Tennessee Vacation - Day 2; Part 1

Welcome back to the next installment of our Tennessee vacation. (By the way, isn't Tennessee a fun word to type? It's like Mississippi with all the double letters.) Anyway, after leaving southern Illinois we made the rest of the drive down to Chattanooga, TN.

The Ponies showing where we were on the map. [K] had her own copy to follow at home.

If you've never been to Chattanooga, I highly suggest you visit. It's such a cool, fun, vibrant city that, from our short time there, is small enough to strike up a conversation with the locals but big enough to play host to a myriad of outdoor concerts, festivals and one of the best aquariums in the south.

The buildings with the pointed glass roofs are the aquarium buildings.

There are seven bridges that cross the Tennessee River in Chattanooga and one of them, the Walnut Street Bridge, is pedestrians only. It's a beautiful bridge where people run, walk, bike, or in my case, take lots of pictures. I happen to love bridges.

Crossing the Walnut Street Bridge takes you from downtown to the North Shore as well as a super cool park called Coolidge Park. There's a ton of green space to run around and enjoy picnics or, as we saw, a family game of t-ball.

There's also an interactive water fountain and a restored 100-year old carousel.

I rode the donkey for my sister in law :)

[A] picked an animal he thought the kids would enjoy seeing. They were all beautiful. 

This one is for [K]. She loves giraffes.

Now while downtown is very popular with the aquarium and the Bluff View Art District, the North Shore is fun as well. We didn't spend a ton of time here but some of the interesting things we saw were these dance steps along Frazier Street (there are eight different dances but we only saw two) ...

...as well as this piano monument that's "A tribute to the music and musicians of Chattanooga".

Crossing back over the Walnut Street Bridge we came across this statue of a dog and apparently you're supposed to touch his paw for luck. [A] gave him a high five for five times the luck ;)

In an area near the aquarium there is a place called The Passage. It's a "pedestrian link between downtown Chattanooga and the Tennessee River and marks the beginning of the Trail of Tears." (ChattanoogaAndBeyond.com) Not only is it a super cool place to look out over the river and dip your toes in the water, but it's also an interesting monument to the seven clans of the Cherokee Nation.

There are waterways all throughout the Aquarium Plaza that connect the aquarium to the river where people can walk and play in the water on a hot summer day.

You can even walk across these beautiful high-arched, landscaped bridges to get a view of the whole area. When we were there it was a Saturday when they host the River Market which is a farmer's market complete with live music, food, and local artists and craftsmen.

Before heading back to our hotel for the night we drove up the W Road to Signal Point to take in the views of the fog rolling in over the Tennessee River Gorge.

From our vantage point we were able to see Raccoon Mountain straight ahead of us, Lookout Mountain peeking out behind it like a shadow, and the Tennessee River below. It was a beautiful way to end a very fun day of exploring one of the cooler cities I've visited. I can't wait to come back!

Tennessee Vacation - Day 1

Back in June [A] and I took a vacation to Tennessee to visit Chattanooga and the Great Smoky Mountains. It was an amazing trip and we had so much fun relaxing and being together, just the two of us.

We started our road trip by heading to the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illlinois. We spent one day there exploring two different areas; Garden of the Gods Recreation Area and the Rim Rock Trail.

Garden of the Gods is unique because while the rest of Illinois is flat, this uplifted sandstone plateau was never covered by glaciers; the furthest advance of ice sheets stopped just north of here.

The Garden of the Gods Observation Trail is a short quarter mile hike on a flagstone path. The fun part, though, is straying off the path and scrambling over the rock formations.

There are a couple of rock formations along the Observation Trail that are named for the animals they resemble. Below is Camel Rock:

And this one is Monkey Rock:

This one may have a name but to me it looks like the tiger-faced Cave of Wonders from Aladdin.

There are also these cool features called liesegang bands. According to the sign on the Observation Trail, "Long ago when this sandstone was underground, it was saturated with groundwater mixed with iron. Chemical changes caused the iron to solidify as rust between the rock particles. Held together by iron, the raised dark bands have resisted weathering as compared to the softer, light-colored rock. The patterns of the bands are the result of these chemical changes." Pretty neat, huh?

