• Slime-Free Spring Break: Make Memories Without Making Slime!

    No beach? No problem.

    Well, the beach would be really awesome, but…

    Picture it now — it’s Spring Break. The newness has worn off. The kids are bored. You are looking up last minute flights to Florida, but you realize you just can’t make it happen. They want a snack. And they want to do a craft. And they want to go somewhere. And you would love to do that stuff with them, but you didn’t plan ahead. A trip to the craft store sounds awful. Pinterest is mocking you. There are no tricks up your sleeve and you’re ready to pull your hair out. And it’s only Monday. Morning.

    But that won’t be you or your kids!

    You are ahead of the game with this activity-packed PDF. It has everything you need to have an awesome Spring Break at home, no beach required. All of the ideas have been personally tested and approved by my kids and me. You do not need to scour the black hole of Pinterest only to feel overwhelmed and defeated. Not feelin’ it by Thursday? That’s OK. Scale the activity down and give yourself some grace. And guess what? NO SLIME! It IS possible to do activities your children will love without making slime!

    The best part is that each activity has its own shopping list with links which can be found right here. I recommend purchasing all of the supplies you need for the entire week and then leaving them in a box in your garage/closet until you are ready to use them. There are few things more annoying than having to stop or delay an activity to go out and buy one stinking item.

    So what are you waiting for? Download this FREE activity-packed PDF and have 5 days’ worth of ideas to keep your kids happy and boredom-free WITHOUT slime.

    These activities are best for children ages 3-8 years old. There is a good mix of crafts, games, STEM activities, art projects, snack ideas, and family bonding.

    Click here to download your free Slime-Free Spring Break PDF.

    Once you have your copy, head here for the shopping lists!

    You can also grab your beach playlist on Spotify HERE.

     

    slime-free spring break

  • Slime-Free Spring Break Shopping Lists

    After you have looked over the Slime-Free Spring Break PDF, use these shopping lists to help you gather the supplies you need. Many of these items can be purchased on Amazon, and I included my affiliate link* to any applicable items. If you have Amazon Prime, you can wait until 2 days before Spring Break to order these items! Procrastinators, rejoice!

    Ambiance

    • A beachy candle – this one has hints of that sunscreen smell!
    • A pineapple candle – I love the smell of pineapple, and this one rocks.
    • Flip flops – check out Target and Old Navy for great deals this time of year!
    • Don’t forget to download the beach at home playlist on Spotify right here. If you don’t have an account, it is super easy and free to get one.

    Activities

    Tie Dye Beach Towels

    • Blank white bath towels
    • Tie dye kit – this kit made 3 fully-dyed towels
    • Rubberbands (if the kit does not come with any)
    • Disposable gloves for adults and kids  – the kit will come with a thin pair for adults, but it is nice to have several pairs available for anyone touching the dye

    DIY Kinetic Sand

    • Play sand –  this is white, but there are lots of color options! 10 pounds should be enough for both sand activities this week —  if you have 3-4 children, you may want to buy more
    • Cornstarch
    • Liquid dish soap
    • Kids LOVE making kinetic sand, but if you decide you’d rather buy it, here is a good choice!

    Decorate Seashells

    Sea Foam Bath Fizz

    Footprints in the Sand

    • Play sand (use leftover from kinetic sand activity)
    • White flour
    • Table salt

    Ocean Orbs

    Snacks

    Beach-Scene Pudding Cups

    • Vanilla or chocolate pudding cups (or you can use yogurt cups)
    • Graham crackers (crushed in food processor)
    • Teddy Grahams
    • Gummy Savers candy
    • Drink umbrellas
    • Blue food coloring – optional

    Mermaid Mix

    • Goldfish crackers (try the chocolate, cupcake, or s’mores flavors as opposed to cheddar for this mix
    • Pretzels (whichever shape you prefer)
    • M&Ms
    • Optional mix-ins: raisins, nuts, cereal, etc.

    Tropical Fruit Salad

    • Grapes
    • Bananas
    • Pineapple chunks
    • Cherries
    • Oranges
    • Melon

    Beach-Scene Graham Crackers

    • Graham crackers (Beach-Scene Pudding Cups)
    • Vanilla frosting
    • Blue food coloring
    • Goldfish crackers (left over from Mermaid Mix)
    • Blue M&Ms (left over from Mermaid Mix)

    Sandy Popcorn

    • Stovetop popcorn kernels
    • Avocado oil (or other cooking oil of your choice)
    • Grated Parmesan cheese
    • Salt

    Ocean Water Mocktail

    • Blue fruit punch or Gatorade
    • 7UP or Sprite
    • Pineapple juice

    Jamaican Rum Punch (for the adults)

    • Dark rum
    • Pineapple juice
    • Orange juice
    • Grenadine syrup
    • Lime juice
    • Maraschino cherries

    Nail Polish for Mama’s Pedicure

     

    Click here for a printable/screen-shottable (is that a word?) version of this shopping list.

