Fun Flubber Recipe {Thoughtful Momma Monday}

What kid doesn't like to feel goo ooze through their fingers or make bathroom noises at the table?

I know mine do! We had a HOOT laughing and visiting as we played with our Flubber, and made silly sounds  :o)  The play ideas with this medium are endless!

 

Add a tall, plastic cup to the mix and you get OUT LOUD LAUGHS!

(remember playing with Flarp and making rude noises???)

It's quick and simple to make and kids want to play with it f-o-r-e-v-e-r! (which is nice on a cloudy fall day when you are stuck indoors with a cold)

The three ingredients that you need to make this are Water, Glue, and Borax*.

To add color or a bit of sparkle, you may use paint, food coloring and glitter, if you choose.

We made 2 separate batches of Flubber 

Jo's Flubber: 

White glue, water, Borax, and yellow and orange poster paint to add some color

Mo's Flubber: 

Clear glue, water, Borax, green and blue poster paint and purple glitter

To make one batch of Flubber you need to prepare:

• a small bowl with 1/2 cup water in it.
• a medium bowl with 1 cup water in it.
• 1/2 cup school glue (clear or white Elmer's glue works great)
• 1 teaspoon powdered Borax* (20 Mule Team brand Borax can be found in the laundry soap isle at your local grocery store)
• paint or food coloring to add color to your Flubber (we used poster paint)
• glitter to mix in if you are using clear glue (it won't be seen well if using white glue)

Jo mixing in his paint.

Flubber Instructions:

• Mix your 1/2 cup glue in the small bowl with the 1/2 cup water. Stir well.
• To this glue/water mixture, add your paint or food coloring and glitter

• Mix your 1 teaspoon Borax* into the medium bowl with 1 cup water. Mix well

• Dump glue/water mixture from small bowl into the Borax/water mixture and swirl with a spoon or your fingers. You will see it begin to gel together. Wanna see it in action? Check out Mo on our YouTube video!

• Scoop the Flubber out of the water and place into a third bowl or onto a plastic mat, to let the excess water drain from it. Knead the Flubber a bit and it's ready to go!

 

I hope that you and your kids have as much fun as we did. Clean up is easy and if it does get into clothes or carpet, I read that regular white vinegar will help remove it.

To store your Flubber, place in a Ziploc bag to play with another time!

God bless you abundantly,

***Borax is harmful if swallowed and may cause eye irritation if it gets in a child's eye. Please use caution when using this ingredient and wisdom when allowing your children to play with this medium.*** 


I'm partying with some great ladies over at:

 

DIY Tri-Fold White Board {Thoughtful Momma Monday}

Thoughtful Momma Monday

As we dive into the world of Classical Conversations this week (Wow! Already?!), I wanted to be prepared to substitute for any CC class that may need me. In my online searching, I came across this excellent idea for creating a tri-fold whiteboard.

I can use it at home to review our weekly memory work, and if called upon, I can write the week's work on it and tote it to our CC campus to tutor a class! I'm very excited to be prepared and ready to help out.

This Do-it-yourself project can be traced back to the Kids Activities Blog and Suzanne Shares blog. Both Rachel and Suzanne are great examples and an encouragement to my heart in our own home school journey - especially when it comes to using Classical Conversations' method and curriculum.

I think he was more excited to sit on the kitchen table than about writing on his new lapboard :)

While making my tri-fold whiteboards, I found that I needed a bit more clarity than what was offered on either site mentioned above. So I thought I'd snap pictures along the way and share them with you! I hope this helps you out a bit.


DIY Tri-Fold Whiteboard Instructions 
(Makes 2 tri-fold whiteboards and 4 lapboards)

Tools and Supplies Needed:

• Scissors
• A pen or pencil
• One 4x8 Tileboard
• One roll of duck tape (or a variety for fun looks)

 

You can tell I have a little girl in the house :)

Just to give you an idea of the board I purchased for this project.

