Kids Archives | Modernistic ®

Ways to Get Your Kids to Help Organize Their Room

Posted Friday, March 22nd, 2019

If your kids are anything like mine, they are not big fans of organizing. In fact, they will do just about anything to avoid organizing or cleaning their room! Once the room is tidy they always have so much more fun playing in it, and ultimately making it messy again. Now as parents, accepting that your kid’s room will never be TOTALLY clean or STAY totally clean can (hopefully) relieve some of your stress. Some simple tools and planning can really help provide a method to the madness of toys, stuffed animals, kiddo clothes, and painful-to-step-on Legos. With some practical, easy-to-learn organizational techniques (and some deep breathing), you can realize the dream and get your kid to keep their own room organized!

Pickup Time Is Fun Time

If you are struggling to make storage, organization, and cleaning fun, take a tip from Mary Poppins and try to combine it with play! One of my daughter’s favorite games is tea party, which involves getting out all her stuffed animals, toy food, and dishes. When she is done serving tea, she loves to arrange all her toy food and dishes inside of her Fisher Price refrigerator. She has fun doing it and (please don’t tell her this) is actually organizing her room!
All her stuffed animals used to live on her bed which was super cute and cozy. The downside was every night when she got in bed every stuffed animal would go on the floor. Then it would turn into a fight about who picked them up, where did they belong on the bed, how long it took to put them away, everything! We were both tired of it to say the least. Our solution was to get something to store just the stuffed animals in. She choose an enormous pink plastic bucket and ever since we got it that is where her animals have lived. No stress, no fuss, and they are still all within reach of the bed.

Let Them Choose

Letting your child have a say in how they are storing their things makes a huge difference. I let my daughter pick out her container to store her stuffed animals and she even choose a few other organizers for her art supplies and barbies. The fact that she got to make a choice about her room and storage made her feel like such a big kid, she was proud to use them and fill them with her belongings!
Another easy way to make tidying easier for kids is to put it at their level. We use cubbies that are low along the floor so she can have easy access to toys and books. Some of the cubbies have light baskets or boxes so she can easily take out or put back the bins and carry them to wherever she is playing in the house. This helps when it come to clean up time too. Another fun thing is to create labels or use stickers to indicate what is stored in each box. What kid doesn’t love stickers?
When it comes to kids clothes organization is a huge sticking point. Fortunately, there are many many options depending on your child’s messiness levels and space available. Cubbies are great for clothes if your child is better with folding or if your kiddo is still small and not able to reach hangers or higher dresser drawers. Keeping folded clothes in cubbies as opposed to drawers make it easier for children to see their favorite clothing items, which is important for the kids who are learning to pick out their own clothes and dressing themselves. I’m sure you know what it can be like when you pick out the wrong shirt for them!
If you have a closet and if your kid doesn’t mind hanging up clothes (somehow mine LOVE to hang clothes up) that is a great way to store outfits so they are off the ground and visible. If your kiddo is still a toddler, consider having 2 rows of clothes by simply adding another tension rod in the middle of the closet. You can keep their most commonly worn or favorite outfits down below and fancier clothes, seasonal outfits, and clothes that don’t quite fit yet on top. Get a step stool so they can reach both rows of outfits! Having control over their choice of outfit can really make your child feel empowered.

Just Put It Under The Bed

If you have additional items to be stored that do not have to be visible or easily accessible, consider under-the-bed storage. There are so many different options! If you want easily accessible storage, look for drawers that can be pulled out. Many stores carry drawers with options of a cover or no cover, depending on what you are storing. This would be a great idea if your child “cleans their room” by stuffing all their things under the bed.

The biggest hurdle with organizing for your child is getting them to take the reins when it comes to maintaining and organizing their own space. This is usually an ongoing struggle and learning process for both children and parents! Don’t shy away from talking with your child about where they keep their toys and how they keep their toys. Children love making decisions for themselves, so allow this organization journey to be an opportunity for them to make choices about their room and their belongings.

Indoor Games Your Kids Will Love

Posted Friday, February 15th, 2019

We are all looking for some time away from screens. But when our Michigan weather is cold, snowy, wet, or otherwise inclement, it can be tough to find fun things for kids to do; you can only play in the snow for so long before everyone gets too cold! With all the snow days our kids have had recently, it can be tough to find activities to keep them entertained for a full day. Pry the tablets and phones away from your kids (or grandkids) and spend some quality time playing these fun indoor games and activities!