    *By purchasing something through an affiliate link, I receive a percentage of the sale. If you don’t purchase through these links, no hard feelings, OK?

     

  • the one about how I hate packing lunches

    As you know by now, my oldest daughter has started Kindergarten. The process of starting “official school” has brought about many changes in our household.

    First, because she attends a private Catholic school, she wears a uniform everyday. There will be days when  she can wear what she wants, but so far, each day has been a uniform day.

    I know many who turn their noses up at uniforms, stating that they remove the individuality from the child and force them to look like everyone else. I get that, I do, but uniforms have made my life significantly easier and less dramatic.

    My children have beautiful clothes. Really, there’s nothing they own that makes me cringe when they wear it (otherwise, why would we own it?). However, there are things that are best not to be worn to school. And those things, without fail, are the things my daughter would LOVE to wear to school.

    Thank you, Uniform, for sparing that aztec-legging under the floral dress with the giant popsicle stain power struggle.

    Another change for our house is preparing a school lunch for her daily. We are allowing her to eat a school lunch once per week, but the other days are lunch box days. The only problem with this is that I abso-freaking-lutely hate packing lunches. HATE.

    For whatever reason, I just find the task to be daunting (first world problem, I know). I refuse to do it in the morning because we never wake up early enough to avoid the inevitable cluster that is the final five minutes before departure. Then, often times I am too tired to pack anything worthwhile the night before. Truly, it is a crapshoot if I am going to brush my teeth before I go to bed, so packing a lunch that is anything more than a box of Cheerios with a note that says “Love, Mama” slapped on it is kind of asking too much.

    I decided to find a way to make packing lunches less of a chore. I took to Pinterest (duh) and found a few promising ideas. I decided to give one a try, and I am so happy I did!

    I combined a few ideas and came up with something that has been an absolute life saver. I literally don’t have to think about packing lunches, and most of the time, Noelle can pack her lunch herself.

    I purchased mini plastic crates from Target, 3/$3.99, and some plastic baggies. I determined that one bin would be for “Starches/Salty Snacks,” another bin would be for “Sweet Treats,” another bin would be for “Cheese/Yogurt,” another for “Meat/Protein,” one bin for “Fruit,” and a final bin for “Veggies.”

    The bins that do not need to be refrigerated sit on my counter. They are stackable, so they don’t take up a lot of space. For the refrigerated items, I cleared a spot in my refrigerator and also used one of the crisper drawers in the bottom.

    (I tried to take photos of this system, but my kitchen does not photograph well!)

    I then filled the bins with 2 choices for each category. To start with, I placed appropriately portioned baggies of popcorn and pita chips in the “Starches/Salty Snacks” bin. For “Sweet Treats,” I measured out serving sizes of chocolate covered yogurt raisins and trail mix into snack baggies. Her “Cheese/Yogurt” choices were Chobani yogurt tubes or Babybel cheese. For “Meat/Protein,” I placed two pieces of salami in a baggie and hard boiled a few eggs. Her “Fruit” choices were baggies of grapes or strawberries. Her “Veggies” were baggies of baby carrots or celery with light ranch dressing cups to dip.

    She can choose one option from each bin and pack her lunch herself. It took me approximately 45 minutes on a Sunday to baggie up enough food for two weeks’ worth of school lunches. It takes her less than 2 minutes to pack her lunch herself, and she enjoys the job. By giving her healthy choices, I know that no matter what she chooses, she is packing herself a healthy lunch.

    Once all of our bins are empty, I will refill them with new options. She knows that I also won’t add more of one choice simply because she ate all of that one choice first. For example, she ate all of the baggies of grapes first, so I will not add more grapes until she eats the baggies of strawberries.

    The one thing I don’t care for is the amount of plastic baggies we use in this system, but I am having her bring all of her plastic baggies home in her lunch box, except for the ones with sticky fruit in them, and I will try to reuse them a couple times before throwing them away. We try to recycle and be as environmentally friendly as possible, so there might be another way to replace the baggies. For now, this is working for us.

