Let Dandelions "Bee"

I'm sure most of you have heard of "Colony Collapse Disorder" which has caused many bee colonies to die. This plague has had a terrible effect on food producers, since bees polinate the crops and without bees, food would be in very short supply. Entomologists have been trying to determine exactly what is causing this widespread problem and most agree that pesticides have a lot to do with it. So, with that in mind, my local honeybee authority has suggested that everyone leave their dandelions grow freely in their lawns and gardens. It turns out that they are very helpful since the protein-rich pollen from dandelions are among the bees favorite food! Who knew? Even if you leave a small patch to go "natural", you will be doing your local bees a big favor!

Local Library Resources

I am very lucky to have my local library very close to where I live. My children enjoyed story time and visiting weekly when they were young and now I take my grand daughter who is almost 5 there. She can't wait until she turns five and is allowed to get her own library card. Our library not only has a wealth of books, from classics to the newly published children's books, but has puzzles, DVD's, and usually a few computers available as well to help with research for the older kids. Each summer, they have themed reading programs and contests. Saturdays are often the times for author visits and guest speakers. If you have a special book your child wants to read, they can get it for you in no time. Of course, they still have story time each week for preschoolers. Take some time, to find our where your nearest library is located and give them a call. Your children can benefit from everything they have to offer and it's a great way to spend some quality time together.

Product Recalls March 2013

Here is the newest list of product recalls. Check it out here.

Easter Books and Crafts 2013

Here's my list of Easter favorites:

The Easter Bunny That Overslept by Pricilla Friedrich

Badger's Easter Surprise by Alan Parry

It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz

Here Comes Peter Cottontail by Steve Nelson

Easter Bunnies Everywhere by  William Boniface




Recycled crafts materials needed to make all three bunnies:
2 cardboard tubes
2 Styrofoam cups
scrap paper
pipe cleaners
ribbon
glitter
cotton balls /pompoms
scissors
glue
markers


The following pictures show three crafts made from household products you can recycle. By covering cardboard tubes with pretty patterned paper you can make cute bunnies. You can also decorate plain white paper with your choice of paint, stickers or colored markers. Add paper punches eyes (you can use wiggle eyes if you have them), and embellish as you wish (such as white paper teeth). You can add glitter to the ears. Pipe cleaners can be stapled on for whiskers. Pompoms make cute cheeks and noses.  In the last picture, the bunny is created by using glue to attach two cups together (rim edges touching). Each one can be different, so let the kids have fun using their individual ideas. They make wonderful centerpieces or place card holders. Happy Easter everyone!

St. Patrick's Day 2013

St. Patrick's Day Books and Craft
Here are some fun books to find:
1-The Night Before St. Patrick's Day by Natasha Wing
2. St. Patrick's Day by Gail Gibbons
3. Buster's St. Patrick's Day by Debbe Handymon May
4. St. Patrick's Day Alphabet by Beverly Vidrine
5.The Story of St. Patrick's Day by Patricia A. Pingry
6. A Leprechaun St. Patrick's Day by Sarah Blazek


Leprechaun's Gold
supplies needed:
washable tempera paint liquid dish soap (for easy clean up)
black construction paper
gold paper or foil (or a gold crayon)
hole punch
glue

Using washable tempera paint with a bit of liquid dish soap mixed in, paint your child's fingers in the colors of the rainbow. This is a good time to teach them about the unchanging sequence of rainbow colors. Press their fingers onto white paper and let them dry. Afterwards, cut a pot out of black construction paper and glue it over the end of the fingers. Using a whole punch, punch some "coins" out of gold paper or gold foil. You can also use gold crayons to color some white paper if you cannot find the gold paper. Display your leprechaun's pot of gold and rainbow to bring your family the luck o' the Irish. Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!

Change Your Clocks AND Your Batteries

Don't forget when you reset your clocks this weeknd to change the batteries in your smoke alarms. Here is a link to other fire safety resources. There are also many fact and tip sheets for adults and children.

Childhood ADHD May Lead to Problems Later On

I found this article very interesting. Read it here. As an educator, I have always advocated for parents to take children for professional evaulations immediately if they exhibit these behaviors, since the earlier it is treated, the better. Let me know what you think.

Sparky the Fire Dog Activity

Here's a fun fire safety activity for the kids. It's used with the book Flat Stanley, that is introduced by many teachers to promote creative writing. What a great way to practice both!

Car Seats for Older Kids

Wondering whether your children are old enough for booster seats or should still be in car seats? Follow this link for answers.

Indoor Fun

If you are living in parts of the country where the winter weather keeps the kids cooped up inside for a few days at a time, I have some fun ideas to share. This link will take to you directions for setting up "prop boxes" that young children can use for all sorts of games and imaginative play. I used them often in my classroom and now am setting them up for my grand children to enjoy. Hope it helps pass the hours for your children while provided plenty of picture and video opportunities as well. Happy pretending!

Valentine's Day 2013

Here are some Valentine's Day books worth reading with your children :

Well know authors and characters~

Happy Valentine's Day, Mouse by Laura Neumeroff

Valentine's Day Fun by Rosemary Wells

Snowy Valetnine by David Petersen

Night Before Valentine's Day by Natasha Wing

 Here are some authors that may be new to you~

The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bpnd

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

The Valentine Star by Patricia Reilly Giff

The Ballad of Valentine by Alison Jackson


How about a wonderful easy recipe for Valentine's Day? I saw these somewhere online but don't remember where. These pretty pink cookies with chocolate chips look good to me!


Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 box of Strawberry Cake Mix (they used Dincan Hines)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable/canola oil
1/2 teasponn vanilla extract
1 and 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix and baking powder. Set aside. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla extraxt by hand. Add the egg mixture to the cake mixture and stir to form a dough. Stir vigorously until all of the packets of dry cake mix are gone. Gently mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop rounded balls of dough, about 2,5 tablespoons each onto the prepared baking sheet. Drop a few more chips on top of the balls. Make sure the balls are taller than they are wide.

Bake for 10 minutes-not letting them get browned. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes. They will be very soft at first. As they cool, the tops may settle down. You can press the tops gently if they don't settle. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container, for up to a week.

Product Recalls January 2013

Time to check the list again for product recalls. Here is where you can go for the lastest information.