Paper Airplane Race

Use copy paper to fold paper airplanes. Compete to see who can fly their plane the farthest, or give the best air show of loops and twists. You can use tape, paperclips, or other supplies to make your planes more complex. Or, you can use markers and stickers to make them more beautiful!

Plastic Bowling

Use a tennis ball and empty pop bottles to turn your living room or hallway into a bowling alley. You could even decorate one of the pins with markers and give it away as a prize like at a real bowling tournament. Or, when you are finished playing, you could visit the bottle and can return and give the money to the winner!

Wax Paper Skating

Wrap wax paper around the children’s feet and secure with tape or rubber bands. On a hard surface floor, like in the kitchen, tape off a clear area for the “ice rink.” Each child takes turns as figure skater or judge, and performs to music of their choice or scores 1-10, just like at the Olympics.

Animal Charades

Silently act out an animal while others guess. Depending on the ages playing, you can write the animals down or use small pictures. Each player takes turn drawing an animal from the hat and acting it out. For variation, you can use animal sounds instead of silent actions.

Pen and Paper Games

Simple pen and paper games like tic tac toe, hangman, dots and boxes are easy to put together. A homemade version of Scattergories (sometimes called Categories or Alphabet) is simple enough. Take turns picking the category (movies, animals, names, etc.) and write down a word for each letter of the alphabet. Points are given for unique answers. Pictionary takes charades and puts it down on paper (or dry erase board). Connect four can easily be played with paper and pen simply draw a 10×10 grid and take turns drawing Xs and Os. Up to you if you want gravity to apply like in the store-bought version!

Clean Like a Modtech

Grab a toy vacuum or a corn popper push toy and pretend to clean the carpet, just like a Modtech! Have your kids start at one end of the room and work toward the other end, “cleaning” the entire carpet as they go. You can show them or let them figure out the most efficient ways to cover every square inch with their cleaning instrument of choice (of course, it helps if they’ve seen a professional Modcleaning in action!). You can make it a game: whoever finishes their entire room first gets the prize!

Hopefully, with these games in mind, you can find hours of fun with the kids in your home. These games and activities may be old fashioned, but they never go out of style.

Even during the coldest winter weather, Modernistic has been keeping Michigan homes clean and ready to play in since 1973! Call or click today to have an expert Modtech take care of your indoor activity area.

Simple Holiday Desserts Your Kids Can Make

Posted Friday, December 14th, 2018

Kids always have room for dessert, right? Too full for broccoli but never too full for dessert! Don’t put yourself out making fancy and complicated sweets for your kids; make them do it! If they want the sweet stuff, they will be more than willing to help in the kitchen. At least will be when dessert is on the line! These are tried and true treats that kids love to eat and, with some practice, love to make.

As always, we recommend full adult supervision anytime kids are in the kitchen – cooking or otherwise!

Sugar Cookies for Santa

Baking is fun, but decorating is even more fun! Have your little one pick out fun and seasonal cookie cutter shapes and decide on the frosting colors.

For cookies:

¾ Cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For frosting:

1 cup powdered sugar
2/3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
1 tablespoon corn syrup

Preheat oven to 375. In a small bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and baking powder. In a different larger bowl mix the butter and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla and then gradually stir in the bowl of dry ingredients. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake 8-10 min or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet to cool before removing and icing.

While the cookies bake combine the powdered sugar, corn syrup, and milk in a bowl and whisk until smooth. If it is a little too runny add more sugar, if it is a little too thick add more milk. If you are planning on doing different colors, separate the icing into different smaller bowls and whisk in the food coloring. A little food coloring goes a long way so only add 1-2 drops if you want lighter colors. Once your cookies are fully cool you can get to decorating! Don’t hold back either: get out the sprinkles and colored sugar and really go crazy on these cookies for Santa!

Extra Fluffy Rice Krispie Treats

Fluffy marshmallows and crispy rice make a perfect combination. Rice Krispies are a classic treat that will put a smile on anyone’s face. This recipe uses the microwave instead of the stovetop, so it is a perfect starter recipe for smaller children who don’t have a lot of experience in the kitchen.

3 tablespoons butter
1 package mini marshmallows
4 cups Rice Krispies cereal

First things first get out a 13×9 pan and coat with cooking spray. Set this aside. Get out a medium microwave-safe bowl and pass to your kid so they can dump in the butter and most of the marshmallows. Set the remaining marshmallows aside. Cook on HIGH for 2 minutes, then stir. Cook for 1 more minute and then stir until smooth. Add in rice crispy cereal and stir until well coated with the marshmallow and butter mixture. Now add in the marshmallows you set aside earlier and stir them in. This is what makes these treats extra fluffy! Use a spatula coated in cooking spray to press mixture into prepared pan. Try to spread it evenly so your treats will all be the same thickness. Let them cool and then cut into squares. Ready to eat!