    What I love about this is that it is cost effective (I am estimating each day’s lunch costs less than $2).

    It is time efficient. As long as you have an extra 45 minutes or so on the weekend to wash and cut fruit and vegetables and bag up the other items, you can save yourself a lot of time and chaos throughout the week.

    It is healthy. My daughter is obsessed with one day receiving a “real” Lunchable, but at $3 each and not the greatest nutrition facts, I just can’t justify it. This way of packing lunches puts her in control of “choosing,” even though I have done the guesswork for her. She feels like she is taking control of her lunch, and I am happy that no matter what she chooses, they will be nutritious.

    It gets us off the PB&J hamster wheel. I love a good PB&J. I really, really do. But we simply were not thinking of anything else to feed our children, and I realized that there are other (and better) options out there. For a peanut butter fix, I can add peanut butter in small containers for her to dip her celery in, or we can save it for the weekends. A lot of schools are not wanting kids to bring peanut butter in their lunches anyway because of the allergy risk.

    I have created a chart that I will be using when I am trying to think of new ideas to add to the bins. Feel free to download and use it, too! Just click the image and right click to save it! What would you add to the mix?

    Now…if I could only convince her to sleep in her uniform the night before…

  • the one about disney on ice (giveaway!)

    Growing up, I wasn’t necessarily part of a “Disney Family.” Sure, we watched the movies and I knew the characters, but we didn’t visit Disney World or attend Disney on Ice shows.

    I’m still in therapy because of it.

    So, when I became a mother of a Disney-obsessed little girl, not only did I find myself planning our first Disney trip when she was three years old, but I also was super excited to experience the Disney magic myself. There’s just something about the nostalgia, the fantasy, the exuberance of the characters, and the touching stories that make me feel like a kid again.

    Our first Disney trip was incredible, but the expense and energy required made it a “once every few years” kind of thing.

    Until we can get back to the happiest place on Earth, I have enjoyed taking my family to Disney On Ice!

    The costumes, the music, the energy, the excitement, the magic…it’s all there…but in an accessible and local experience.

    My first Disney on Ice experience was in Fort Wayne at the War Memorial Coliseum. I went by myself with my then-three year old daughter. Our seats were absolutely amazing…only a handful of rows up from the ice and so close to the action. I got chills when we entered…partially because we were so close to the ice and partially because I knew we were about to have a magical experience.

    I had no idea what to expect at my first show. Our show was the “Worlds of Fantasy” performance, which included songs from Cars, Toy Story 3, Tinker Bell, and The Little Mermaid. Of course, Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy were there to introduce the show and provide more entertainment.

    The entire production was awesome. There were scene changes, great costuming, all the familiar music, and plenty of opportunities for kids (and adults, whoops!) to get up and dance to the music. This was not a stuffy, stay in your seat the whole time, kind of atmosphere…which was perfect for a three year old.

    I was honestly surprised at how long the entire show was. You really get your money’s worth, and the show is broken up by an intermission…to allow you time for food and souvenir shopping (there’s plenty of that, for sure!).

    We loved our experience so much that we jumped at the chance to go again just a couple months ago to the “Treasure Trove” tour at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. My husband and I both went this time, taking all three of our daughters, ages 4, 2, and just a couple months old. We actually watched the show from a suite at the venue with several of our friends and their children. This made a lot of sense to us so that our kids could get up and walk around if needed, and so that we would have a little more room to spread out all of our bags and carseats.

    But who were we kidding? The kids were glued to the performance the whole time, and there was very little roaming around the suite. Even the adults found it to be really fun and entertaining.

    This show had tons of Disney favorites represented…from Toy Story to The Lion King to all kinds of princesses…Peter Pan, The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Alice in Wonderland, Aladdin…the list goes on and on. I couldn’t believe how many movies they featured! There truly was something for every child.

    Adults and kids alike can appreciate the talent of the ice skaters and the extravagant production numbers. The sets and special effects are super entertaining. Watch out, because you might even see people flying through the air!

    There are numerous Disney on Ice shows with different themes and movies represented. This creates a unique and different experience each time you go. There’s always a good mix to entertain both boys and girls, too!

    Disney on Ice is returning to Fort Wayne’s War Memorial Coliseum next week with the Passport to Adventure show, and I am so excited because Lilo & Stitch will be a part of this performance! My girls lose their MINDS over Lilo & Stitch!

