Smothered Chicken and Pepper Chipotle Burrito

These burritos are just amazing and delicious and I happily eat leftovers of them multiple times, which if you know me, says a lot. I'm not a leftover kind of person. But seriously, they're easy and so good! The chipotle sauce and seasoning really makes the difference in flavor and the smothered-ness of it really make the difference in delicious, cheesy amazing-ness. 

Home Preschool (Ages 2.5-4) Week Seven: Letter G and Number 7

This week, I've included a lot of the pictures you will need in the printable version of the lesson plan to make life easier for you! Make sure you click on the printable version and check out what I've added!

Remember that the "Facts about..." pages and other extras are not included in the blog text, but they are included in the printable version. Some of the ideas in these plans came from Brightly Beaming Resources. Each daily session of "School Time," as my son calls it will last about half an hour. Adjust the lessons for your child's age and level of education. Enjoy!

Here is the printable version: Letter G and Number 7 Lesson Plans

Links found in the lesson plans:
"The Green Grass Grew All Around" YouTube Video
Letter G Worksheets
Number 7 Worksheets
"Morning Mood" by Edvard Grieg YouTube Video
Gorilla Images
Gorilla Coloring Pages
Images of Greece

Children's Book of the Week: The Bear's Sea Escape

The Bear's Sea Escape 

by Benjamin Chaud

Lincoln and Emmett's Pick (my three- and one-year-olds)

Why they love it: They like to look for the big bear and the little bear.

Why I love it: The artwork is so fun and the book is HUGE, which also makes it a lot of fun!

This book is a look and find book, but it is easy enough for my sons (one and three) to enjoy and succeed at the looking and finding. Most look and find books are geared toward older children, but this one is so much fun for both of my little ones. Even my twenty-month-old is able to find the bears on each page. It's the story about a papa bear and a baby bear who go on a lot of adventures and each page is full of fun. The story is your basic children's book story, but the art and the looking and finding are both so good, I had to recommend it! It's a rare look and find book that has all of us happy while we're reading it. 

Applesauce Muffins

Mornings at my house probably start out a lot like yours: get the kids up, get dressed, eat breakfast, brush teeth... And I don't know about you, but I am always looking for ways to simplify my mornings.  One of the best ways I've found is to make food ahead of time that is easy to take with you on the go.  Or just trying to make sure you actually get to eat a little something in the midst of your morning craziness.  I can't count the number of times I've hit 10am and I'm starving and starting to get a little hangry when I realize it's because I've been up for 3+ hours without food...

Which is why I'm sharing today's recipe for applesauce muffins.  These muffins are so yummy!  Not to mention super easy to whip up--they take maybe 10 minutes from start to finish!  They are moist and not overly sweet, which is perfect for mornings or even after school snacks.  My kids love these, especially the cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top, which they always eat first.

Home Preschool (Ages 2.5-4) Week Six: Letter F and Number 6

Remember that the "Facts about..." pages and other extras are not included in the blog text, but they are included in the printable version. Some of the ideas in these plans came from Brightly Beaming Resources. Each daily session of "School Time," as my son calls it will last about half an hour. Adjust the lessons for your child's age and level of education. Enjoy!

Here is the printable version of this week's lesson plans: Letter F and Number 6 Lesson Plans

Links found in the lesson plans:
"The Farmer in the Dell" YouTube Video
Letter F Worksheets
Number 6 Worksheets
Flamingo Images
Flamingo Coloring Pages
Firefighter Images

Heart-(Or Moose-)Shaped Pizza and Calzones

I'm sharing two fantastic recipes and my fun idea for doing something with my kids, but all three are definitely worth trying! My little guys absolutely loved making these pizzas and my three-year-old was surprisingly good at it. Not only that, but these little pizzas and calzones are adorable and delicious. They would be perfect for a slumber party dinner or just a dinner with friends or family because everyone loves pizza and kids love making things their own!

Home Preschool (Ages 2.5-4) Week Five: Letter E and Number 5

There's a picture of my son here because in our house, E is for Emmett! :) And elephant. That's what my other son yells everytime he sees an E.

Remember that the "Facts about..." pages and other extras are not included in the blog text, but they are included in the printable version. Some of the ideas in these plans came from Brightly Beaming Resources. Each daily session of "School Time," as my son calls it will last about half an hour. Adjust the lessons for your child's age and level of education. Enjoy!