Oreo Balls

Kid love this recipe because you get to smash a lot of Oreos, turn them into balls, and dip things in chocolate. No baking involved!

40 Oreo Cookies
1 8 oz Package of Cream Cheese
2 cups of Semi Sweet Chocolate chips

First place your 40 Oreos in a big ziplock bag and pass that on to your kids to crush. They can use their hands, but the back of a small saucepan or a kitchen spoon may be easier for little hands. While they are making Oreo crumbs, pull out the cream cheese and let it soften up a little. Once the Oreos are thoroughly crumbled mix the crumbs with the softened cream cheese in a large bowl. Your child will probably want to stir, so just make sure the ingredients are fully blended or they will not stick together as easily. Once blended start shaping the mixture into 1 inch balls. Place them on a wax lined baking sheet. Once all your balls are made freeze them for 10 minutes.

While your Oreo balls are freezing melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. No double boiler you say?? Just fill a small saucepan halfway with water and place a metal bowl filled with the chocolate chips on top. The heat from the boiling water will melt the chocolate chips. Don’t walk away and keep stirring because they melt fast! When the chocolate has melted, set it aside and get the Oreo balls from the freezer.

One by one dip the Oreo balls into chocolate and place back onto the baking sheet. Keep some towels on hand cause this is going to get fun and messy. Once you have coated them all in chocolate keep them in the fridge for about 1 hour or until firm. Then they are ready to gobble up and enjoy!

Dirt and Worms

I don’t know of anyone, no matter their age, who doesn’t enjoy eating dirt and worms. This dessert is almost as much fun to make as it is to eat.

2 cups of milk
1 package of gummy worms
1 package instant chocolate pudding
12 chocolate cream filled cookies

Get out a 9×13 baking dish, set aside. Put the cookies into a ziplock bag and crush into crumbs using a rolling pin. Set aside. In a separate bowl whisk the pudding mix and milk together following the pudding instructions. Sprinkle about the 1/3 of the crushed cookies into the bottom of the pan and a handful of gummy worms. Pour the rest of the chocolate pudding over these crumbs and then spoon the rest of the crumbs on top of the pudding so it looks like dirt. Poke the rest of the gummy worms

How To Get Slime Out Of Carpet – The Simple & Quick Way

Posted Wednesday, October 3rd, 2018

I dropped slime on my carpet – and my kid saw the whole thing.

It happened right in the middle of our living room. We were making homemade slime, everybody’s favorite non-Newtonian fluid, and right after I asked my son to avoid making a mess, I knocked the bowl off the table and directly onto the living room floor.

Egg on my face and slime in my carpet!

Naturally, my kid thought this was poetic justice incarnate – and the funniest thing he’s ever seen. As he was laughing, however, I was dialing the phone. I had a very pressing need to find out how to get slime out of carpet, and I knew exactly who could help.

You see, I happen to work for the best carpet cleaning company in Michigan, and I happen to know the foremost authority on carpet spots and stains: Tom!

Tom’s (Not So Secret) Formula

Over the phone, our resident carpet chemistry expert Tom put all 30+ years of his exhaustive cleaning knowledge to use and told me exactly how to get slime out of carpet with some simple household cleaning products:

What You Need:

Plastic putty knife (or old credit card)
Household vacuum cleaner
White vinegar
All-natural citrus cleaner
Hot water
Spray bottle
Clean white towels (or paper towels)

Steps to Remove Slime From Carpet

1. Scrape off as much slime as possible
Using a putty knife (or, in a pinch, an old credit card works great too), scrape up as much of the slime from the carpet. There will most likely be lots of it left in the fibers

2. Vacuum the area
Get your vacuum out and vacuum up as much of the surrounding area as possible.

3. Mix up your white vinegar solution
In a spray bottle, combine 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts water.

4. Apply white vinegar solution to slime
Spray your white vinegar solution on the slime and allow it to soak into the carpet fibers.

5. Blot
Using clean white towels or paper towels, blot (don’t rub!) the slime until it’s completely removed from the carpet. Repeat steps 4 and 5 if necessary!

