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I'm a mom, but I am also so much more. I'm a wife, I work, cook, shop, craft, try to stay healthy, keep up on the latest technology, and style trends, and much more! Come join me in my adventure of making a new blog that allows us to share the everyday things (ups and downs) that turns living an everyday life into living a lively life!
Showing posts with label activities. Show all posts
Showing posts with label activities. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Happy Chinese New Year

It's Chinese New Year and in honor of that I have been trying out a few new recipes. 

I made a Pinterest recipe the other night that turned out so good! (So very good that we ate it all!)

It was simple, easy, fairly healthy, and if you can get your 5 year old and your husband to both say they liked it, it must be a keeper! I modified it to fit the ingredients I had in my fridge and to fit my gluten free needs.


Ingredients:
6 oz gluten free spaghetti noodles

1/4 cup very hot water
2 tsp low sodium beef bullion
3 Tbsp gluten free soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar

Oil for pan frying beef and veggies in pan (I use olive oil)

1lb beef (I used grass feed beef and a fajita steak cut)
1 large red onion chopped
2 large carrots chopped up into small chunk (I used carrots I grow in the summer the wash chop and freeze in 1 lb bags.)
2 cups (give or take) I like broccoli so i make mine heaping cup fulls :-)
2 Tbsp of diced garlic
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions:
1) Cook spaghetti as directed. (If you can, time it so you will be draining it about the time the meat and veggies are done.)
2) Combine low sodium beef bullion, gluten free soy sauce, and brown sugar the hot water and stir until fully dissolved. Set off to the side.
3) Cook meat with olive oil in pan until almost done. Near the end add the onions, garlic, and sesame oil so they will start to soften and caramelize a bit and the flavors will combine.
4) Add in carrots and broccoli and put on medium low head to warm and soften veggies. Stir often to mix flavors.
5) When veggies are warmed all the way through (I like mine with a little crunch, cook longer if you prefer a more cooked veg)  Add the sauce you set aside earlier, mix to coat everything well.
6) Pour the entire meat, veg, sauce mixture into the drained noodles and toss to coat everything.

Serve and watch it disappear into happy mouths!

 Original recipe from momsdish.com can be found here.


Serving size:
6
servings
- See more at: http://momsdish.com/recipe/400/beef-lo-mein-recipe#sthash.uDCZLntN.dpuf
    • 8 ounces
    • Thin Spaghetti; broken in half
    •  
    • Oil; for frying
    • 2
    • large Carrots
    • 1
    • large Onion
    • 4
    • Garlic Cloves
  • - See more at: http://momsdish.com/recipe/400/beef-lo-mein-recipe#sthash.uDCZLntN.dpuf
    And after eatting such a great dinner why not continue the fun with a craft?
     Super simple Chinese lanterns from firstpalette.com.

     Materials
    • Paper or cardstock (preferably red or yellow)
    • Scissors
    • Stapler or tape
    • Glue
    • Ruler
    • Pencil
    • Things to decorate your lantern with: gift wrap
      paper, ribbons, sequins, stickers, glitter glue,
      small buttons, etc.


    Steps

    Step 1 Chinese Paper Lantern craft 1. Start out with an A4, Letter size, or any rectangular sheet of paper or cardstock. Red and yellow are preferred colors for a Chinese-themed lantern, but you can always choose any color you like.
    Step 2 Chinese Paper Lantern craft 2. Cut a 1-inch wide strip off on one short side. Set this aside for the handle.
    Step 3 Chinese Paper Lantern craft 3. Fold the paper in half, lengthwise.
    Step 4 Chinese Paper Lantern craft 4. Draw a horizontal line one inch from the long edge opposite the fold.

    *This line is just a guide for cutting and may not be necessary for older kids.
    Step 5 Chinese Paper Lantern craft 5. Starting from the folded edge, cut a straight line about an inch from one short edge, all the way up to the horizontal line.
    Step 6 Chinese Paper Lantern craft 6. Continue to cut more straight lines about 1 inch apart until you reach the opposite short edge of the paper. Remember that the horizontal line marks the point where you stop cutting each straight line.
    Step 7 Chinese Paper Lantern craft 7. Unfold the paper. The paper will have several vertical slits along the middle. Erase any pencil marks or re-fold the crease the opposite way to hide the pencil marks at the back.
    Step 8a Chinese Paper Lantern craft 8. Decorating the lantern is optional but if you wish to jazz up yours, here are some ideas you can try:

    a.) Make a border by painting with any water-based paint or coloring with crayons or oil pastels.
    Step 8b Chinese Paper Lantern craft
    b.) Create patterns and details with glitter glue, puffy paint, or markers.
    Step 8c Chinese Paper Lantern craft
    c.) Glue on a strip of gift wrap paper, patterned paper, fabric, lace, washi tape, or a wide ribbon to make a border.
    Step 8d Chinese Paper Lantern craft
    d.) Add texture by gluing on materials like craft foam or felt shapes, small buttons, beads, sequins, ribbon, lace, etc. Do not glue on materials that are too heavy for your paper though.

    Take note to leave at least a half-inch of undecorated area on one top corner. This space will allow you to connect the two edges of the paper to form a lantern.
    Step 9 Chinese Paper Lantern craft Ask for an adult's help9. Form the paper into a tube shape to transform it into a lantern. Overlap the long edges at least a half-inch. Staple or tape the top and bottom corners.
    Step 10 Chinese Paper Lantern craft 10. Glue on the paper handle from Step 2. Decorate the handle if you like.

    Once the glue dries, hang the paper lantern as a festive Chinese New Year decoration.