    This show’s summary reads:

    Embark on the ultimate sightseeing holiday with all your favorite Disney characters inDisney On Ice presents Passport to Adventure.  Join Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Daisy on a journey to the magical worlds of Disney’s The Lion KingThe Little MermaidPeter Panand Lilo & Stitch.  You’ll explore the Pride Lands with Simba, Timon and Pumbaa; voyage under the sea with Ariel and all her aquatic friends; tour London with Peter Pan and Wendy, before flying to Never Land; and travel to Hawaii to visit Lilo and Stitch.  Upbeat music, loveable characters and exciting destinations make Disney On Ice presents Passport to Adventure a holiday you’ll never forget.

    Showtimes start on Thursday, March 26, at 7 p.m., continuing through Sunday, March 29. Saturday and Sunday include several performances during the day as well as evening performances. Surely, there is something to fit everyone’s schedule.

    Click here to purchase tickets to a Disney On Ice show near you!

    Whether you’re between Disney trips and needing something to hold you over until the next magical visit…or you’ve yet to experience Disney World but would like your little ones to experience all the wonder and excitement, Disney on Ice is guaranteed to be an awesome family memory.

    Stay up-to-date on all the latest Disney on Ice news by joining the Disney On Ice Insiders’ Experience

    Would you like to WIN tickets to the opening night (Thursday, March 26; 7:00 p.m.) of Disney on Ice Passport to Adventure in Fort Wayne, IN?

    Simply enter your email, name, & you’ll be asked to visit my Etsy shop’s Facebook page, Opal and Aqua. I offer plenty of sparkly accessories for your own special princess!

    Winner announced at 12:00 a.m. on March 22!

    a Rafflecopter giveaway

    I received something of value from Feld Entertainment as part of their Insider Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

  • the one about valentine’s day

    This one’s for the men.
    Don’t worry. I don’t say cervix at all.

    Yesterday morning, I took my girls to Chick-Fil-A for nearly two hours so they could play in the tunnels and slide. Two hours.

    While I watched them play, I noticed a sign on the door with information about making Valentine’s Day reservations at Chick-Fil-A for $20 per couple. At first, I scoffed. Who would want to spend Valentine’s Day here? I thought.

    Then, the more I looked at it (for two hours), the more I started to think that it might not be such a bad idea. I do love a good chicken sandwich, and perhaps I would actually enjoy eating it without worrying about opening ketchup packets for Noelle or cutting Charlotte’s nuggets into unchokable bites. I could probably just wear my stretch leggings instead of trying to look “nice” (whatever that is anymore).

    And then it hit me. My thoughts on Valentine’s Day (and many other things) have drastically changed since becoming a mom.

    First, let me make all the disclaimers.
    1. I know Valentine’s Day is only one day a year and we should show love the other 364. 
    2. I know that it is a marketing scheme to get people to spend lots of money.
    3. I know my husband loves me, regardless of what he does for me on Valentine’s Day.

    Now, let me say that I actually enjoy Valentine’s Day. I like dressing my girls in pink and red and hearts. I like finding sweet things to remind them they are loved. I enjoy planning something fun and special to do with or for my husband. And…I don’t turn down gifts on Valentine’s Day, either.

    But let’s talk about those gifts. Traditionally, flowers, chocolates, and stuffed teddy bears are given to women by their well-intentioned significant others. There is practically a fool-proof setup in every store. Walk in 20 feet and boom. Flowers and fluffy bears and pink shit galore.

    Those things are nice and all…but that’s not what I nor probably millions of other women want this year. Those things just sound like a lot of work to a mama of three.

    Flowers? Just something else I have to keep alive. I can barely remember to drink enough water myself, let alone give some to a vase of flowers. And most flowers come with “plant food.” Really? That’s just pushing it.

    Chocolate. Chocolate? CHOCOLATE? Don’t you know that I am trying to lose this baby (and baby before that baby, and baby before that baby) weight? Giving me chocolate only gives me an intense moral dilemma. To eat the chocolate all at once and pretend it never happened, or to eat the chocolate all at once, log it into My Fitness Pal, and be told I can’t eat for the next 3 days. My mind simply cannot handle it.

    Teddy bears? I almost can’t say it with a straight face. Do you see how many teddy bears we already own? Not only teddy bears, but stuffed cats, ducks, frogs, monkeys, ladybugs, puppies, etcetera upon etcetera upon etcetera. Not happening.

    So what do mamas like me want for Valentine’s Day? Look no further, as I have created some handy coupons for you to print off and present to your special lady.

    Thank me later. And really, I was just kidding about the chocolate.