Sunday, January 29, 2012

Frozen Meals

Since bringing our 3rd little bundle of joy into the world a few months ago, we are doing everything possible to stay organized and prepare as best we can.  I think our biggest struggle is having a decent dinner on the table every night.  I'm not saying we eat junk, but my day is just so much better when I know I don't have to prepare dinner.  Cooking dinner is my least favorite part of the day.  I'd much rather be playing!!!  My husband and I try to prepare as many meals as we can on his days off.

I thought I would start a thread on frozen meals.  I am not sure how I am going to organize this on the blog yet but I will figure something out.  In the meantime I am going to pin the meals on Pinterest.  

"Rules:"

1.  Please only give us meals that can be frozen
2.  Email your recipe to pahmmeals@gmail.com  **Please do not comment on post**
3.  Your recipe can also be a link if it's something off the internet
4.  Only send recipes that you LOVE and had tried yourself. 
5.  If your recipe is taken from somewhere, please source it
6.  When emailing your recipe write it in a form we can easily copy and paste into a blog post.

Submitted Recipes can be seen here PAHM MEALS

I hope this helps you spend less time in the kitchen and more time playing!!  

I will start with the first recipe.... my mom's stuffed shells.  Yum!  

RL  


STUFFED SHELLS

INGREDIENTS:

1 PACKAGE OF JUMBO SHELLS

MIXTURE:

1 CONTAINER OF RICOTTA CHEESE (32oz whole milk)
1 CUP GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE
2 EGGS
6 TABLESPOONS OF PARSLEY
1 1/2 CUPS MOZZARELLA
DASH OF PEPPER
¼ TEASPOON NUTMEG
6 TABLESPOONS SUGAR



YOU ALSO NEED AN ADDITIONAL ½ CUP MOZZARELLA FOR SPRINKLING ON TOP.

SAUCE


DIRECTIONS:

1.     COOK SHELLS (AL DENTE… THEY WILL FINISH COOKING IN THE OVEN). 
2.     COMBINE MIXTURE INGREDIENTS
3.     FILL SHELLS
4.     SPREAD SAUCE ON THE BOTTOM OF 9 X 13 PAN (YOU CAN REALLY USE ANYTHING… SOMETIMES WE USE 2 SMALLER PANS AND USE THIS FOR 2 MEALS.  IT MAKES A LOT OF SHELLS.  3-4 SHELLS IS PLENTY FOR 1 PERSON.)
5.     COVER WITH TINFOIL AND FREEZE
6.     TAKE SHELLS OUT THE NIGHT BEFORE
7.     COVER WITH SAUCE AND BAKE COVERED AT 350 FOR 45 MIN
8.     TOP WITH MOZZARELLA AND BAKE AN ADDITIONAL 15 MINUTES UNCOVERED. 

You have read this article Food Recipes / Frozen Meals / Siblings with the title January 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/01/frozen-meals.html. Thanks!

In Her Own Time

I know the value of following a child's interests. I've witnessed it, the full engagement, curiosity, hypothesis building and rebuilding, cognitive restructuring...yada, yada yada. But that doesn't mean it's always easy; afterall, adults have interests too! I'd been wanting to make birdfeeders since...October? Not Addi. I set up the invitation (twice) and she ignored it. She wasn't interested, or maybe she wasn't ready or she didn't feel connected to the idea. It doesn't really matter. She didn't want to make bird feeders. So we continued to explore her interests...of which there are always plenty. We painted, played hide-and-seek, painted some more, and one day she asked for water beads. As nature would have it, the bowl we left outside the previous day filled with rainwater and had a thick layer of ice on top; Addi decided it would be a perfect place for the beads to "grow."  Later she checked on them and discovered the ice was gone, which led to a discussion on the different properties of water and several trips to the freezer for ice cubes, which we watched melt in the sun. I love watching how she thinks and problem solves and develops her own hypotheses.


