Try It Tuesday: Paper Plate Sun Craft

This is a fun and easy project for toddlers, preschoolers and kindergarteners. I am sure even my 7 year old would love to make this if she were not in school when I made it with my son.

I love paper plate crafts because they are an easy way to make a perfect circle craft. We made this one because I asked my son what he wanted to make for a craft that day and he said he wanted to make the sun, earth and the moon (stay tuned for those paper plate crafts too!)

Supplies needed: 1 paper plate, yellow construction paper, yellow paint, paint brush, glue, googly eyes, pipe cleaner and a button.

First have the child paint a paper plate yellow. While they are painting, you can cut our triangles from the yellow construction paper that they will glue on later. Allow the paint to dry before continuing.

Once it is dry, have them glue on eyes, nose & mouth (we chose a button & pipe cleaner because those were items in our recycled art supplies that he chose from.) Then put a ring of glue around the perimeter of the plate and have them place the triangle pieces on.

Now, didn't it turn out cute!

GIVEAWAY: James and the Giant Slayer Blu-Ray Combo

Have you seen this movie yet? 

What did you think?

I had thought about taking my kids to see it, but they are 7 and and 3 and I am not sure if a PG-13 movie is appropriate for them. So, that is going to my be my blog comment way of entering to WIN YOUR OWN COPY of the Jack and the Giant Slayer Blu-Ray Combo Pack - what ages do you think this movie is suitable for in your opinion (and we are all granted our own opinions). And while you are at it, please also tell me (in a separate comment for a separate entry) your results from the "How Brave Are You?" Quiz. 

I am a Courageous Warrior!

Although I did answer the last one honestly that I would have chattering teeth and want an elevator to be invented. :) I don't think going up would be much of a problem if I don't look down. It's looking down that gets me!

About Jack the Giant Slayer: Unleashed on the Earth for the first time in centuries, the giants strive to reclaim the land they once lost, forcing Jack (Nicholas Hoult), into the battle of this life to stop them. Fighting for a kingdom and its people, and the love of a brave princess, he comes face to face with the unstoppable warriors he thought only existed in legend... and gets the chance to become a legend himself! Directed by Brian Singer (X-Men, Superman Returns) Starring: Nicholas Hoult (About a Boy), Ewan McGregor (Star Wars, Moulin Rouge!), and Stanley Tucci (The Lovely Bones).

TO WIN A BLU-RAY COMBO PACK OF JACK AND THE GIANT SLAYER,

ENTER RAFFLECOPTER FORM BELOW

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I am working with Warner Bros. on this promotion. I did not receive any compensation and nothing to review or in exchange for this post. Only my winner will receive a copy of the DVD. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Make It Monday: Cherry Coconut Bread

I just love breads and muffins and they are generally always well received by my family. You might recognize this recipe as being very similar to my zucchini bread recipe, which it is. Once you have a good base for a muffin or quick bread recipe, it's just a matter of finding the right fruits/vegetables and seasoning to add to it. Yes, you do have to accomodate for the differing water content, so it might not work across the board, but you'll be close.

Cherry Coconut Bread

2 C whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 C raw sugar (honey or maple syrup works too)
1/2 C unsweetened shredded coconut
3/4 C chopped cherries
2 T coconut oil, melted
2 T unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 C natural apple sauce
1 whole egg
1 egg white
3/4 C plain greek yogurt
1/4 tsp almond extract

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F 
• Spray 1 large loaf pan. 
• In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda,and cinnamon. 
• In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, coconut, coconut milk, apple sauce, egg and egg white, coconut oil, extract and yogurt. Mix well. 
• Using a wooden spoon, stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture and blend well. 
• Fold in chopped cherries.
• Pour the batter into the loaf pan and place in the oven. 
• Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. 
• Cool and Enjoy!

Spring in Your Step - Children's Claritin Review

Don't let allergies slow down that "Spring" in your step and get outdoors and enjoy it. In MN, this spring allergies have not been too bad (so far) mainly because we still had snow the beginning of May and then we had rain, rain, and MORE rain. Allergies just are not as bad when it rains so much.

But because of all that rain, the mosquitoes are REALLY bad this spring already. My son has an allergy to mosquito bites and he swells up and bruises because of them. I had not actually thought of having him take the Children's Claritin for it until a friend recommended it after I posted pictures of the 3 silver dollar sized bumps (one on his back was the size of a fist) on his chest from 3 mosquito bites. I was amazed that overnight (after taking a dose of Children's Claritin tablets) the swelling was gone in the morning and all that was left was normal sized mosquito bites. I made sure to bring along the tablets with us on our recent vacation to Oregon because I wasn't sure what awaited us there for allergies or insect bites.

