Baked Crayons

I know it's all over the place, but baking crayons is so much better than having the girls pick up little bits and pieces of crayons every time they decide to color.  But I also learned there is a bit of a process that goes with it.  It begins with this...

Then we took a break at the pool.  Then sorted all the crayons into big color groups, but I didn’t want them to be so big that they were hard to actually color with.  So we divided them into smaller groups in my baby cupcake pan.

Letting the girls watch them melt in the oven was fun, and that’s about when they lost interest.  After the first pan.   It takes a little bit of time to melt them because you only want to cook them @ 250 degrees for about then minutes. I also figured out that setting it in a pan of water to cool it off enough to stick it in the freezer helped a lot. If they don't pop out immediately I also found that GENTLY taking a hammer to the back side will help them along a bit too.

I think next time I will use liners to prevent it from sticking but I think the smooth edges are pretty.  It’s not too bad to clean up. I just threw the empty pan back in the oven then wiped out the little bits of melted wax out with a paper towel.

 And in the end, this is what we ended up with...

The brown and gold shiny one is my favorite.

 These are so much nicer to keep track of than all the little bitty peaces.

Will be linking at Today's Creative Blog, among others.

Our Fourth of July Weekend

All Photos taken by Joshua Morrison Photography

Bug Hunting!

I was at the dollar store the other day, which is almost as good as a thrift store, and found a bug house and bug catching tools for the girls.  They're becoming more interested in bugs and less apt to blow your ear drums out when one gets near, so I thought they would have fun examining some "safe" bugs.

They were pretty proud of themselves all in all.  They wanted to find some rolly pollies but they found a june bug, a "REALLY REALLY BIG ANT!", and some centipedes.

While looking for something for the girls to do I found Project Noah on my phone, it also is available for your Mac in the app store and syncs all your information.  The girls absolutely love it.  We've done a few things so far, and more that I need to upload.  It's really a beautiful layout.

These are some of the "Missions" we are participating in.

 These are some of their recent discoveries.

It's great because they get to feel like Dora and Diego on adventures and discovering new things.  There is also an interactive world wide map that lets you see "discoveries" from all over the world.  It's a great way for them to see things they would never have a chance to otherwise.  And best of all it's FREE!

You can also order bug catchers, bug houses, nets and magnifying glasses online.

P.S. Please ignore all the windows and apps I have open.  My desktop is always in chaos and it drives my fiance insane.


Will be linking at Today's Creative Blog, among others.

What I Love...

I know it’s been months since I’ve posted anything, but it has been sooo hectic.  Wedding, injuries, jobs, holidays, and parenting, you know the usual stuff that is capable of consuming you whole when you least expect it.  However, it has been a great time being with my family while things have been tough.  And while surfing around through blogosphere I’ve come across some rather inspiring blogs about mothers.  So I thought for my first post, back since FOREVER ago, I would dedicate it to my daughters.

5 Things I  LOVE About Being a  MOM

*  That at times as much as I want them to be tiny again, in the same breath I cannot wait to see what they become when they are big.

*  That I get to watch them grow just a little each day in inches, intellect, through inspiration.

* Being able to be a little girl again with my little girls.  It’s fun to make EVERYTHING just perfectly pretty.

* The kisses, hugs, cuddles, and endless amounts of understanding and acceptance my girls have.

* The laughing, the conversations, and the just plain silliness.

5 Things I  LEARNED About Being a  MOM

1. Waking up to a kid climbing in your bed to snuggle (even with the morning breath) is way better than waking up to the sound of your alarm clock.
2. Mom’s aren’t perfect, and sometimes seeing how you should have been raised is a much better gauge on how to raise your children than how you were raised.
3. There is never enough time in the day to get everything done, but its ok to just stop and have an impromptu dance party in the living room.  It feels just as good as an empty To Do list.
4. When posing the girls for pictures, the ones where they start being goofy end up being much better than the ones in my head I intended on taking.
5. It’s okay to need time alone, and the girls really do understand.