Here is the printable version of this week's lesson plans: Letter E and Number 5 Lesson Plans

Links found in the lesson plans:
"Everything Grows" YouTube Video
Letter E Worksheets
Number 5 Worksheets
"Nimrod" YouTube Video
Elephant Images
Elephant Coloring Pages
Emperor Images

Home Preschool

Age 3: Letter and Number of the Week

Week 5: Lesson Plans for the Letter E and the Number 5

Preparation:

·         Print out large letter and number sheets (included) and post them somewhere the child can see them all week.

·         Create theme word flash cards with the theme word on one side and a picture depicting the word on the other.

·         Print out the poem of the week (included).

·         Create a flashcard with the name of the composer of the week on it.

·         Print out animal/plant word sheet (included), “facts about” page (included), coloring page, and image of the animal/plant of the week.

·         Print out social studies fact sheet (included) and an image of the subject of the week.

·         Collect supplies for art project.

·         Optional: Plan a day for an outing in keep with the theme (ideas included) and buy ingredients for snacks, baking, or cooking in keeping with the theme (ideas included).

It's OK to Want (and Take) a Break from Your Kids

After my daughter was born, I remember thinking, "How could anyone ever get tired of being with their kids?"  I know what you might be thinking: "That chick was seriously sleep deprived if that's what was going through her mind."  Yes.  I was extremely sleep deprived.  But I also remember feeling so amazed by all the little things I saw my daughter learning and how she seemed to grow overnight.

However, I also remember the days when I felt like I couldn't take another moment of being mom to my beautiful, screaming, daughter.  My husband would come home from work and I'd hand him our baby and shut myself in the bathroom for a half hour just to get a little alone time.

Now I have two kids and while I love them with all my heart, I just can't keep them entertained all day, every day.  And honestly, I think sometimes they get a little tired of me too!  And now I'm going to tell you a secret: it's totally OK, even normal, to want a break from your kids.  To take some time away from them.  Time away from being mom.  Time away from the stresses of running a household.  Time away from breaking up sibling fights and trying to think of creative ways to keep your kids busy for a few minutes so you can use the bathroom without an audience (can I get an amen?).

Children's Book of the Week: Belly Button Book! by Sandra Boynton

Belly Button Book! by Sandra Boynton
Shani's Pick

Why I love it: It's a fun and silly book that kids love!

One of my favorite children's book authors is Sandra Boynton.  All her books for babies and toddlers come as board books so they are perfect for little hands and much more durable.  I never have to worry that they pages are going to get ripped out or torn.  It's awesome!

Another thing that is great about these books is that as my daughter starts reading, the words are simple enough that she could learn to read these by herself.

Turns out that I'm not the only one who likes Sandra Boynton's books.  My kids love them as well!  We own about 13 of her books total and they are the books my kids reach for at least half the time they choose a book.  The colors are bright, the illustrations are simple and it is short enough to keep their attention.

The first book of hers that I bought was the Belly Button Book!  It is a silly book about hippos who love their belly buttons.  They all go to Belly Button Beach to show them off to each other.  Boynton uses lots of rhyme throughout her books, which makes for a fun, sing-song rhythm as you read.  My daughter has memorized most of the book simply because the rhyme makes it so easy to remember.  There's also a little bit of humor that kids generally don't catch onto and makes it a fun read for adults as well!

Homemade Gak

About a month ago, my daughter decided that she no longer needed a daily nap.  It was a sad day for me.  Both my kids were taking naps at the same time everyday and I had all sorts of time to myself.  It was amazing!  But at 3.5 years old, she's napped longer than a lot of kids I know.  While I miss my "me time", it's also been fun to have some one on one time with my daughter.  It's also encouraged me to come up with some additional activities for her to do to keep her occupied for the extra hour or two besides coloring or stickers.  So when I found a recipe for some homemade Gak, I knew I had to try it out.

As a kid, I remember seeing commercials for Gak and wanting it so bad (along with every other kid my age)!  I wish I'd know how easy it was to make so I wouldn't have spent $3 every time I wanted a new color or the one I had got all yucky.

When I started pulling out the ingredients I needed to make it, my daughter's interested was immediately peaked and she climbed right up onto the chair next to the counter and wanted to know what we were making.  She wrinkled her nose when I told her, "Gak," but I smiled and just told her to wait and see.

The prep for this activity is pretty simple and if you made the homemade bouncy balls I posted here a few weeks ago, you will (most likely) have everything you need: borax, white glue, food coloring and water.

Home Preschool (Ages 2.5-4) Week Four: Letter D and Number 4

Something to remember about these lesson plans is that the printable version has the printouts that go with it. For example, the "Fasts about The Desert" sheet for this week and the letter and number pages for each week. These are not included in the text on this post.

