Tres Leches Cake

Delicious for any occasion

Homemade Watercolors

For homeschoolers, or just fun at home

DIY Toothpaste

Great for good health, and a happy pocketbook

Vegetarian Meals for the Whole Family

Even picky kids will love these meat-less dishes

Sewing Projects and Tips

Even more tutorials to come soon

Monday, January 16, 2012

Fives, Counting To and Counting By

This week The Princess and I have been working on the number 5, as well as planting some basil for our kitchen window. We combined these two for a fun activity she loved. We're counting and learning about plants!

We went into the pantry, and grabbed some beans.
We used some pintos, chick peas, white beans, red beans, black beans and lentils. We also grabbed 3 paper towels and 6 snack-sized zip-lock bags.  We cut the paper towels in half and the width was perfect for the bags. Folded into fourths, we lightly wet them and tucked them into the bags.

We counted together 5 of each bean, and put each group in a bag. We counted as we took them out of the container, into the bag, and as we lined them up in the bag. That was a lot of counting to 5. 

Then, we hung them up and counted them in their bags- BY five. We talked about how each group of 5 added up to thirty, and how we saved time counting in fives. 

We're also counting as we check them for sprouts and discuss how they are growing and the parts of the plant. This activity will last us weeks!
Lentils

Red beans

White beans

Chick peas

Pintos

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Freezing Bacon

Mmmmm.....bacon. Bacon on sale? DOUBLE Mmmm! A lot of the bacon we eat is chopped and used to flavor dishes, but we do enjoy the occasional fry up. I just snagged myself a 10 pound box of sliced bacon at 14.99. I didn't mind that some of it would probably end up ends and bits since we use a lot of that anyways. Even if it was 5 lbs of it, we would gladly use every bit! Many people avoid buying bacon in bulk because putting it up is such a hassle. You can't just throw the box into the freezer, it would be one giant clump. Here is how I put up our box of bacon.

First, you will need a box of waxed paper, your bacon, and about 15 minutes.
Start unrolling your waxed paper on a table or counter, fold over about 6-8 inches now, it will be a pain later.
Unroll a sizable amount, but do not tear off.
Start laying out slices of bacon at the crease. They don't have to be terribly far apart, but not touching.

When you get close to the roll of paper, you can begin folding, which will turn into rolling. Fold the flap you created earlier over those first couple slices. Fold the first slice over the second, and then fold again, then it will start to roll in on itself.
As you roll it up, unroll some fresh paper, keeping a continuous roll o'bacon. When you have rolled all your bacon, roll it in some more paper before you tear it off, tuck the ends (they'll kind of cover themselves...)and toss in the freezer. You can now use as little, or as much bacon as you wish from the roll. And hopefully, save money!

I also froze the bits and pieces, (NOT half the box surprisingly!)
I cut them up into bits with kitchen shears, and divided them up into snack-sized zip bags that I put into a labeled freezer bag. I also got a few bags of lovely snow-white fat to render. I see some bacon biscuits and cornbread in my near future! Yum!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Another Cute Find + a Mini Giveaway

Remember when I blogged about finding some super cute shaped ice cube trays at Halloween time? This week I found another cute tray at Dollar General. Just in time for Valentine's day!
I got three...two for making ice...and one for crafts. They were a buck each, niiiice.

My first craft.....
Crayons!
I used my microwave to melt my crayon bits since I'm not really sure these cheapy trays are really silicone....I'd hate to melt them!

Each little "set" has a reds-pinks heart, an oranges-yellows heart, a greens heart, a blues heart, and a purples heart. They're a big hit at my house, and I can't wait to see what else I can make! (I'm thinking soaps!)

Followers of the Disheveled Mommy Facebook page may have noticed a new tab on the page. "Top Fans". Just a cute little way to acknowledge all the little comments and love you leave. This week, since I have an extra set of little heart crayons, I'm gonna pass them on! I'll check the "Top Fans" tab Saturday evening, and the follower who's sitting at #1 will be sent the set! (So, you must be following us on FB to participate...)


Wednesday, January 4, 2012

My Solution: Mini Glitter Jars

My preschooler LOVES glitter. She also loves to glue glitter to paper. It's gorgeous, but because I don't want 7 jars of glitter on my floor, I have to dump it into piles of a manageable size for her. She hates that. She wants to shake it. I do not blame her.
Soooooo...I finally came up with a solution! Remember those make up jars I mentioned in the previous post? The ones I used for little watercolor pots? They were PERFECT for a bit of each colored glitter! And even better, they stacked up nicely in a little star-shaped bowl I had, so she can grab and put away this activity as needed. (Like when I'm cooking! Or scrubbing!) I put a little snap-shut container for glue in the bottom, that she can open, but it still shuts tight. The glue can be painted on the paper with a little brush, or q-tip. Now I'm thinking of other activities that can fit inside these bowls for her.




Monday, January 2, 2012

Homemade Fun: Watercolors

She CAN blend!
Lately out little artist has fallen in love with watercolor painting. So, naturally, I googled to see if there was a way to make our own! TONS and TONS of hits. The most repeated recipe seems to be this one:

  • 3 Tablespoons of baking soda
  • 3 Tablespoons of corn starch
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons corn syrup
  • 3 Tablespoons white vinegar
  • Several drops of food coloring for each color made
Mix all but the coloring together. Wait for the fizzing to stop, and stir thoroughly. Poor into your chosen containers. I saw everything from ice cube trays, to plastic baby food cups, and craft-store mixing pallets. I chose to re-purpose some little jars I have washed for re-use that are from mineral make up I previously pressed into pallets. I've got several uses for these I'll be sharing as I remember to photograph them!

Next, have a little fun mixing in your colors. I noticed as mine dried that I should have taken into consideration that my containers were smaller than most others...and my extra drops of color rose to the top and impeded drying. I panicked for a quick moment, then ran and grabbed a few cotton balls. I barely touched them to the excess, and the wicked it right up! WHEW!

Let dry overnight, and enjoy.




And they even have handy lids! =-)

Freebie!: Red Bull 4 Pack

Check out this link and fill out a couple forms (Declare your new years resolutions...) to get your free 4 pack of sugar free Red Bull. (YuM!)