6. Apply citrus cleaner
If there’s a stain left after all the slime is removed, apply your citrus cleaner and allow it to soak into the area.

7. Rinse
Rinse the spot with a small amount of hot water, but don’t saturate the carpet!

8. More blotting
With your clean white/paper towels, blot until the stain is gone and the area is dry. Again, repeat the last two steps if necessary!

9. Call Modernistic!
If following the above steps fail to remove the slime stain, then it’s time to call in the experts who know exactly how to get slime out of carpet with state-of-the-art equipment – you’ve done all you can do by yourself, now let the professionals take care of your carpet problem. We’ve dealt with all kinds of carpet stains, and our 100% Customer Satisfaction Guarantee means you can be confident you’re getting the best possible carpet cleaning.

I’ll admit, slime is super fun. After we took care of the slimed carpet (I had my son do the blotting), we mixed up a new batch and stretched, poked, squeezed, and prodded to our hearts’ content – in the kitchen this time, over some easy-to-clean tile.

Modernistic has been cleaning up the messes Michigan kids have made for the last 45+ years! Call or click today if you’ve had a slime (or any other type of carpet) catastrophe.

Fun Activities to Get Kids Moving

Posted Friday, August 10th, 2018

Summer means freedom! Finally, a chance for kids to release all that pent-up energy from the school year. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for the couch to look a little bit better than some actual fun in the sun. Here are some ways to beat boredom and get kids moving that you might even enjoy.

Outdoors

Nature Walk
Take a walk around your local park, neighborhood, or even your own backyard! See how many plants, animals, insects, and birds you can identify. Bring a magnifying glass to get a closer look at pretty plants and insects. If you have a child that likes to collect nature souvenirs like rocks, sticks, or flowers, bring a bucket or backpack to fill with treasures. Take the time to explore at your child’s pace. You will be surprised how much learning can happen on a small walk outdoors!

Sprinkler Obstacle Course
Sprinklers are a great way to get kids moving, occupying them for hours running and jumping back and forth over it. So why not make it a little more interesting? There are so many things laying around your house that you can incorporate into your obstacle course: Kiddie pools, slip in slides, more sprinklers! If you have a trampoline or a plastic play house you can make the course go through, around, or under these! Involve your kids in planning the course and get creative!

Water Fight
Classic summer fun. All you need is a few squirt guns and water balloons. Fill up lots of water balloons and store them in large plastic totes or buckets, or even a kiddie pool! Get a large number of kids together (your own or even some neighborhood children) and split everyone into teams. Water Guns versus Water Balloons could be a fun challenge, or even the playing field and give each team a few guns and balloons. Remember to provide proper eye protection to avoid any accidents. Let the fun begin!

Indoors

Karaoke Dance Party
You can have a Karaoke Dance Party even if you don’t have a Karaoke machine! Youtube has tons of karaoke videos you can sing a long too. Find your kids’ favorite songs and make a playlist. You could even have your own little American Idol competition! If you have any dancers in the family encourage them to choreograph a dance to go along with their song, help them come up with the moves! If you wanted to go all out you could even create a stage with some curtains and pick out fun and crazy costumes to sing in.

Yoga
This activity can be indoor or outdoor, depending on the heat. Getting kids in “quiet mode” can be a bit of a struggle. Yoga is a fun activity that engages children and helps them to slow down their mind and body. There are many yoga videos geared towards child audiences available online. Many of them focus on animals or story telling along with the poses. Explore with your child so you can choose one that you both will enjoy! If you do not have yoga mats just do your practice on a carpeted area or area rug. It can be very slippery on hardwood!

Floor is Lava
You might remember this game from your childhood. The bigger the room the better for this particular game. The rules are simple: The floor is lava, everything else is not! Use pillows or couch cushions to create paths across the room and choose a large piece of furniture to be home base and the out zone. If you step on the floor you get burned and you are out for 10 seconds. One person can play “Lava Monster” and stand or crawl on the floor and try to catch other players. If the lava monster catches you become a lava monster yourself!!

With these fun activities up your sleeve you should be able to remedy your little ones’ couch potato syndrome and get kids moving. Remember to have fun and to be creative, none of these games are set in stone! Soon your kids might even be bothering you to get off the couch!

Summer activities are fun, but they also can be very messy! Trust the cleaning experts at Modernistic to keep your carpet, upholstery, tile, and hardwood floors looking their best this summer. Click or call today for more info!