Here is the printable version of this week's lesson plans: Week Four: Letter D and Number 4

Links found in the lesson plans:
"Hey Diddle Diddle" You Tube Video
Letter D Worksheets
Number 4 Worksheets
"Clair de Lune" You Tube Video
Dolphin Images
Dolphin Coloring Pages
Desert Images

Home Preschool

Age 3: Letter and Number of the Week

Week 4: Lesson Plans for the Letter D and the Number 4

Preparation:

·         Print out large letter and number sheets (included) and post them somewhere the child can see them all week.

·         Create theme word flash cards with the theme word on one side and a picture depicting the word on the other.

·         Print out the poem of the week (included).

·         Create a flashcard with the name of the composer of the week on it.

·         Print out animal/plant word sheet (included), “facts about” page (included), coloring page, and image of the animal/plant of the week.

·         Print out social studies fact sheet (included) and an image of the subject of the week.

·         Collect supplies for art project.

·         Optional: Plan a day for an outing in keep with the theme (ideas included) and buy ingredients for snacks, baking, or cooking in keeping with the theme (ideas included).

Falls Spur and Dam Trail Up Castlewood Canyon

This is one of those hikes within a hike that you could make into an epic journey or just a five minute adventure. We decided to take the semi-adventurous route and started at the Falls Spur Trailhead. This led up to the Dam Trail as well, so we kind of got a two-fer and it wasn't a very long hike. But it was definitely enjoyable and worth it. The whole thing probably took us about an hour to hike, there and back, but we stopped a lot and smelled a lot of flowers. Well, figuratively we did that. Mostly we just checked out the waterfalls and played in the water for all you literal folks out there. But it was the absolute perfect way to spend our Saturday morning and our boys thought this was the most fun hike ever!

Location: Castlewood Canyon West in Franktown, CO
Distance: About 0.5 miles round-trip
Cost: $7 cash to enter the park
Kid-Friendly: Yes
Toddler-Friendly: Yes
Baby-Friendly: Strap 'em on!
Stroller-Friendly: No
Special Notes: This is rattle snake country, so keep an eye out. Maybe read about how to avoid a rattlesnake before you venture out. Or just make lots of noise and stay on the trails.

Glow in the Dark Bath Paint

You know those glow in the dark stars that every kid growing up in the 80's and 90's had?  I remember wanting them so much that I asked for them for my birthday and was so excited to get them!  I put them up all over my walls and ceiling and would rearrange them into different shapes or the initials of my latest crush.  Now that I have kids of my own, they are just as fascinated by things that glow in the dark.  So when I found a "recipe" for glow in the dark bath paint, I was excited to try it out with them.

I looked in a few places online to find out what kind of glow in the dark paint would work best.  I wanted this to be an affordable activity so that my kids could do it often without breaking the bank.  I finally found a good solution at Michaels using their Craft Smart brand.  I bought one bottle of regular glow in the dark paint and then a bottle each of pink, orange, green and blue neon paint of the same brand.  When I was at the local dollar store, I picked up a can of shaving cream.  I also bought a blacklight lightbulb (not pictured) for $3 from Walmart since I plan on doing more glow in the dark activities in the future.  That's all you need!

Butterscotch and Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know this is going to sound strange to 90% of you, but I don't really care for chocolate. I mean, mix with something, it's okay, but I would never really enjoy just sitting down and devouring a ton of chocolate. So as you can imagine, I'm not a huge fan of chocolate chip cookies. But I feel like chocolate chip cookies should be a staple in any home, so I came up with a different way to make them. I mix the chips. So, I get a bag of either semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips and a bag of butterscotch chips and I mix them. The reason I don't do just butterscotch is because I think that tastes too sweet. The mixing of the chips has saved chocolate chip cookies for me, and my family and friends love them too!

Add that to the best chocolate chip cookie recipe that I've ever found (Thanks, Miss Kay and Betty Crocker!), and you get the perfect sort-of-chocolate-chip cookie.

(Click "Read more.." for the recipe!)

Home Preschool (Ages 2.5-4) Week 3: Letter C and Number 3

Each day will take about half an hour and your little ones will love it! My son calls it "school time" and is so excited for it every day!

Here is the printable version of the lesson plans for this week: Week 3: Letter C and Number 3

Links found in the lesson plans:
"Never Smile At A Crocodile" You Tube Video
Letter C Worksheets
Number 2 Worksheets
Frederic Chopin's "Spring Waltz" You Tube Video
Cougar Images
Cougar Coloring Pages
Castle Images
Car Coloring Pages