Yes, you can smell the water beads
 And then one day (several MONTHS later) it happened..."mom, the birds are eating worms. Hey, can we make bird feeders?" YES! I grabbed my camera ready to document the project, and then she said, "Mom, can you not take pictures, please?" Clearly she had enough picture taking and wanted my undivided attention. Sure.

Because she made birdfeeders at her preschool's Winter Festival she knew the "how to" basics. We went outside to gather pinecones, discussing their different sizes, shapes, and prickly properties: "Ouch! Mom, can you pick them up when I find them?" Sure. "Or how about we use gloves?" That sounds like an idea worth trying.

Then we went back inside where we poured, measured, squished, and ran our fingers through everything while building our birdfeeders. I am not exagerating when I say we spent over an hour exploring and talking about how everything felt, smelled and looked; their differences and similarities, what we liked and disliked about everything, and why, why why ("do you have any ideas, Addi?"). We made a gigantic mess and decided not to clean it up until after we sprinted outside to find the perfect place to hang them...and right before we went outside she said, "you can take some pictures now if you want." Ahhh, thanks little pumpkin spice!

How's this face, mom? Perfect.
We scoped out the trees in our backyard to hang our 9 birdfeeders. Eye level seemed just right!


Yes you can be sure it's hanging securely

I love making and hanging birdfeeders! The mess? Well, it waited until after snack, reading books, bedtime, and until she woke up the next day ready for another action-packed day...after breakfast, that is. Clean-up, like making birdfeeders, was also done in her own time.

Note: I have to admit, sometimes I'm more flexible than other times. Yet I always find that the more flexible I am, the better I am able to connect more deeply with my daughter, which means fewer power struggles & frustrations, and more fun & laughter; and sometimes even better sleep for us all. Of course, it's always easier to feel more flexible when my own curiosities and interests are also satisfied. But when they're not I try to remember it's an opportunity to stretch my mama muscles (coping skills, patience, curiosity about my daughter, etc.).
You have read this article Connection / EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE THROUGH PLAY / Instilling CapabilityWe / Outdoor Play / Sensory Activities with the title January 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/01/in-her-own-time.html. Thanks!

Food Document

For more information on the creation and function of these documents, please click on the links below:


   
INCLUDED:

  • Benefits to your child (infant, toddler, beyond toddler)
  • Directions for both magnets and velcro (for those of you without magnetic refrigerator)
  • 2 pages of fruit
  • 1 1/2 pages of veggies
  • 1 page of common foods
  • 2 types of grocery lists

Click on button below for an instant download
Total Cost is $3.50


Add to Cart





You have read this article Documents with the title January 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/01/food-document.html. Thanks!
Monday, January 23, 2012

Water Bead Document

A few weeks ago we blogged about creating documents from our activities.  You can see the original post HERE.  We received some wonderful feedback.  Thank you all for taking the time to give us your thoughts and suggestions.  

The first document is complete!  We thought we would start with one of our favorites... WATER BEADS!!!!  The document is a compilation of our blog posts on water beads, answers to questions that were asked frequently, and the benefits to your child.  It is broken down into 3 sections: Infant, Toddler, and Beyond Toddler.  It is formatted for easy printing to put in a binder with full pages, as well as by section.  It is 22 pages in length.  Total cost is $3.00.  You can download it and print what works for you.

For those of you who chose to purchase, we would LOVE your feedback.  We are really hoping you enjoy this and it makes your lives a little easier... leaving more time for play!


PREVIEW




Water Beads PDF document 


Add to Cart

View Cart



   


You have read this article Documents / Water Beads with the title January 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/01/water-bead-document.html. Thanks!

Sand Storm

 My son has been really in love with outer space for a while now.  His favorite planet is Saturn and he is fascinated by the sand storms on Mars.  Just before bed we were exploring sand on the light panel - drawing with our fingers, making tracks with airplanes, etc.  I gave him the "five more minutes and its time for books and bed", and then he sucked me into some fun that lasted way more than 5 minutes (its a good thing he really has no concept of time - LOL).  He went into the closet, brought out a straw, and started blowing the sand.  "Its a sand storm, Mommy!!" 





blown sand art - great for oral motor development

"I made two planets, Mommy."