Simple & Quick Recipes to Make With Your Grandkids

Posted Thursday, August 2nd, 2018

The kitchen can be a great place to build lasting memories. You can made healthy snacks, wholesome desserts, and spend some quality time together with your grandchildren. It can be an excellent opportunity to get eyes off of screens, measuring ingredients, looking at old cook books, or learning cutting skills. But, you can also use the Internet to find some recipes you and your grandkids will love making, sharing, and eating. Here are just a few Simple & Quick recipes to make with your grandkids that will help create those bonding memories.

Ants On A Log
Celery sticks filled with peanut butter (or the nut butter of your choice) or cream cheese, topped with raisins, craisins, berries, or even goldfish crackers. If you use goldfish crackers, consider changing the “Ants On A Log” name to something fishier… like Nemo snacks.

Pie
Think of your favorite pie recipe when you were their age and teach your grandkids how to make it; chances are they’ll love it too! You might have a favorite pie crust recipe that you are hoping to pass down, but if not, the grocery store sells pie crust in the freezer aisle or near the cookie dough. Either way, the pie will be great!

Jam
It can be a lot of fun to pick strawberries, blueberries, or even wild raspberries if you have the chance. And one of the best ways to make those berries last the year is to make jam. If you’ve never made jam before, freezer jam is a stress-free way to go. You don’t have to worry about boiling, pressurizing, pasteurizing, etc that you would with traditional canning.

Cookies
I’ve never met a cookie I didn’t enjoy making and eating. Weather you buy frozen dough balls and plop them on a sheet pan, or you mix up an old family recipe from scratch, you are sure to have a good time. Tollhouse puts their chocolate chip cookie recipe on every bag of chocolate chips.

Kiddy Cocktails
Mix up the always popular Shirley Temple (Sprite with Grenadine) and watch an old Shirley Temple movie. Blend up a thin mint milk shake, inspired by the classic Grasshopper drink, and watch Pinocchio.

Whether you have family recipes you want to pass down to future generations, or you want to build some new traditions, these Simple & Quick recipes to make with your grandkids will help you make lasting memories with the young ones you love most.

Have Your Kids Help With Cleaning This Spring

Posted Wednesday, May 9th, 2018

Cleaning with your kids is a great opportunity to bond, teach life skills, and have some help with housework (they live here too, you know!). Kids aren’t born knowing how to clean, so it is important to choose age appropriate tasks, use one step commands, and model ideal habits. You want to choose tasks that are not too complex or require fine motor-skills beyond the child’s development. Asking a small child to dust breakable knick-knacks might seem simple, but you are setting yourself up for broken glass and tears. With your little ones in mind, here are a few ways to have your kids help with cleaning around the house.

Keep It Simple

One step commands can help prevent kids from being overwhelmed, confused, and distracted. Young kids don’t really understand what “clean your room” means until you teach them. “Put all of your toys into the toy box,” is a one step command that a child can understand. Once that is done, the child will feel a sense of accomplishment, and you can give them another one step command to do.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

It is also important to clean WITH your child. Sending them to another room to clean feels like a punishment, but if they are helping you clean it will feel like teamwork. This gives you an opportunity to demonstrate how to clean, give encouragement, prevent distraction, and share quality time together.

Your child is learning by watching you, so try to keep a positive attitude, give gratitude for their efforts, and look for opportunities to learn and practice skills. Cleaning can give kids a sense of accomplishment, and make them feel like a valuable and contributing part of the family.

Recleaning behind them undermines having your kids help with cleaning. Imagine working hard to learn a new skill, giving your best effort, and having your mentor completely redo your project. Talk about frustrating!

If your child’s attempt isn’t living up to your standards (totally understandable) you can always demonstrate and give advice on how to improve.

Learning Step by Step

Some things, like making a bed, will slowly get better with time. You can start by teaching your child to put a blanket on the top and place pillows/stuffed animals. Eventually you can build on those tasks as their motor skills develop so that, in time, they can make the full bed. It will probably start out looking sloppy, but, with a little patience, your kid will be making the bed like a pro.

Of course, if you know that you are super particular about streak free windows or crisply folded linens, some tasks are better left to you. Be aware of your expectations and your child’s abilities; that way, everybody’s happy!