I purchased my tileboard from our local Home Depot for $15 and I had fun duck tape on hand, but picked up two new rolls for my boards at $3 each. My total bill for 2 tri-fold whiteboards and 4 lapboards came to $21! That breaks down to about $2 for each lapboard and $6.50 for each tri-fold board!


Here's how to have your new best friend (aka store clerk) at your local hardware store rip the tileboard for you:

1. Have them first cut one foot off, straight across the bottom of the board (blue line). This leaves you with a 3x8 foot piece to cut the tri-fold pieces from. The bottom piece that is 1x8' will become your 4 lap boards. 
2. Cut the larger board at, 2 feet, 2 feet, one foot, one foot, and one foot - leaving one last foot. (red lines).
3. Lastly cut the long, thin board by one-foot increments, creating 4 lap boards that are 1x2' each (green lines).

Board Assembly Directions:

Gather up your materials on a level surface - a large table or on the floor. 

 Tape around the outside edge of each board, leaving the insides (that will be taped together) alone.

(the only edge missing boarder tape is the edge closest to me)

To get a great look around the edges - cut your piece of tape about an inch longer on each side of the edge of the board you are working on. 

Press the tape to the back of the board, keeping half of the tape hanging off the edge.

Fold the tape up and gently press it against the very thin edge of the board.

 Fold tape over to the front of the board and press out any bubbles that occur. 

Smooth to the edges and trim any excess off the sides.

 Turn the boards over, keeping the taped edges on the outsides. 

Place your pen or pencil between the center board and a side wing and stick a 

piece of tape next to it to keep the gap in place.

Slide the pen down to the other end and stick a piece of tape there as well.

Remove the pen and tape over the gap, creating the wing effect!

After gaping and taping both wings, turn the entire board over carefully 

and tape down the gap on the front side!

And TADA!!! Your tri-fold whiteboard is ready to go!

 

To make the small lapboards, just tape a boarder around the entire board and hand them out. Your kids will love to draw for large amounts of time and practice writing on them. It's a good idea to give them their own whiteboard pens and a rag to erase that they can keep in a basket nearby. 

My three-almost-four-year-old is learning not to press the life out of whiteboard markers, so having his own set keeps mine fresh to use for school :)

 I would love to hear any ideas you come up with when either creating or using your tri-fold whiteboards. 

And remember, you will have 2 boards -  one to use in your home, and one to bless a friend with! 

Who can you bless today?

 Enjoy and God bless!

Creative Salt Play {Thoughtful Momma Monday}

If your kids like to play and be creative as much as mine, I'd like to share a GREAT play idea with you.

Got a dollar? Here's what you do....

Head to  your local Dollar Tree (or your pantry cupboard) a grab a container of SALT!

Go outside with your kids and set them up with a container to play in, the salt, and tools for creative play (paint brush, spoons, popsicle sticks, beads, chopsticks, cookie cutters, small boxes, cars, trucks, and anything else they will have fun in the salt with). The sky is the limit as to what they can use to play with in the sand.

I laid a couple pieces of colorful paper in the bottom of each tray. This adds color to their play!

 

 Let them dump all the salt into the tray and have fun! The fun play will last quite a while, just beware... if you let them play for too long and they tire of all that salt, it may end up in the air and in their hair  :o)

If you come across some, I know that your kids would enjoy a shoebox lid full of colored sand! I found a couple craft bags full and we added glitter and various beads to ours, then broke out the cars, trucks and marbles. The variety is endless!

Whatever you do with your children today, enjoy their creative minds and innocence. They are growing up too fast!

Blessings,
 

Making It! {Thoughtful Momma Monday}

Thoughtful Momma Monday

We are making it through a hot, Texas summer. It hasn't been as horribly hot as I remember past July and Augusts to be, and I'm sooo thankful! Because I'm carying more around this summer... in my belly!

38 weeks with a sweet baby boy!

Picture taken 8/12/2013.

 

I have been nesting like crazy - making messes of piles and then re-organizing and cleaning as I go. I am finally ready to rest, put my feet up (or rather go for a walk around the block) and wait with expectation for my newest little love to arrive.

