garnishing your Bloody Mary!
4. This Instant Pot Apple Butter is ready in a fraction of the time. Mom will love this thoughtful homemade gift.
Edible Gifts: Seasoning Mixes
5. This easy homemade taco seasoning mix comes together in less than 5 minutes and makes the best addition to your favourite Mexican food. So much better than the packaged one!
6. Everyone needs this amazing chicken rub in their spice cabinet! This is a perfect gift for Mom who likes to cook chicken.
7. You will love this easy Homemade Fajita Seasoning Mix recipe that is fragrant, ultra flavourful and made with 7 ingredients you already have in your store cupboard.
Edible Gifts: Desserts
8. Cherry clafoutis is a sweet individual dessert that you can wrap as a gift for Mother’s Day. This is a make-ahead freezer-friendly recipe.
9. These Vegan Chocolate Truffles are the most delicious treat – they’re melt-in-your-mouth silky, super creamy and perfectly sweet. Also gluten-free and refined sugar free.
10. These Mothers Day Dessert Skewers are made with marshmallows and chocolate candy melts. They are a quick and easy treat!
13. These Cupcake Muddy Buddies taste just like a vanilla cupcake with lots of sprinkles and is coated to perfection. You won’t miss cake after you try these!
14. Put that instant pot to use and spoil mom with candied pecans!
15. Make this coffee shop style keto blueberry scones recipe in less than 30 minutes! Use just 10 low carb ingredients you probably already have in your pantry and follow the easy recipe directions or watch along in the video.
16. These Lemon Meringue Cookies are the perfect bite size treat, while still having the classic pie taste.
18. These sweet coconut macaroons recipe makes the perfect Mother’s Day edible gifts! The bottoms of cookies are also dipped into melted chocolate Simply wrap them in a plastic bags and tie with a bow!
20 Edible Gifts to Make for Mother’s Day
Edible Gifts: Sauces
19. This sous vide dulce de leche is the perfect sweet treat for the mom in your life! This creamy, caramelized milk is heaven in a jar.
20. This easy Coconut Caramel Sauce is the real deal. It’s ready in just about 15 mins and is the best thing ever.
When you go that extra step for your Mom on her special day, and make her some yummy edible gifts, you can know she’ll appreciate your clever way of showing your love.
As we continue our solidarity in the COVID 19 pandemic, it’s more fitting than ever to be gifted with DK products from their Be Well boutique this month. In addition, we are celebrating Earth Day, so they have lots of publications suited to learn and celebrate this. A perfect learning opportunity for my children!
DK Canada Books Review
Below are the three Dk Canada books we were given to review:
Let’s be honest – we are all going a little crazy being cooped up, am I right?! My boys have SO much energy! Boys are a different breed I tell you. And who can really blame anyone right now, we are all just trying to keep sane. I chose these flash cards for a little break in the day for them to practice quiet time and calmness. Something that can be challenging with a 3 and 5 year old.
Calm Flash Cards – inside
The cards are divided into six sections for a variety of activities – Focus, Calm, Move, Change, Care, and Reflect. I think it’s great to have something for the kids as they need to take time for themselves as well.
Jax’s favourite calming activity was ‘Breathing hands’ where you breath in and out in correlation with tracing your hand. He was so focused! Both Jax and Hudson really enjoyed the “Take a Walk’ from the move category, really focusing on our senses and what we see and hear etc. It’s taken our walks to a whole new level!
The Bacteria Book – The BIG world of really tiny microbes
The boys were drawn to this book with its colourful cover and all the little Bacteria monsters that depict the various microbes. This one resonated with Jax as when school was still in session in early March, the teachers were educating the children on the Coronavirus. They enjoyed learning about bacteria in a fun format and it helps to re inforce how important hand washing is in a fun way!
The Bacteria book – inside page
They both were fascinated with the two-page spread about our body and how bacteria help you to digest, starting from the mouth ingesting and ending with a fart. Being boys of course that was funny for them.
Did you Know? Earth – Amazing answers to more than 200 awesome questions
Did you know Earth Book cover
This beautiful colourful book is so timely with Earth Day. Jax has such an interest in learning about the world so he was happy to receive this book which is divided into five sections – Our planet, The Earth’s surface, Blue planet, Up in the air, and Living on the Earth. Jax loved sitting with his dad reading about the Blue planet as they are both lovers of the Ocean and bodies of water in general. He was excited to discover Underwater volcanoes again since he just learnt that on one of his favourite shows, Wild Kratts, and saw a land volcano recently in Costa Rica.
Did you know Earth Book- inside page
All three of these books would make excellent gifts for birthdays or to help pass the time during social isolation! Check out their Be Well boutique for more books ideas!
You can find more books, like my family did, on DK Canada’s website! They are also now all available on Amazon for purchase! We also connected with them on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest pages!
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