"That round one looks like a crater!  That's cool!"

Apparently it was bright in the room....sunglasses?  LOL
This activity was F-U-N!! 


- AK (MESE, MECD)
You have read this article Imagination / Playing with Light / Rainy Day Play with the title January 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/01/sand-storm.html. Thanks!

Fostering Independence and Empowering Our Children (A compilation)

We have written several posts about ways to instill capability in our children.  When we provide an environment where they can succeed independently, we send so many wonderful underlying messages to them - you are capable, you are worthy, etc.  Giving children choices and power over their world translates in to happy, confident toddlers as well as less power struggles and challenging behaviors.  Here is a compilation of ideas we implement for our children - ranging from ages 7 months to 3 years old.




Accessible and organized clothes....

We hung an extra bar low in my son's closet for easy access to shirts


My son's platform bed has drawers - organized for easy access.
My husband built a shoe rack in our garage where we organize our shoes.  My son's shoes are kept at his height - easy to find, easy to access.


We added hooks low in the entry hall closet for easy access to his jackets




Organized living.....
(Organized, clutter-free spaces lead to organized minds)

My son has his plates, bowls, and utensils in a low drawer where he can access them himself.



We do all of our laundry together - there is no reason to separate anything except into colors, whites, and towels.  I have two baskets in the bottom of the linen closet - one for colors, one for whites - my son puts his dirty clothes in the baskets and has been known to pull them down to the washer to do a load on his own - he's 3.



In another linen closet I have a basket for towels


I don't use this (I did in my classroom when I was teaching, though), but a great way to organize books on tape/CD is by using Ziploc bags.  Easily accessible to the child.

OR




My son has full  access to a CD player and his CDs.  To help him be successful I print the images on sticker paper and stick them to the CDs.



Here is a closer look

Put books on child's level
We installed an extendable shower head so my son can wash his hair independently.

Provide them with stools and such so they can make their own meals.



Tie yarn around doors to allow them to open them.

Make language magnets of food to give them choices.

Give them rhythm charts to allow them some control over planning their day.

Organize snack and have them at child level to give them power over their own eating.

Lastly, and mostly because we just love it, we installed kid friendly toilet seats to offer comfort......





Im sure looking at this some people are thinking - wow, that's so anal - poor kids.  However, its not like we run a boot camp here.  Our children appreciate these opportunities to be independent and we are always there to lend a hand on days where they are feeling less than confident about their abilities.  Imagine living in a home where you can't touch or reach a thing and cant do anything for yourself.  Our homes belong to our children just as much as they do to us.  We are a team and we all help each other.  :)






- AK (MESE, MECD)
You have read this article Connection / Independence / Instilling Capability with the title January 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/01/fostering-independence-and-empowering.html. Thanks!
Saturday, January 21, 2012

SUPPLIES (art, toys)

MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN ASKING WHERE WE GET OUR EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, ETC. FROM. THERE HAS ALSO BEEN A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON WHAT TO GET FOR PRESENTS. WE HOPE THIS PROVIDES SOME ANSWERS FOR YOU. WE WILL ALSO UPDATE WITH OTHER WEBPAGES AND COMPANIES THAT WE LOVE! WE WILL ADD TO THIS AS WE REMEMBER. :-)


Dollar Days Are Back! Save Up To 80% at DiscountSchoolSupply.com!