We like to spend a lot of time outside, whether it be playing in our yard or at the pool or hiking around a nature center or state park. Many of our activities we also do with friends. We helped keep a "Spring In Our Step" with our friends and met our playgroup at the pool on Tuesday, June 11th. It was so fun to be outside and be active together.

I was given the Children's Claritin samples (for our family) as well as the sinus gel packs (pictured above) for myself and friends as part of the Children's Claritin Mom Crew. All pictures, thoughts and opinions are my own and I did not receive any monetary compensation for this post.

Pottery Time: Pendant Neckalces

Both of these necklaces are heading to Pennsylvania. I made them for 2 different dear friends that are/will be living there. Once friend was in MN for a visit for her college reunion and I gave her one of the necklaces as well as a pottery bowl (that will be in a later post). Another friend is moving to PA at the end of the month and I gave her the other necklace and a pottery coffee mug (yes, that too will be in a later post because there are 2 other mugs I made to gift included in that post that will not be given until later this month and next month).

To make these I slab rolled out the clay and then made the imprinted design with a textured wooden roller. They I cut out the shapes by free hand and poked holes in the top. For the jewelry making part of it, I bought a chain that was beaded (I call this a cheater chain, but I had a 1-day turnaround on one of the necklaces from when it came out of the kiln to when I was gifting it) and used some jump rings, a ball clasp and a toggle & hoop and made the necklace.

If you like these necklaces, you might also like the pottery pendant earrings I made too.

Check out all my pottery creations!

Thrifty Thursday: Summer Movies for Kids for FREE or CHEAP!

Our closest theater is a CEC theatre and they are once again offing a series of six weeks of Family Flicks at 10am on Wednesdays this summer. ALL SEATS ARE $2!!! The first one is next week!!!! Here is the schedule:

June 19: Despicable Me
June 26: Chimpanzee
July 10: Hotel Translyvania
July 17: African Cats
July 24: Stuart Little
July 31: Rio

Check out the website of your favorite or closest theatre to see if they offer a similar program in the summer. Many do!!! Other ones near me that do are Paragon Odyssey, which is also 10am on Wednesdays for $2 seats but they offer 7 weeks. Mueller Theatres (10am on Wednesdays for FREE!) is 10 weeks long. 

The Theatres of the Mall of America offers Free Family Flicks YEAR ROUND on Saturday mornings at 10am.

Regal Cinemas offers a 9-week program on Tuesdays & Wednesdays at 10am for 9 weeks and is $1 a seat. And they have 2 choices of movies each week. Unfortunately, there is no participating theatres in MN, maybe that will change so check the link anyways.

Review: Eclipse Sun Sleeves

I was so excited when I found out I was being sent a pair of Eclipse Sun Sleeves for free to review them on my blog. Sleeves were not even on my radar as a product I needed for outdoors sports until I started training for my first half marathon. It was then that I noticed on my my running partners would wear them as a layer.

We were training in the winter and spring and she wore them as a layer when her jacket became too warm but still needed another a layer on her arms after taking off her jacket in the winter. Then in the spring it was the only layer that she had on her arms that she wore for some protection from the wind and sun and then could easily remove them and tuck in her pockets if she wanted. I admit, I was jealous. It is a brilliant idea and I saw so many people wearing them, including the 2 friends I was running that half marathon with. It was the product I didn't know that I always wanted.

Eclipse Sun Sleeves are not a one-size fits all product, like so many other sleeves are. And why should they be? We don't all have the same size arms and hands. If my husband wore a one-size sleeve and then I did, it would probably be stretched out, not to mention it would probably cut off his circulation at the top of his arm. I was able to choose the correct size I needed that is fitted to my body and fits over my hand. Speaking of hands, I love that there is a thumb hole to use and then your sleeves cover over your wrists and part of your hands. As someone with long arms, having your wrists exposed is annoying, so I love that it has the feature that keeps the sleeve in place over your hand.

I was also able to choose the color I wanted. I chose aqua because I was trying to match it to much of my biking gear. In the pictures I am wearing one of my biking tops and my biking jacket is a simialr jacket as well. My road bike is white but has a teal-aqua detailing. I am not sure it matters at all to y performance but I feel better when my clothes looked somewhat coordinated and if I feel better, I have to believe I will perform better.

They are easy to put on and off and are made of a dri-fit material that keeps your skin cool in the summer and warmer in the winter and wicks away sweat from your skin, in addition to being a SPF 50 material and offering your skin protection from the sun without added bulk or weight.

I also really like that they are a Made in the USA product and is machine washable. As a busy mom I don't have time for dry-clean or handwash products and when you sweat in something you are washing it often, so who wants to the hassles of anything that can't be machine washed.


I also love how long they are, which is part of the sizing feature, I can pull them all the way up under my shirt sleeve so that I don't have any skin exposed between my sleeve of my shirt and the Eclipse Sun Sleeve.

You can buy Eclipse Sun Sleeves on their website or on Amazon.com.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.