As we were leaving some darker clouds were rolling in but thankfully we only got a short, light drizzle as we began our hike over at the Rim Rock Trail. The clouds did make for a beautiful, dramatic sky.

Our next stop in the Shawnee National Forest was the Rim Rock Trail. (Side note, [K] gave us some of her mini My Little Ponies to take along with us on our trip so we placed them in various locations along the way and sent her the photos. Here they are on our dash overlooking the start of the trail.)

While looking up information on Garden of the Gods I came across a website called Shawnee Hills Outdoors and found his description, photos, and video of the Rim Rock Trail to be fascinating. I love hiking in crevices between huge rocks. I love steps leading somewhere mysterious; to an unknown natural beauty. This place has both.

After descending the stairs you come across these massive moss-covered stone walls and the sliver of a trail between them.

Here I am standing at the top of the stone stairway leading down between the walls.

Here is [A] at the bottom where the steps turn and lead out into a beautiful wooded bluff.

The other distinguishing feature at Rim Rock is the Ox-Lot Cave. According to the sign there, "This large rock overhang provided shelter to many hunters and explorers who passed this way. A fence was built to create a corral where oxen, mules, and horses were kept; hence the name Ox-Lot Cave."

This impression in the rock (I wouldn't exactly call it a cave myself) is massive. It's hard to tell in the photo above just how big it is even though I'm standing there to give some perspective. The photo below is a vertical shot and we still couldn't get it all in the frame.

The rest of our one-mile hike was filled with beautiful trees, a stream, giant boulders jutting out all around, and neat wooden boardwalks.

The Shawnee National Forest is a beautiful place to come visit and it really got us pumped and in the mood to do more hiking on our trip. I know there are many more places to see and hike here and I would really like to come back at some point. [A] and I love being out in nature and unfortunately we just don't do it enough. I hope that is something we can change going forward.

On a side note, today is our 6th wedding anniversary. I can't believe six years have passed already. It's amazing how time flies when you're having fun. And boy, are we having fun! A friend of ours just recently commented on my Facebook page that I "seriously won the husband lottery with him" and it's so true. I really did. He is the most amazing friend, husband, and father that I could ever want. He is gentle with our children, strong with his convictions, and giving with his love. He is smart and funny (oh my gosh is he crazy and weird and hilarious), and he is patient when I'm not, my rock when I need it, and understanding when I'm being irrational. In short, he is everything to me and I love him like Wesley loves Buttercup. Dishwash your face, Babe. Happy anniversary!

Recipe: Chicken Bombs

Way back when [A] and I lived in the city we had a group of friends that would get together every week for something called Supper Club. We would rotate to a different house each week and that couple would host dinner for the group while we'd all watch Lost. It was so fun and a great way to try new recipes. One of our favorites recipes was from our friends who have since moved to Portland, OR. (Funny side note, we continued this tradition of watching Lost with our Besties after we moved from the city and into the suburbs and those friends have also moved to the west coast too and when I was out there visiting in February I made Chicken Bombs for them.) I'm not 100% sure that this was their exact recipe but it's as close as we can remember and it sure tastes as good!

Makes 8

Ingredients

• 2 cooked chicken breasts seasoned to your taste (I use salt, pepper and Grill Mates Montreal Chicken Seasoning from McCormick)
  You can either shred or dice the chicken. (For a quick method to make shredded chicken, try this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe.)
• 1 package cream cheese, softened (I use the 1/3 less fat variety)
• 2 containers crescent rolls (I use the reduced fat version)
• 3 or 4 green onions, sliced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Mix the chicken, onions and softened cream cheese in a bowl. Set aside.

Open the crescent rolls and break the dough in half at the perforated line. Keep the crescent triangles together so you have four rectangles per container. Pinch the triangles together and flatten the dough a bit. You don't want the seams to burst open when you're wrapping your bomb. Do the same for the other container of rolls.

Scoop the chicken mixture into a line down the middle of each rectangle. Fold the two long sides to meet in the middle and pinch together. Pinch the short sides shut and pat the whole thing down a bit.

Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve with a vegetable and you have a quick, delicious dinner. Enjoy :)

DIY Doctor Kit for Kids

Hello! I'm sorry for the super long break between posts. [A] and I went on a mini-vacation BY OURSELVES and it was amazing! I never understood why parents would ever want to go away on a trip without their children but I can say that having those few days to just be together and relax without any of the daily obligations that come with jobs and having kids was so... freeing. It's not to say that we didn't do a lot (we'll take that vacation later in the summer, the one where we lay on the beach and just "do relax") but it was still very relaxing and incredibly enjoyable. Anyway, that's a post (or two) for a different day. Today I'm going to show you how I made inexpensive Doctor Kits for the girls.

Back in this post about some of the kids favorite toys I mentioned that the girls, and particularly [E], really love playing doctor lately. Originally I had a bunch of odds and ends in an old free Clinique makeup bag that we used as a medical kit like Peso from the Octonauts when [K] was younger and loved that show. Then when the girls became interested in the Disney Jr. show, Doc McStuffins, they both wanted to perform check-ups on all of their toys. It became clear that the Dollar Tree medical kit I bought on a whim and the few supplies we already had would not be enough for two budding doctors.

I looked around on the internet for some ideas and used those, along with some of my own and pieces we already had, to create these Doctor Kits for Kids. They really aren't expensive and with how much time the girls have used them, they were worth every penny.

The idea really started because of the stethoscope. Both girls loved the Dollar Tree version but it was cheap and the two that we had broke quickly. My Dad has an actual stethoscope that was my grandmother's who was an RN for years, that he let the girls use once (with supervision) but because of the sentimental value of it, I knew I had to find some they could have for themselves. I looked at other toy versions, namely the old Fisher Price version I had as a kid but for a few dollars more I found I could buy them a real working stethoscope which is way cooler.

In the back, starting at the 12:00 position and moving around clockwise:
Clear Cosmetic Bag with Handles -I wanted a bag with a zipper and having it clear made it just that much better. I bought letter stickers from Michaels and wrote "DOC [K]" and "DOC [E]" on their bags. Inside I included:

• Disposable face mask (from Walgreens)
• Purple glitter headband (like Doc McStuffins wears) from the dollar section at Target
• Tic Tac container (filled with Smarties and a few Tic Tacs). I found the free cross medical symbol printable on the Kylie Mae Events blog site
• Empty travel container with a pop top lid. I was going to use actual empty medicine bottles but those lids are child-proof (for obvious reasons) and I wanted them to be able to open the bottles and pretend to put ointment on cuts and scrapes
• Doc McStuffins sticker notebook. This comes in a set of four and would be nice for a Doc-themed birthday party as well.
• Plastic magnifying glass. My Dad originally got this for [K] when she expressed an interest in the glass one he has and both girls have enjoyed using it so when I made two Doctor Kits I got another one from WalMart.
• Three pack of mini memo notebooks from Target. (I wrote "My Big Book of Boo Boos") on the cover because that's what they call it on Doc McStuffins. The girls draw pictures of their patients and their injuries in the book.
• Flannel bandages. The two in the back are from an old Ikea toy veterinary kit I bought long ago. It only came with three though and I wanted each girl to have four so I bought a sheet of bandage-colored flannel from Michael's and heavy duty self stick Velcro and made four longer bandages and one additional small one so both girls have two of each size.
• Doctor badge (it's part of the free printable I mentioned above.) On the front it says "Dr. On Duty" and there's a spot for their names and on the back it's a blue cross. I covered both sides with clear contact paper to keep it from falling apart too quickly.
• Fabric thermometer. This was also a part of the Ikea vet kit (like the bandages above.)
• Soft facial brush. I don't remember where or why I bought this but it was never used for its intended purpose. One girl has this in her bag and the other has an old blush brush. They get more use than I would have guessed.
• Hand tweezers. I found these in the dollar section at Target and while they don't do a great job actually picking stuff up, they're cute and the girls have fun trying to use them.
• Stethoscope. I bought the pink one above for [K] (and I only bought the pink one because it was the cheapest of the colors they offer) and this black one for [E]. The reason I bought a different one for [E] is because they worded the description as if it would be smaller and more "child-like". Aside from color and hers being a single head versus [K]s which is a dualhead, they seem exactly the same to me. I ended up cutting the tube part that hangs down on both of them because they are so long that they were dragging on the ground.
• Empty medicine dispenser
• Syringe highlighter markers. These come in a pack of 6 so each girl has three colors. These are a huge hit. Originally I was going to buy them syringe pens but I was afraid the ink would end up leaking or something since they were just cheap from the Dollar Tree so I was really happy when I found the highlighter version on Amazon.
• Also included but not pictured: I'm not sure how these didn't make it in the picture but each girl also has two plastic popsicle sticks to use as tongue depressors.