 

We also started a daily home school routine and it has been lots of fun! Thank goodness for the internet (and for generous, book-buying grandmothers)! There are so many great ideas out there for home school mommas of preschoolers. We have been enjoying taking our time through the alphabet - learning to write each letter and learning the sounds that each makes. My girl is a great student! She loves to learn and is always hungry to know more!

 

 

Focusing hard - circling her favorite/best letters.



 

Also, my sweet momma has moved in with us while my dad ties up some work back in Oregon. Having her here has been a blessing through and through. She loves to cook and bake and we are reaping the benefits of her delicious talent! We enjoyed fresh blueberry pie, fresh peach crisp and a made-from-scratch chicken pot pie all in the same week! Whew!

 

I find myself very often emotionally overwhelmed and tired but I'm looking forward to sitting back and holding my new baby soon. Sometimes I wish we knew the exact day and time to expect our baby, but the Lord has kept it a surprise, probably so that we will wait on Him and gain our strength from Him... daily! Even though I'm a tad "prego crazy lady", I feel loved and cared for. Each day I pray that God give me peace and joy... oh, and patience (I feel a bit short on that fruit of the Spirit lately).

 

Our lives are OVERFLOWING with God's blessings and joys. He is truly making something beautiful out of our messes. Here are a few pictures of what we have been making...

 

 

Homemade kites and lemonade at school!

 

Noodle necklaces  :o) 

 

Queen and King crowns for the royal couple.

 

Pie, pie and more pie with Grammy!

 

Progress! She finished learning her alphabet with flying colors!

A tasty stop for a celebration lunch!

 

New discoveries at the Children's Aquarium.

 



Fun memories at Moriah's surprise "Alphabet Party"!

We played fun alphabet games and ate some tasty treats to celebrate her

finishing what she started. She kept calling it her birthday party  :o)

 

 

We are making it.... we won't give up! We will continue to learn, grow, accept challenges and run to Jesus. Above ALL this momma needs to run to Jesus throughout each day. He is so able and willing to help me with any struggle I face. I am realizing my need for Him more and more.

 

 

I leave you with a verse that encouraged my heart today:

 

 

"The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,

to the soul who seeks Him."

~ Lamentations 3:25

 

 

Here's to waiting for and seeking the Lord! He is so faithful!

 

 

 

May God bless you abundantly,

 

 

A Little Tape = Lots of FUN! {Thoughtful Momma Monday}

Thoughtful Momma Monday

Here's a way to have a little fun with your kids in your living room (or any carpeted area) this week! It's also a great tool to teach young ones to "stay-in-the-lines", or how to problem solve.

I used painter tape, but masking tape would work great!

We walked on the lines with our feet, and in between the lines - trying to get from the entrance to the exit. We also used cars and drove them through the maze!

Enter here!

 

Moriah pretended it was the corn maze that she heard about at the pumpkin patch (but never got to go in). 



The possibilities of designs with tape are endless. What a great way to learn to spell one's name or to learn numbers!

A little tape + some creative thinking = LOTS OF FUN!

Have fun with your little ones and have a blessed week,

A Baby Shower for a Little Peanut! {Thoughtful Momma Monday}

Thoughtful Momma Monday

Three generations of beautiful women of God!

Deanna, her daughter and her mother.

As soon-to-be mommas, we get to enjoy a special day of gifts and girl friends to help get ready for our baby. When my dear friend Deanna was ready to celebrate the soon-coming arrival of her first son, I knew that I wanted to help out! Her mother, another close mutual friend and I co-hosted a fun, colorful shower in February. (Yes, this post is a little late, but there will be a nice bonus at the end of it :o)

Here is a little peek into the special event!

Elephants galore!

A BIG thanks goes to Julie of Build, Sew, Reap for the use of her adorable elephant drawing for the shower invites and decorations!

After scouring the Internet for a decent elephant, I came across a sweet grey fellow that I fell in love with. I quickly asked the artist's permission and she said "yes"! I added a little orange heart, as if the elephant were blowing a bubble and then added a circle around it. This little guy decorated the address labels, the invitations, a name banner at the party, cupcake toppers and the blessing cards for baby Asher.