    More Ideas

    Red Chinese paper lantern with sequins Instead of paper, you can use a length of ribbon, lace or fabric for the handle.
    Chinese paper lantern with streamers Cut strips of crepe paper and glue these along the inside of the lantern's bottom edge. These streamers will make the lanterns move gracefully with the wind.
    Pastel-colored paper lanterns Besides the typical red and yellow Chinese lanterns, you can make them in your favorite colors or in hues that go with a particular occasion (e.g. orange and black for Halloween).
    Blue paper lantern You can also decorate the strips in betwen the slits of your lantern. Glue on small paper or fabric shapes, or draw designs with markers or crayons.

    Tuesday, January 6, 2015

    Free Printable Valenitnes

    I love Valentines day and especially love coming up with creative little cards and gifts for friends and coworkers. Now that my daughter is in school her and I can come up with creative cards and treats for her classmates too.

    I am thinking about printing her valentines this year because she has such a small class. Also, I can avoid throwing away 1/2 a package of valentines that I purchased.

    I have used printable valentines before for my friends but it is extra fun looking for kid themed cards.

    Since Valentines day is on the 14th I have collected 14 of my favorite links here for you:

    1. Valentine you're a star- attach a starburst.



    2. Frozen is still a hit so how about some free Frozen Valentines.


    3. Love this one: Give a individual cup of applesauce to each kid with cute little printable labels to go on top that say "You're Awesome Sauce Valentine"


    4. This website gives you a choice of 4 adorable animal themes; Dinosaurs, Owls, Ocean Animals, or Fairies. (There is also a Minecraft link on this page too.)


    5. Instead of cards what about something they can use, a bookmark!

    6. This is for my Starwars loving friends out there:
    Yoda card- using a glow bracelet for a light saber.



    7. Fish bowl shaped valentine- shown with gold fish but you could use Swedish Fish too.

    8. Mustache and Lips cards- attach a sucker.


    9.  Everyone loves Minions! There are some cute Despicable Me Valentines day cards on this site.

    10. Do you have a surplus of rubber band loom bracelets sitting around the house? This might be the perfect way to use them: "Its a stretch but will you be mine". Bow and arrow card.


    11. Who could pass up a cute little fox?


    12. Monsters and googly eyes make everyone giggle and smile!


    13. These cards would be more suited for friends and coworkers, the puns would probably go over the heads of elementary school kids. Five Pun-tastic cards.


    14. What valentines day would be complete without a gift for your husband. These five tags are too cute to pass up. Print them out and tie them to a few things and surprise him leading up to Valentines Day. It might even inspire him to get that extra special present for you!



    If you have created your own I would LOVE to see them and if you have more links let me know.
    Post a comment below or leave the link on the Tidbits of Everyday Facebook page

    Wednesday, December 3, 2014

    Splatter Art


     Splatter art is a blast. 

     
     Start with some sturdy card stock and draw a face in the center. 
    I happen to have a hubby who is great at cartoon faces so he
    drew a few different versions for us.

    Then take some washable paint and water it down a bit.
    Enough to be able to dip a straw in and pick up a few drops 
    at a time.


    Dab a few drops around the 'head' of your character....


























    Then blow in the other end of the straw to make the paint
    splatter around.



    We were amused for at least a half an hour making all sorts of 
    crazy hair and other designs on our creatures.


    My daughter loved her dragon with green breath!


    Even my husband created some art!

    Happy painting. Have fun!




    Sunday, September 7, 2014

    Fall Means Apples!!!!

    Fall means apples and what better way celebrate that then to paint an apple?!

    I started with an 8 1/2 X 11 piece of white card stock and just sketched this simple shape on it.


    My daughter painted in the seeds and the stem then moved on to painting the "skin" of the apple red.


    Next comes the fun part. Coating your child's hand with green paint and have them plunk it right on top. This will the the "leaf".


    Quick, simple, and fun!

    Thursday, August 28, 2014

    Free Build Your Own Cupcake Printable

    Looks like its going to be a rainy weekend. :-(  That means finding extra things to do to fill time with the kiddo. Still to warm for a baking day but this Pintrest find will make a splendid substitute. 



    Click on the following link and it will guide you to the site where you can print and cut out these cut cupcake pieces and your child can make cupcakes to their hearts desire without all the mess and sugar!

    http://mollymoocrafts.com/build-your-own-cupcakes/

    Happy "baking"!

    Wednesday, August 27, 2014

    Golfball Art Activity.

    I saw the cutest idea for a craft in the Family Fun magazine the other day but it was a large scale craft using a poster board, plastic balls, a baby pool, and washable paints.... I didn't have all of those but wanted to follow the same idea.

    I decided to scale down and used a piece of card stock, some golfballs, a large plastic serving bowl, and finger paints.

    Supplies:


    First place the cardstock in the bowl.


    After a test run I learned that two simpe pieces of tape will keep the paper from popping out.


    Get out your paints. My daughter picked 4 random colors. (This is where your personal creativity can come in.) You can pick seasonal colors, favorite colors, team colors, one color, or ten colors. 


    I've started using egg cartons to pour paint into. They are shallower than Dixie cups and keep it well contained (verses on a plate where it all mixes together) and makes for simple clean up.


    We dipped the golfball into the paint and dropped it into the bowl with paper. Next is the real fun part for kids; pickup the bowl and roll the ball around. 


    Repeat this step with multiple colors. (If you only have one ball you can wash inbetween or just use multiple golfballs) You can also pick some different balls to create different textures on the paper.


    After dipping and rolling to her hearts desire my daughter announced she was done. 


    I personally love the outcome (and the process) this will be a repeate craft for sure... I can see some potential for cute holiday crafts! 😀