 And there you have it! Everything fits neatly inside the carrying case and the girls have been having hours of imaginative play with them. It's been so fun watching how the girls use their kits and seeing them take such good care of their stuffed animals as well as all of the members of our family. Hopefully this inspires you to make one for the little Doctors in your lives.

Have a great weekend and stay healthy!
~ [J]

These Are A Few Of Their Favorite Things (Part 2: Books)

Two weeks ago I made a blog post about a few of the girls' favorite toys. Today I'm going to highlight a few of their favorite books. I'm very thankful that both of our girls love to read. Already [K] is reading beyond her grade level and I'm often impressed at how still [E] will sit to listen to a favorite book, even a long one. There is a wealth of research out there about the benefits of reading to your children from an early age and I truly believe it has made a huge difference for both of our children.

Ok, off my soapbox and onto the books! This is a sampling of the many books that are in regular rotation in our family library.

The links provided are only for ease of researching these books and are not endorsements.
I don't work for any of these companies nor do I make any money by recommending them.

1. Piggy and Elephant series by Mo Willems. Oh Mo, we love you so. I initially came upon the Piggie and Elephant books when I bought one for our Little Buddy because I thought it was funny and his Mom is a champion story reader. It turned out they loved that book so much that now they own every single Piggie and Elephant book published! Whenever we visit them I can always find [K] in his room reading every single one. Our collection is not nearly so huge but a few of our favorites include I Broke My Trunk, I Am Invited To A Party, and Watch Me Throw The Ball. The great thing about these books is that they span many ages. [E] absolutely loves them and I've read them to [K]'s kindergarten class. I think the key to these books (and possibly all of Mo Willems' books) is that they are great to read aloud. And the more you get into character reading them, they funnier they are to your audience. I highly recommend Mo.

2 & 3. Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann / Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. These are two books with minimal words that are great for helping a child wind down when getting ready for bed. Goodnight Gorilla was a first birthday gift for [K] and was read to her many times over the years and is now being loved by [E]. Zookeeper Joe is closing the zoo for the night but the sneaky gorilla has other plans. The pictures are very sweet and since there are very few words in this book, it's a great one for making up your own stories. Goodnight Moon is a classic. We never owned it when [K] was little but our Little Buddy had it and loved it so when [E] came along I bought a copy for her and she reads it almost every day. There is a nice sleep-inducing repetition to it along with well-drawn illustrations that allow the young reader to find and point out small details on each page.

4. The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. I don't know a person alive today who hasn't read at least one book by Dr. Seuss. We have several in our collection and have been reading them to our girls practically from birth. Books like Hop On Pop and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish are great at teaching early vocabulary. And there are few authors who can match his ability for a great flowing rhyme. When [E] was younger she received small board book copies of Are You My Mother? and Put Me in the Zoo which she loved. Lately she's been on a Cat in the Hat kick and will sit and listen to the whole thing read aloud which always amazes me since it's fairly long for her age. I guess that just goes to show the power of the Seuss!

5. I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean by Kevin Sherry. I stumbled upon this book in a quaint book store in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Because of [A]'s immense love for the beach and the ocean, I'm always on the lookout for a good aquatic tale and this one does not fail to deliver. It follows a giant squid who proudly proclaims to be BIG and then proceeds to compare his size to several other ocean-dwelling creatures until the humorous conclusion. Along with a cute story and a twist ending, your child will learn the names of several aquatic animals and size comparisons. Both of our girls have enjoyed this one.

6. Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty. My Mom originally found this book and told us about it so we could buy it as a gift for my Dad from [K]. (As a quick side note, in case you are unaware, my Dad is an architect.) Growing up I wanted to be an architect with my Dad but as I got older I became intimidated by the amount of math involved in architecture. For a few years now [K] has mentioned she wants to be an architect when she grows up. She loves drawing and building structures with blocks, Legos, and these mini actual bricks my Dad has in their office. So, when my Mom found this book it only seemed natural for it to be something he and [K] share. It's a clever book with many buildings and even furniture design references in its illustrations. It has a nice rhyming flow and has a great message about not giving up on our dreams and the things that make us happy, even when we are young. I hope to instill this message in both our children so that they don't end up missing out on something because they feel intimidated by it.

