Walking Water Rainbow Bridge

It is Kenzie's spring break so we have been finding some fun things to do at home!  We decided to try the Walking Water Rainbow Bridge Science Experiment.  It was super easy and she loved it!  It was a fun way to learn about wicking and color combinations, oh, and patience.  While waiting, she dyed eggs, went to the museum, had lunch, went to cheer practice, met a friend at a park and then stepped outside to smell the rain.  Oh how we love the smell of rain.

Here is our YouTube video with instructions under the video.



Have a great day and enjoy doing fun experiments with your kiddos!

Chick fil A Superfood Side Salad - LOVE!

Ok, so I discovered the superfood side salad at Chick fil A recently and I LOVE it!  I was having this salad at lunch with a client and she was all "Oh, I made it at home, no big deal, so easy".  So I figured I could try it too!  And it was so good!

Here are the ingredients on the Chick fil A website:

Superfood Side    

Broccolini®, kale, maple vinaigrette dressing (maple syrup, soybean oil, water, brown sugar, onion ([including dehydrated], distilled vinegar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce [water, soybeans, salt, alcohol], balsamic vinegar, salt, spice, xanthan gum, potassium sorbate and sodium benzoate added as preservatives, maltodextrin, dextrose, canola oil, yeast extract, natural flavor, calcium disodium EDTA to protect flavor), dried cherries (cherries, sugar, sunflower oil), roasted nut blend (glazed walnuts [walnuts, sugar, natural flavor, canola oil], roasted almonds, glazed pecans [pecans, sugar, natural flavor, canola oil]).

Ok, Easy enough.  I did not consult the google, but I'm pretty sure that they do not sell maple vinaigrette to the public.  Ok, I just googled and it looks like you're supposed to make your own dressing.  What.  Anyways, I bought regular balsamic vinaigrette and added some "maple" syrup (some weird stuff from whole foods that my 3 year old uses for her pancakes).  Done.  No homemade dressing necessary.

So here is my 3 minute recipe!!

INGREDIENTS:

-Broccolini (so cute, I didn't know it existed either, it's located somewhere near the broccoli... or lettuce depending on your store)
-Kale (I bought purple kale because why not)
-Nuts: Almonds, Walnuts and Pecans
-Dried Cranberries or Cherries if you can find them
-Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
-Maple Syrup
-Fork

INSTRUCTIONS:
(I know, you can totally figure this out... but just in case)

-tear apart some kale and throw it in a bowl
-cut up some broccolini and throw it in said bowl
-add some dried cranberries
-add whatever nut mixture you want (I used Pecans and Walnuts)
-stir in whatever amount of balsamic vinaigrette you want (my husband dies a little inside when I don't measure)
-add a dash of maple syrup (or don't - it was still good without it

WHA LA! Or voilà as the French would say.  So good!!!  EXCEPT, it gets in your teeth - BAD.  So remember to check your teeth before you start confidently chatting it up with your neighbors.





I used Marzetti Simply Dressed Balsamic Vinaigrette and Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Pancake Syrup - probably no maple in it but whatever.

Cute and Easy Toddler Hair Ideas! :)

Here are some easy hair ideas for a wiggly, busy toddler!  All of these hairstyles are meant to keep hair of your little one's eyes so they can play uninhibited!  Here are some easy Elsa braids or "princess braids" as well.  Who doesn't love easy, cute, functional hair.  :)

Also, here is our favorite hair brush!

Half Up, Half Top Knot

Half Inside Out French Braid

Inside Out French Braid

Inside Out French Braid around the side

Pig tail braids pinned up

Elsa sideways inside out french braid with bangs braided to keep out of her face.

Middle part with bangs braided and then put in messy pig tails

Bangs braided and pinned back

Easy Top Knot

Bangs back with low pony

Top Knot with a twist

Star Wars Princess Leia twist pig tail buns

Messy top knot

Bangs back with messy pony

Bangs braided and pinned back

Pin me! :)

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Reading with my Kenzie is my favorite part of each day.  After bath and a few games of hide n seek, we cuddle up and read 5 to 15 books each night (depending on how many times I give in to "just one more" after we've finished our original pile).  At 3 1/2 Kenzie has really started to enjoy Dr. Seuss!  She's obsessed with "Wocket in my Pocket" because she loves to rhyme.  And she loves "Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb" because we get to drum on the book.  And, of course, "Go, Dog, Go" is so exciting and wacky.  Do you like my hat? No, I do not like your hat.  But my favorite is "Oh, the Places You'll Go" because I can daydream about her future as we read it together.  

Aside from fabulous quotes and fun books to read with my little one, there are so many things we can learn about the late Mr. Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel and his widow Audrey Stone Geisel.  Here are just a few fun facts about them. 

1. I read that his first children's book was rejected 27 time before it was published!  

2.  He did not have any children and the unpredictability of children unnerved him.

3.  He was quite the philanthropist.  His wife is especially generous with donations.  

4.  Even though they lived much of their lives in SoCal, Audrey Stone Geisel or "Mrs. Dr. Seuss" grew up in the Chicago area and earned a nursing degree form IU in the 1940s.   And as president of the Dr. Seuss Fund and Dr. Seuss Foundation, she has contributed to many causes in support of literacy, health care, the arts, and education.

There is always more to the story.  I just heard something about a "human library" in Denmark where you can "check out" people to listen to their stories.