Chore ≠ Bore

Since not everyone loves to clean (gasp!), here are some ways to make cleaning a bit more fun and engaging for kids:

Pump the Tunes – Listening to upbeat music can help anyone at any age with making cleaning a bit more enjoyable. Dance breaks are encouraged. Singing cleanup songs can actually help children focus on simple tasks. Consider adding a cleanup song to your routine!
Turn Cleaning Into A Game – How many pieces can we put away in 5 minutes? Can you vacuum the living room faster than you did last time? Breaking up cleaning into these small time chunks provides more opportunities to feel accomplished. This makes cleaning more enjoyable!
Jr’s Cleaning Company, Inc – Get your little one a caddy with their own cleaning supplies. Natural cleansers, socks for cleaning floors, microfiber cloth for dusting, kid sized rubber glove, etc. You could even get a little apron or overalls with your child’s name. They can pretend to own a cleaning company, and you could play the customer.
Expiration Date Detective – Have your child look for expired foods to clean out fridge and pantry. Let them choose a snack (non-expired, of course!) as a reward!

Using these methods to have your kids help with cleaning is a great way to teach them responsibility and instill good habits for the future, but there’s another benefit that’s much more short-term: Your house? It gets cleaned. And you have to do less and less of the work yourself as your kids get older and more capable. Eventually, you can just sit back, refreshing drink and/or snack in hand, while the kids take care of all of the Spring Cleaning themselves, freshening up the house without you having to lift a finger… That’s the dream anyway. Reality may differ slightly!

If your kid can operate a truck-mounted 50k hot water extraction machine capable of injecting 240-degree cleaning solution at 500 PSI and pulling 450 CFM, you probably don’t need Modernistic to clean your carpet. If they can’t, our expert technicians are more than happy to give you the absolute best Spring Cleaning possible! Call or click today.

Fun Healthy Lunches for Kids

Posted Wednesday, March 21st, 2018

We love to have fun with our kids, and kids love to have fun with their food. Instead of trying to stop kids from playing with their food it’s a great idea to re-harness this energy by bringing them into the kitchen. Getting children engaged with ingredients and dishes they really like and involving them when you prepare meals will benefit everyone in your household, and you will all have fun cooking together! Here are just a few ideas for fun healthy lunches for kids to get you started!

School Lunches

If you make your children’s lunches the night before, have your kids help! Below are some simple recipes for lunches that are fun to make, taste good, and are good for your kids!

Meat and Cheese Roll Ups

Favorite sliced lunch meat
Favorite sliced cheese*

These roll ups are simple to make, very filling and you are practically playing with food as you roll them up! These are delicious, protein heavy, and gluten free!

-Lay a slice of meat on a clean surface, lay a slice of cheese on top and then cover the cheese with another slice of meat.-Fold one end over and begin to roll up.

-Place 2-3 in a sandwich bag.

*If you don’t have sliced cheese don’t fret! Cut a rectangle of cheese and wrap the meat around it. Just as easy and delicious!

Cookie Cutter Sandwiches

Large cookie cutters
Bread
Peanut Butter
Jelly

Sandwiches are classic and delicious. No reason to change what’s great about them, but you can make them way more fun with fun shapes! Kids love to use cookie cutters and this is a great solution for little ones who don’t like crusts.

-Make your kids favorite sandwich (We are using PB and Jelly for this example but this would work for practically any sandwich!)

-Place finished sandwich on a flat surface.

– Press cookie cutter into sandwich to cut out shape. You can make them all the same shape or get wild and use different cookie cutters. The more shapes the more fun!

– Wrap in plastic wrap or put in a sandwich bag for portable yumminess!

Veggies on a Stick

Favorite veggies
Skewers

A little novelty can go a long way with kids. Pick out some favorite veggies with your child and show them how to push the veggies on a skewer. This is great for a bag lunch or a snack at home. Serve with a sauce that compliments the veggies. Here are some yummy veggie/dip combinations:

-Cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and carrots on a skewer with ranch to dip

-Red and green pepper slices, cucumbers and celery on a skewer with hummus to dip

-Mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes on a skewer with pesto to dip (a kid friendly version of caprese salad!)

-Mix and match your kids favorite veggies and dip! Get creative!

Home Lunches

A day at home with the kids is the perfect time to gather up your little ones, get into the kitchen, and experiment with lunch! Have fun, be creative, and don’t fret if it gets messy!

Tortilla Pizzas

Tortillas (corn or flour)
Pizza sauce
Shredded cheese of choice
Mini pepperonis or sliced ham
Other favorite toppings:
Olives
Red or green pepper diced
Sliced mushrooms

Most kids love pizza, and kids love having options when it comes to food. Lay out ingredients for them to choose from and assist them in creating their own pizza!