7. Say Hello to Zorro by Carter Goodrich. This is an easy but fun read for kids of many ages. [E] enjoys it and when I read it to [K]s preschool class, they all got a kick out of it as well. I'm not sure how we ended up finding this book but I think it was on display at a big box bookstore. The illustrations seemed familiar and it's for a good reason. Carter Goodrich has an impressive resume of illustrating and character development for MANY animated movies we've seen. He's released two other Mister Bud / Zorro books and while we don't own them yet, they are also cute and fun to read with the kids.

8. One Sweet Race by Elle D. Risco. From the time we saw Wreck-it Ralph at the theater, [K] was hooked. She loved the movie but more than that, she LOVED the Sugar Rush Racers. While she isn't as obsessed as she was last year (check out this post and this one from her 4th birthday party as evidence), when I asked her which are her favorite books she named this one as a favorite still. This is a story based off of Sugar Rush characters from the movie but not a retelling of the movie itself. The illustrations are really cute and the story is fun as well. I only have one complaint with this book; twice they call a character by the wrong name. I would think the proof readers would have caught that one but apparently not. Other than that, it's a winner in our house!

9. My Little Pony: Mini Pony Collector's Guide by Miranda Skeffington. I purchased this book for [K] at Christmas last year from a warehouse club store and while it isn't a book in the traditional sense that it follows a story, it has garnered a LOT of reading and use. Since [K] has such an extensive collection of mini ponies, she has enjoyed cataloging, marking, and tracking her growing collection against this book. Unfortunately it's already outdated but I'm guessing if this edition was popular enough that they'll release a newer one at some point. [K] loves to display her pony collection in order based on this book and she already claims to "need a new one" since she has marked up the one she has so much already. I think every kid (and adult) should have a collection (mine was teddy bears, [A]s was Hot Wheels) and it's so neat seeing the different ways she plays with her pony collection.

10. Chapter Books. Since [K] is such a good reader we've decided that she's ready for longer chapter books. I already owned Fairies and the Quest for Never Land and Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand by Gail Carson Levine based solely on the illustrated cover by David Christiana. I love fairies and I'm a sucker for beautiful illustrations, but I hadn't read the books yet and I've owned them for close to 7 years. As I've stated before, I'm not one to shun movies or television from my children and in fact, having books based on movies or shows that are so well loved make it very easy for [K] to want to read these books. Aside from the fairy books I already mentioned, this is true of the My Little Pony chapter books by G.M. Berrow and Charlotte's Web by E.B. White which is a movie the girls watch every time we visit Grandpa. (How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss is another super popular Grandpa movie and book with both of our girls. And yes, we watch and read it year-round, not just at Christmas time.) Lastly, the Fairy Blossoms series by Suzanne Williams was one I purchased the first of from a used book sale at our library for a quarter. These are still chapter books but they are shorter than any of the others I've already mentioned and in fact, one night when [K] was waiting for me to come in a read the last few chapters of the book to her for bedtime, she went ahead and finished the book herself.

So there you have it; a whole array of books that are appropriate for many ages and are enjoyable from an adult standard as well because if we have to read them over and over (and over) again, we had better like 'em too!

By the way, this was a REALLY hard blog post to make because there are so many books we love so if you ever want any additional suggestions, let me know. I have a ton ;)  Oh and also, if you have some favorites I haven't mentioned, please add them in the comments. We are always on the look out for new books. I know I want to get [K] a copy of Pipi Longstockings based off of a Facebook comment made by a friend of mine from high school. I've never read it and only know the very minimum of what it's about but I'm excited to read it with her. I'm also excited to break into my box of "vintage" Ramona Quimby books by Beverly Cleary and see if [K] loves them as much as I did growing up.

Until next time,
~J

The Last Day of School

Today was [K]'s last day of kindergarten. It seems like only yesterday I was putting her on the bus for the first time, standing on the sidewalk crying as I watched her drive away from me.