PAINTS


TEMPERA PAINT

Colorations Simply Washable Tempera Paints 16 oz. - Set of 11 Classic Colors


FINGER PAINT

Crayola Washable Finger Paint - Set of 8


FOAM PAINT

Colorations Foam Paint 8 oz. - Set of 7


LIQUID WATERCOLORS

Colorations Tropical Colors Liquid Watercolor Paint 8 oz. - Set of 8


FLUORESCENT PAINT (GLOWS IN THE DARK UNDER A BLACK LIGHT! AWESOME VIBRANT COLORS)

Colorations Fluorescent Activity Paints 16 oz. - Set of 7


PAINT DABBERS

Do-A-Dot Art Primary Markers - Set of 6


FACE PAINTING

Face Painting Kit

PAINT ACCESSORIES



PAINT BRUSHES

Classic Wooden Chubby Brushes - Set of 24


PAINT CUPS

No-Spill White Lid Paint Cups - Set of 10


SPRAY BOTTLES (GREAT WITH LIQUID WATERCOLORS)

E-Z Pull Extra Large Clear Trigger Sprayers 12 oz.  - Set of 6


BINGO BOTTLES (GREAT WITH LIQUID WATERCOLORS)

Bingo Bottle Refillable Markers with Tips & Caps - Set of 12


PAINT BOTTLES

Nancy Paint Bottles Twist Tops 2 oz. - Set of 12


DROPPERS

Super Safe Plastic Droppers - Set of 12


PAINT A DOT

Colorations Paint-A-Dot Brushes - Set of 12


SPONGES

Easy-Grip Familiar Shape Sponge Stampers 4 Base - Set of 12


SCRAPERS

BioColor Paint Scraper

Paint Scrapers - Set of 4

Colorations Groovy Effects Paint Tools - Set of 12

PAPER



EASEL ROLL

Easel Paper Roll - 18 x 100'

DIFFUSING PAPER (GREAT WITH LIQUID WATERCOLORS AND PAINT DABBERS)

100 Liquid Watercolor Diffusing Paper Shapes


BUTCHER PAPER

Butcher Paper Rolls


BLEEDING TISSUE PAPER

20 x 30 Colorations Premium Bleeding Tissue Paper - 100 Sheets


CLEAR CONTACT (STICKY WINDOW/STICKY BOX/SUN CATCHERS)

Repositionable Clear Con-Tact Cover


SUNPRINT PAPER

Large Sunprint Kit - 8 x 10


CONSTRUCTION PAPER

Set of all 28 - 9 x 12 Colorations Heavyweight Construction Paper



CRAFTS

NUUDLES

Bright Magic Nuudles! - 600 Pieces

DUSTLESS CHALK (GREAT FOR INDOOR CHALK BOARDS)

Colorations Colored Dustless Chalk - 12 Pieces

STAMP PADS

Colorations Classic Colors Jumbo Washable Stamp Pads - Set of 6
UPPERCASE STAMPERS (THEY ALSO HAVE LOWERCASE)
Uppercase Alphabet Stamping Sticks -  26 Pieces

ANOTHER GREAT OPTION FOR SMALLER HANDS (THEY ALSO HAVE UPPERCASE)

Easy-Grip Lowercase Alphabet Stampers 3 - Set of 26
SEA LIFE STAMPERS (THIS IS ONE SET OF MANY DIFFERENT OPTIONS!)

Easy-Grip Sea Life Stampers 3 - Set of 14



RUBBING PLATES

Early Childhood Animal Rubbing Plates 5 - 12 Pieces

COLORED SAND

Colorations Colorful Craft Sand

COLORED MATCHSTICKS

Colored Wood Craft Matchsticks - 2000 Pieces

WIKKI STIX

Wikki Stix - 96 Pieces


GLUE

Colorations Washable School Glue Gallon


Assorted Shapes Ceramic Tiles

Assorted Shapes Ceramic Tiles - 1lb.


GREAT ON THE LIGHT PANEL/PROJECTOR BUT NOT LIMITED TO JUST LIGHT PLAY


WATERBEADS

Slippery Spheres


TRANSLUCENT LETTERS

Colored Translucent Letters - Set of 26

Letter Jewels - 260 Pieces


NEST AND STACK BLOCKS

Nest & Stack with Color Blocks - Set of 6


MAGNA TILES (32 PIECE SET)

Magna-Tiles Clear Colors - 32 Pieces


MAGNA TILES (100 PIECE SET)

Magna-Tiles Clear Colors - 100 Pieces


TRANSLUCENT TILES

Large Translucent Mosaic Craft Tiles - 1 lb.