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees

– Cover cookie or baking sheet with aluminum foil and lay tortillas on baking sheet

– Spoon pizza sauce onto tortilla and spread out to cover most of the surface.

– Show your child how to sprinkle shredded cheese on top and monitor to make sure it’s not too much! The pizza will be hard to handle if there is too much cheese!

– Once there is the right amount of cheese it is time to choose and arrange other toppings! Arrange them on top of the cheese, then sprinkle a little more cheese on top so that when it melts the other toppings are secure. Have fun with this step! You can make faces or designs with the toppings or just let your little one have at it and place the toppings as they choose.

– After they have added everything on that they desire put the cookie sheet in the oven and bake until the cheese is fully melted!

– Remove from oven and let cool. Once the pizza is cool enough, use a spatula to transfer to a plate and cut into slices that are easier for little hands to handle.

Quesadillas

Your favorite tortillas
Shredded cheese
Canned black beans
Canned corn
Mexican style chicken or beef**
Taco seasoning

Nothing quite hits the spot like warm gooey cheese and crispy tortilla! This is a simple black bean quesadilla, delicious and filling. Meat is optional and a great way to use up leftovers from taco night!

-Put shredded cheese in a bowl and keep close by

-Mix half a can of black beans and ¼ of a can of corn together in a small saucepan and heat up.

– Mix in a small amount of taco seasoning into warmed black beans and corn. Not too much if your children are adverse to spicy foods! Once fully mixed take off heat and set to the side.

-If you are using meat re-heat slightly and set to the side

-Get a larger pan nice and hot and warm both sides of the tortilla.

-Once tortilla is slightly toasted lightly sprinkle cheese on one half. Spread evenly.

-Spoon a small amount of your bean and corn mixture on top of cheese. If you are adding meat to your quesadilla, add some on top of the veggies and cheese.

-Evenly sprinkle cheese on top of the added veggies and meat; without this cheese the quesadilla won’t stick together!

– Flip other half of tortilla over and toast on both sides until cheese is melted! Serve with salsa and sour cream.

Fruit Puree Popsicles

2 cups fruit of choice, fresh or frozen (strawberries, watermelon, peaches, blueberries)
Honey

What kid doesn’t love a Popsicle? These are a bit healthier than store bought versions and you can make all sorts of varieties with different fruits. You can pick up Popsicle molds at almost any grocery store.

-Blend 2 cups of fruit and honey in a blender. Start with 2 tablespoons of honey and add more to taste.

-Pour into Popsicle molds and let freeze for several hours.

-Hand out to treat hungry kiddos!

Meals You Can Make With Your Kids

Posted Wednesday, March 7th, 2018

Do your kids know how to cook? It can be fun and educational for kids to help make delicious and nutritious food. Doing a little prep beforehand (or while the little ones are washing up) can make things run a lot smoother. Using pre-chopped veggies and baking mixes make it easy to have meals you can make with your kids without getting bogged down with knife skills or too much measuring. What should you make? Here are a few Simple & Quick suggestions!

Simple & Quick Breakfast

You might already make breakfast with your little ones on the weekends. But, wouldn’t it be nice if the kids could actually make breakfast a little bit easier for you? Microwaved mug meals are the answer!

Make your own instant oatmeal mix (or buy them from the store) and it will be easy for kids to add water and mix-ins and microwave themselves. Berries, chocolate chips, and freeze dried fruit are all excellent additions.

You can even make a savory oatmeal using leftover veggies from dinner last night. Using unshelled egg mix and pre-chopped ingredients can make mug omelets easy for kids to put together. You can also make an easy French toast in a mug by tearing up a slice of bread, adding syrup, eggs, and milk, (you may want to mix up the custard beforehand) and microwaving until set.

Kid-Friendly Lunch

For lunch bento boxes can be really fun! Use cookie cutters to make fun shaped cheese and meat, and eat with crackers. Baby carrots and other fresh veggies are fun for kids to dip in ranch, hummus, or salsa. Watermelon is also great for cutting with cookie cutters, add some blueberries or grapes for variety.

You can even find egg molds and flags to make bento boxes extra special. These boxes can seem fussy for an adult to put together every night, but having your kids put it together turns making lunch into a game.

Dinners For Days

Who doesn’t love pizza? You can make easy pizzas by using flour tortillas, pitas, naan, bagels, French bread, or even sandwich bread, bell peppers, or eggplant slices as the crust. Simply top with sauce, cheese, toppings and bake on at a high temperature. You will have customized personal pizzas in no time.