I'm so proud of her and the many accomplishments she has achieved. Her penmanship is getting better, she continues to excel in reading and comprehension, and her writing has really blossomed. I worried about her seeing as she was the second youngest in her class but when I spoke to her teacher today she assured me that [K] is more than ready to move on to first grade.

So, just because I always love a good Before and After shot, here is my take with a First Day and Last Day picture comparison.

We love you [K]. Continue to grow in your emotions, blossom in your creativity, and amaze us with your intelligence. We could not be more proud.

(And in case you are keeping track, yesterday should have been a Muffin Tin Tuesday but it was a super crazy day and we ended up having to run through the drive-through of a local burger joint. Sorry!)

Take care and HAPPY SUMMER!
~ [J]

These Are A Few Of Their Favorite Things (Part 1: Toys)

Hello and happy Memorial Day weekend! I hope you are looking forward to a little extra family time as much as I am. And, before I get too wrapped up in this post, I'd like to take a moment to honor all of the men and women, past and present, who have served this great nation. I am truly humbled and grateful to you and the sacrifices you and your families have made.

Now, on to business!

Kids can be pretty fickle about toys, at least mine can. I'll buy something based on 100's of great reviews and they'll play with it for a few minutes only to be left behind for an oldie but a goodie. Or then there's the flip-side where they pick out something at the store that they "want more than anything else in the entire world" to see it discarded after a day. That feels great...

So I've decided to compile a list of play-things that my girls have consistently come back to in order to help spark ideas for your own kids. But please be forewarned, just because my kids like these definitely does not mean yours will. Unless your kids come over here to play because I swear, there is something about someone else's toys that make them so much more desirable.

The links provided are only for ease of researching these toys and are not endorsements.
I don't work for any of these companies nor do I make any money by recommending them.

 1. Crayola Washable Watercolor Paints and Markers. Both girls LOVE to paint and [K] has really blossomed into quite the little artist. She is constantly coloring pictures, writing and illustrating little book, drawing blue prints to some building and recently, when a toy went missing (one of the ponies from #2 below), she made and hung LOST posters around the house.

2. Hasbro My Little Pony Friendship is Magic. [K] has been a MLP fanatic for quite some time now and unfortunately for me, they keep releasing these mini ponies that come in bags so you can't see which one you'll be getting. Well after getting our first 50 or more, I've learned how to manipulate the pony in the bag and tell with complete accuracy which one it is because I'll be darned if we get a duplicate pony. I guess it takes the surprise element out of it but when we've spent this much money on ponies I'm not paying for one we already own.

3. Gymnic Rody Horse. This was [E]'s Christmas gift from Grandpa and it's really interesting to see how she plays with him. It's made of extremely durable vinyl and you inflate him with air so you can bounce on him. While [E] will use him the way he's intended some of time, she prefers to dress him up by putting rubber bands on his ears or putting the handles of plastic bags over his ears. She also likes to have him sit on a dining chair next to her when she's eating and pretend to feed him. It's quite cute actually. [K] tends to be the one to use him as intended and bounces all over the place on him.

4. Huffy Disney Cinderella Scooter. This was [K]'s Christmas gift from Grandpa. She hasn't actually used it outside yet but she scoots around the house on it quite well. We live in a *very* hilly community so unless we pack the scooter (or a bike for that matter) in the car, there aren't a ton of opportunities for a young, timid rider to practice outside. Anyway, both girls really enjoy playing with it inside. [E] can't quite propel herself just yet so she steers and we push.

5. Battat Play Circle Marketplace Shopping Cart. One time when we were at Target (in the toy section, of course) [E] found this little cart and proceeded to push it around the store the entire time we were there. Naturally we had to buy it for her. I'm so glad we did too because she uses it everyday. The cardboard play food boxes that came with it were stepped on and squished pretty early on but she enjoys using the little plastic bottles as ointment and puts "boo boo juice" on us while playing doctor. (More on that in a minute.)