Translucent Mosaic Shapes


COLOR PADDLES

Color Paddles - 18 Pieces


COOL TUBES

Cool Tube Beads - 1 lb.


PONY BEADS

Translucent Pony Beads - 1 lb.
X-RAYS




TOYS

MEMORY BOX

Memory Builder Discovery Box

INSTA SNOW (AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME IN THE SENSORY BIN!)

Insta-Snow


PEG NUMBER BOARDS

Peg Number Boards


TALL STACKER PEGS

Tall Stacker Pegs - 118 Pieces


MAGNETIC DOLL

Magnetic Dressing Dolls - 80 Pieces

ROLLER BOARD

Roller Board


MINI HOPPER (THEY ALSO HAVE AN 18 INCH ONE FOR OLDER CHILDREN)

15 Mini Hopper


FANTACOLOR

Fantacolor Junior - 48 Pieces


WINDOW BLOCKS

Window Blocks

Refillable Window Blocks - Set of 12


FOAM MAGNETIC LETTERS AND SHAPES

Pop Out Magnetic Letters & Shapes - 26 Pieces

FELT SHAPES

Felt Shapes - 500 Pieces

FELT LETTERS

Felt Letters - 520 Pieces


MAGNET KIT

Junior Magnetic Kit - 72 Pieces


HOP AROUND STEPS

Hop Around Steps - Set of 30

HAMMER AND NAIL DESIGN

Hammer and Nail Design Set

MARBLE RUN

Singing Tree Marble Run

TWEEZERS

Easy Grip Tweezers - Set of 12


SENSORY BALLS

Sensory Balls - Set of 4


ALPHABET SOUP

Alphabet Soup - 136 Pieces


COOKWARE

Chef's Quality Aluminum Cookware - 15 Pieces

TEA SET

Tea Set - 18 Pieces

Clear plastic ornaments.  Great for our post on I-Spy ornaments.

Colorations Clear Ornaments - Sets of 36

CLAY/PLAYDOUGH


HAMMERS

Clay Hammers - Set of 5


Dough cutters

Dough Cutter Assortment & Rollers - Set of 34

CLAY

Moist Modeling Clay - 25 lbs.

TOOL SET

Clay Mega Set - 28 Pieces


MUSIC


TRIANGLE




Triangle

JINGLE WRAP

Brawny Tough Jingle Wrap

EGG SHAKERS

Egg Shakers

CYMBOLS

Brass Cymbals

MUSICAL SCARVES


Musical Scarves Movement Set-19 pcs


RHYTHM STICKS

Rhythm Sticks Movement Set - 25 pcs



EQUIPMENT



ACRYLIC EASEL

2 Way Acrylic Panel Easel


SENSORY TABLE (THIS IS THE ONE WE HAVE BUT THEY DO HAVE DIFFERENT OPTIONS)

Toddler Clear View Mobile Mite


ART/CRAFT TABLE (AGAIN... MANY DIFFERENT OPTIONS/PRICE RANGES)

30 x 48 Rectangle Prima Color Banded Adjustable Table

CHAIRS

12 Quantum V-Back Plastic Stacking Chair with Matching Legs


SELF PORTRAIT MIRROR

Self Portrait Mirror


ACRYLIC MIRRORS

Acrylic Mirror Trays - Set of 6

LIGHT BOX (WE HAVE NOT TRIED THIS BUT IT IS A LOT CHEAPER THAN CONSTRUCTIVE PLAYTHINGS. IF ANYONE TRIES IT LET US KNOW!)

LightTracer LightBox

LIGHT PANEL

Tabletop Light Box
You have read this article Art/Toys/Equipment We Love / Discount supplies with the title January 2012. You can bookmark this page URL http://happychild2210.blogspot.com/2012/01/supplies-art-toys.html. Thanks!