Encourage your kids to use as many colors as possible to ensure they eat a variety of veggies. Use the toppings take faces, rainbows, houses, or whatever your imagination wants to see on a pizza.

Snack Time!

Getting bored with the same old snacks? Mix things up with donut apples! Just core and slice apple into donut rounds. Add peanut butter, cookie butter, nutella, frosting, or yogurt and top with sprinkles, granola, or whatever your kids like. It will feel like a treat, but it will be full of fiber and vitamins.

Desserts are always fun to make with kids! Jazz up your cereal treats by topping them with sprinkles, chocolate chips, M&Ms, freeze dried fruit, nuts, or another favorite cereal.

There are many different types of meals you can make with your kids, and it’s fun to get the whole family involved in the process! Better yet, you can make it a weekly event – family cook dinner night. We guarantee your kids will better appreciate the effort that goes into preparing food and they’ll learn to cook while they’re at it!

Simple & Quick Valentine’s Day Crafts for Kids

Posted Friday, February 9th, 2018

Who wants to go out in all this slush and snow? February is the perfect time to warm up indoors with your little ones and get creative. Break out the glue sticks, construction paper, and yarn for some Simple & Quick Valentine’s Day crafts for kids, just in time for Valentine’s Day!

I Love You Berry Much! Strawberry Valentine

Materials needed:

Scissors
Green, red, white, and black construction paper
Glue stick
Marker

Steps:

Cut out 1 big red heart, 3 small green hearts, and 5-7 tiny white hearts. This will be the body and stem of your strawberry!
Cut out a thin green strip of paper (the stem!) and a curved black strip of paper (the mouth!)
Cut out 2 quarter sized white circles and 2 slightly smaller white circles.
Glue the black circles onto the white circles – now you have eyes! Glue these onto the red heart.
Glue black curved strip underneath eyes – the face is finished!
On the top of the red heart glue down the three green hearts to make the leaves, glue the green strip to the backside of the red heart for a stem.
Glue the tiny white hearts down all over (these are the tiny seeds on the strawberry!)
Let glue dry. You can write a fun message on the back and turn it into a Valentine or just hang it up as a cute decoration!

Beaded Heart Necklace

Materials needed:

Red and pink craft foam
Plastic pony beads
Yarn
Hole punch
Scissors

Steps:

Cut a square in the craft foam. It can be small or a little larger, depending on how big you want your heart necklace to be!
Fold that square in half and cut out a heart shape.
Punch one or 2 holes into your heart, make sure to leave some space between the hole and the top of the heart!
Cut a piece of yarn about 2-3 feet long and thread it through the hole.
Start stringing beads on to the yarn. You can use all the same color beads or have fun and create a pattern! Once you have added as many beads as you want, tie the ends together.
Ta Da!!! A heart necklace perfect for Valentine’s Day!

Woven Valentines

Materials needed:

Colorful cardstock or construction paper
Scissors
Thumbtack
Yarn
Large blunt needle

Steps:

Use the cardstock to create your cards.
Trace a heart shape onto the front of the card.
Using the thumb tack, follow the heart outline and pierce a hole every ½ cm.
String the yarn through the blunt needle; tie a knot on the end so it doesn’t pull all the way through!
You can just sew along the heart shape but don’t be afraid to get creative and experiment! You can create stripes or a zig zag pattern!
Write a sweet message on the inside and give it to someone you love!

Heart Garland

Materials needed:

Pink and red construction paper*
Scissors
Stapler

*Be creative with paper choices! You don’t have to use construction paper! Use decorative paper or patterned paper if you have any. For a more personal touch have your kids decorate the paper with crayons, markers, papers, or stamps! Let them know it will be cut into strips – we don’t want any tears.

Steps:

Cut your colorful paper into strips 1 in wide and 9 in long. Construction paper is 9 in wide so if you are using that just cut it into 1 in strips!
Fold 2 paper strips in half.
Take one of the folded strips and staple it on the folded end about ½ cm from the edge of the paper.
Un-fold the paper strip and shape it into a heart, pinch the bottom to hold together – don’t staple yet!
Grab your other folded strip of paper and open it, place the crease against the bottom of the first heart you have created, and fold it over your already made heart. Staple the bottom of the heart about ½ cm from the edge of the paper. You have created your first heart and started the second one!
Repeat step 4 and 5 until you are happy with the length of your heart garland, then staple the ends of your last heart together.
Show your house some love and hang your festive garland above a door, on a bookshelf, or on a cabinet!