6. Hasbro Play-Doh Sweet Shoppe Candy Jar Set. I haven't met a kid yet that doesn't like Play-doh. We actually use parts of this set combined with parts from the Sesame Street Cookie Monster Letter Lunch set and the rolling pins from the Melissa & Doug Shape, Model & Mold Play Clay set to make quite a few masterpieces. We also purchased a Play-Doh 24-Pack of Colors but I only take out two at a time and when they become too hard we pitch those and get two more. The kids don't really care about having lots colors at a time because they just end up mixing them all together until it turns gray anyway. This way they have fresh, soft Play-Doh in bright colors for longer.

7. Doctor Sets. Quite some time ago I bought [K] a fabric veterinarian kit from Ikea that contains bandages, a thermometer and syringe, a recovery collar, and a foot cast. (Sorry, it's no longer available so I can't link to it.) She played with it for a bit but it wasn't until [E] came along that it really got any play time. I've since ditched the bag and collar that came with it and added other items instead. For instance, the stethoscope and plastic magnifying glass shown, and a soft facial brush and this has served [E] with tons of imaginative play. She bandages dining chairs and a particular rolling snail toy that is constantly hurting his tail. I just recently added the stethoscope and now she runs around the house checking everyone's heartbeat and breathing multiple times a day. Since she has expressed such interest in it I've decided I'm going to spend a bit more money than the dollar already invested and get her an actual working stethoscope and build both her and [K] better doctor kits. You know I'll post about that when I've completed them. ;)

8. Dress Up. I used to have a small, plastic shoebox size box in our basement playroom filled with bracelets and dollar store beads for the girls. They've always enjoyed wearing multiples of them when we're down there playing but that area didn't really lend itself well to dress up play. Ever since I put a bigger Rubbermaid tub in their bedroom and filled it with all sorts of odds and ends of things to dress up in, we've had some seriously awesome fashion shows around these parts. The funny thing about [E] is that she loves wearing multiples of things. It started with hair rubber bands that she would wear like anklets and slowly she worked her way up to 5 or 6 pairs of [K]'s underwear and lately it's tutus. I'm not sure what started her obsession with them but there are days when she'll be wearing four or five of them at a time along with two pairs of glasses. It's pretty hilarious and awesome. I remember fondly the days of my childhood dressing up in my aunts old dance costumes thinking I was the most beautiful princess in the world and I love that my girls are getting the chance to do this too. I just wish I still had those dance costumes.

9. Minecraft. While this isn't a toy per say it is definitely something that can hold [K]'s attention for long periods of time. If you're unfamiliar with it, it's a video game where you can use different materials to build whole worlds for your character to live in. I don't play it so I'm sure I'm definitely over-simplifying it but I'm so impressed with how [K] has been able to pick up this game just by watching [A] play it and now she's like a little expert. I know there are some people out there who shun technology for kids but I've found that if a particular game or TV show has some kind of educational value and that I'm still engaging the kids while their watching or playing that it can be quite beneficial. Case in point, [K] will watch an episode of My Little Pony Friendship is Magic and then spend the next hour or more (with the TV off) creating whole new scenarios for her mini ponies based off of that episode. Or the fact that when [K] has hardly older than [E] is now that she had memorized every state based on shape and knew all of the capitals just by playing a game on my parents phones.

10. Melissa & Doug Craft & Create Face Painting. I can't remember why it was that one day [K] decided she wanted a face painting set for Christmas but I'm so glad I came across this one from Melissa & Doug because we've all enjoyed many, many sessions of face painting fun. The paint washes off easily but stays on well throughout the day. I've had the joy on several occasions of forgetting that my face has amazing kid drawings all over it and then go to the grocery store like that. I tend to get a lot of smiles from that. We actually just bought another one of these because I want a backup for when the paints run out.

So there you have it, 10 toy ideas to help spark the imagination for your own children or those that you buy for. I've compiled a list of books as well so I'll share those in another post. I really had to taper that one down because we LOVE books in this house and that post could easily get out of hand.

Oh, and before I'm late with it, here were our Muffin Tin Tuesday lunches for this week.

This was [K]'s. Cherry yogurt, shredded cheese, grape tomatoes.
Dried cranberries, Sour Patch Kids, applesauce.

Here was [E]'s. Mini dill pickle, Goldfish, sour gummy worms.
Whole raw almonds, shredded cheese, dried cranberries.

Take care and have a great weekend! I can't wait to eat some barbecue food!!!
~ [J]