We went with the colors orange, brown and teal... then added lots more colors to the decorations!

 Invitations... ready to go!

 

When guests entered the building, they were welcomed and asked to wear a name tag, as the group was pretty large and there were people from various parts of Deanna's life - family, church members, and friends.

Then the ladies were invited to make a guess as to how many diapers it took to create a lovely diaper cake that was part of the decor. My mother-in-law can "bake" some pretty great diaper cakes :o)  Another dear friend hand made a lovely wreath as the prize for the winning guess! Such a great gift to give away!

After the ladies visited and mingled for a bit, we opened the party with prayer and introduced some of Deanna's family members who were there. Then we opened the food and punch line. Boy was is tasty!

A lovely spread provided by Deannas' mother, Sherry!

Some of my very favorite snacks were the bowls of chocolate, vanilla popcorn and the banana sour cream cupcakes! Yes, I have a major sweet tooth :o)

After most of the ladies were through eating, it was time for a couple fun games! I hosted a game of nursery rhyme jeopardy. A few of those ladies knew their nursery rhymes!

Ready to play!

 We also enjoyed a game of writing down a candy bar that best matched a given phrase. Dawn lead that game and the winners of each game received a gift card to Chick Fil A! Yumo!

After the games we had a little more time to visit while Deanna opened gifts. We oohed and aahed together over the darling clothes and personalized items she received for her boy.

Blessed beyond measure!

Her boy is going to be dressed in style!

Before the ladies left the party, we invited them to take a moment to write down a blessing for baby Asher on a card and pin it to a twine clothes line that displayed his name. Deanna is able to use them as she wants - either to help decorate the baby's room or to place in a scrapbook. I enjoyed carrying the elephant theme and color scheme over to the cards as well!

The blessing card table

The meaning of Asher's name and a request

We ended by gathering around Deanna to pray a special blessing over her. It was a fantastic, faith-filled end to a fun day!

"...The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous [woman] avails much."

James 5:16b

What an enjoyable time together of celebrating new life! God blessed the work of our hands and Deanna went home with car loads of items that were so helpful in preparing for the arrival of her son.


A big THANK YOU goes to Zuly Martin of Aim N Shoot Photography for the lovely photos!


I have been thrown, and have given, a few baby showers and they are always so much fun! Here are a few tips that will help you host a great shower.

• Choose a theme and color scheme to go with and have fun!
• Offer tasty, healthy finger food and a refreshing drink.
• If you prefer to play games, be creative with them (a great source for shower games is this website!)
• KISS - keep it simple, silly.
• Focus on the Momma-to-be. What are her favorite foods, colors, games? How can you bless her and make her feel loved and special?
• PRAY! Pray that the party would be enjoyable to all and also pray for the momma at the end of the party. Having one of the hosts pray aloud while the others gather around is such a blessing and a great way to end your time together.

Thanks again to all the ladies who helped bless my dear friend, and as I promised, here is a bonus for my late blog post.... the beautiful baby boy!

Asher Liam Stewart ~ Mother's Day 2012

 

God bless your week,

Here's a sweet little poem to leave you with ...

A New Mother's Motto

Author: Linda E. Knight

Teach me well, my little one...
To cherish the moments I have with you,
for all too soon
they will swiftly pass away.

Remind me to pause and touch
your soft, small cheek,to marvel at the innocence in your eyes
and the perfect beauty of your face.

Show me how to treasure more the miracle
that life has given me in you,
to complain less about and praise more
the boundless things you're sure to do.

In the stillness of the night,
when you wake me from my slumber,
help me to realize how truly blessed I am
to be able to hold you next to my breast
to comfort and cradle you close to my heart.

And as the seasons pass away,
may I never look back in regretat what may have been.
May I instead leave a legacy
for you to follow
as you in turn will one day welcome
a little one of your very own.

Asher... a blessing indeed.