With Summer solstice right around the corner, I was thinking about the beach and got inspired to make an ocean wave sensory bottle (not to mention I had all the ingredients already on hand)! Part of the fun in raising Zoey is making things that teach and fascinate her. And, if I’m being completely honest, I find sensory bottles fascinating too, so let’s make one!
SUPPLIES
- 16 ounce clear, plastic bottle
- Funnel
- 8 ounces of water
- Blue and green food coloring.
- 8 ounces of baby oil
- Glue
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the funnel in the mouth of your bottle and use it to fill the bottle with 8 ounces of water.
- Remove the funnel and add several drops of blue and green food coloring until you reach your desired shade of ocean aqua. I used 8 drops of blue and 2 drops of green, as you can see that led to a very deep shade of blue green.
- Screw the lid back onto the bottle and shake the water until the food coloring is well incorporated, then remove the lid and replace the funnel.
- Add up to 8 ounces of baby oil.
- If your child is older and you worry about him/her undoing the lid, you can coat the inside of the lid with glue, then screw it back onto the bottle. This will secure the lid and make it harder for little ones to unscrew the lid and create a leak or spill the bottle’s contents. If you’re still concerned they may be able to get the lid off, please use cooking oil instead of baby oil.
I’m always on the look-out for a fun, entertaining way to pass the time, like a good tabletop game! I purchased Kanoodle by educational insights, as a stocking stuffer for my husband and we ignored it for too long! This game is a great way to pass the time and a good way to stimulate your brain!
Kanoodle is a solitaire game for ages 7 and up, of two and three dimensional puzzles to solve using up to 12 puzzles pieces called “noodles”. You pick a puzzle from the included booklet, and put the intended number of noodles on the board as shown on the diagram. Do not move noodles that are already in position and solve each puzzle by filling up the empty space with the remaining noodles.
I have completed all of the two dimensional puzzles, I am now working on the three dimensional puzzles and I intend to complete them all! Check it out!
Years ago, I purchased an old empty frame from a Goodwill store. I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to use it for, I just knew that I loved the decals on each corner and wanted to fix it up and give it a home. After years of procrastinating while the frame sat around and gathered dust, I finally decided to paint it and create a chalkboard.
First, remove and sand one side of the mounting board to smooth it out. Once it’s as smooth as you prefer clean it off and prime it, then begin layering coats of chalkboard paint until you’ve reached your desired chalkboard depth and texture.
Once both pieces are dry, you can reassemble the frame. Before writing or drawing on the chalkboard, you’ll need to prime it by coating it with chalk. 
As you can see I just wrote the first thing that came to my mind here, but I intend on leaving this frame up as decor year round and changing it for different events, seasons or holidays!
Every year, Cameron and I always find it hard to believe we have been married for five years, six years, seven years! This year we’ve been married 8 years and it’s still hard to believe! It’s not that we’re in total shock or disbelief that we lasted this long, it’s more that we can’t believe how fast the time has flown by.
Playing video games is one of my favorite ways to decompress and relax. If I can’t be playing, then listening to video game news and chatter via podcasts or videos comes in a close second, especially when it gives me something to look forward to!
INTRODUCTION
This recipe is featured twice, once when the Hua family is eating dinner before Mulan departs for training, and again when Mushu pulls one out to roast towards the end of the film.
Dumplings, in this case potstickers, are delicious! This recipe would have been (and could be) easier if I had used store-bought wonton wrappers, but I was looking in the wrong place and couldn’t find them. It’s a happy accident though, now the whole recipe has been made from scratch!
DUMPLING DOUGH
Whole Heartily 