Oobleck, simply one of the best things EVER.

Today Lily had a play date and we decided to make Oobleck!  Oobleck, as you might know is a gooey substance that is both a liquid and a solid and has some very interesting properties.  I thought it would be something fun that they could play with and see how it would entertain them!  There have been several occasions in my life in which I have made oobleck, however they have all been a very long time ago and I haven't felt the need nor opportunity to make it again.  Well, now I have children!  (and this is a very good excuse!)

For today's Oobleck, we used the following items and ingredients:

Roughly 1.5 c Cornstarch
Roughly 1 c of Water (read on to see why I say "Roughly")
Casserole dishes, about 2" deep
Food coloring (must find stain free food coloring, if it even exists)
Our hands

How it's done:
Put your cornstarch in the casserole dish and slowly mix in the water using your hands.  You'll notice that when there isn't much water, or when the water is separated from the cornstarch, it is very hard to mix.  You might need to add more water or cornstarch to get the right consistency (which is why I said "roughly" earlier) We had to help the children get it going.  You'll know it's the right texture when you are able to pick it up and shape a ball with it, but then it will melt pretty quickly in your hand.  You can give it just one color or you can add several colors and marble them together as we did.

DISCLAIMER:  This stuff is super awesome.  It makes a mess, but I guarantee that your kids will LOVE this activity and play with it forever.  You will even want to play with it.  It's nearly impossible to keep your hands OUT of the Oobleck, actually.

Our kids played with it for 45 minutes straight before the first one decided that she was done, and the second followed suit quickly.  However, as anyone who has 3-4 year old children knows, for them to be interested in it for that long is amazing.

After a while, just playing with the Oobleck seemed boring, so we decided to try our luck at pulling oobleck prints just like The Imagination Tree, and it was super fun!  Each of the kids pulled 3 prints, then they decided that they were done, and cleaned up.

After they were all cleaned up, however, us adults decided to try our luck at pulling prints!  It was super fun!

I recommend letting the print dry, then just rubbing your hand over it to remove the excess oobleck mixture and reveal more color that soaks into the paper!

About two hours after we finished with the oobleck, the kids came back around asking for more!  The water dries up quite a bit, but we just added a bit more water and they were back in business!
The blog over at Mossy Mossy contains a lot of really interesting facts about Oobleck and why it behaves the way it does- you should check it out!



All in all, this activity earns 5/5 Hearts from me as a mom, it kept the kids entertained for a really long period of time and I've got Lily asking me already when we're going to do it again!

Have you Made Ooobleck? If so, share it here!

To Buy: Product Review, Play Hut Megaland Tunnel Toy

Today I want to talk about the awesome new toy that Santa brought to our house this Christmas.  It is called Playhut MegaLand, and it is fantastic!  I ordered mine through Amazon, on one of their Black Friday Lightning Deals.

First Impression from the Website:  When I saw this lightning deal open up, I was curious but unsure.  We already have a pop up tent that I HATE because it has all these silly metal pieces that you have to snap together in order to form the frame for the tent.  I was very worried that this would be like that.  The deal though, was fantastic.  I got mine for just $19.99, thought it normally retails (and is currently back at this price) for $59.99.  I mainly bought it because it was such a great deal and it had decent reviews.  Plus, it claimed to be easy to take down and put up.

First impression from the Box:  This box is HUGE!  I almost freaked out a little thinking I bit off way more than I could chew.  I resolved that I wouldn't take it back and that we would chance it and see how things went.

Upon opening:  When you open the box, you'll find the reason for the size is more because of the balls that are included than with the toy itself.  There are five main pieces that make up the tunnel toy and when you start to open them up, they practically pop open themselves.  All that is required for you to put it together is to pull the sides and they pop into their shape.  There are three large sections and two tunnels that you can connect the sections with, and the tunnels can be connected to almost all of the openings on the different "main" sections.  This allows you to make almost any configuration of pieces that you could want and the pieces connect with velcro so that they stay attached.  Each of the main pieces is a little different.  The largest one has an open top, several openings and one mesh "window" that the kids can look out, and a basketball hoop for play.  The second section is pretty much just a cube with some openings, and the last section is triangular and has a wall with four holes that you can use to toss balls in, as well as two other openings. 

Upon playing:  Both of my children LOVE this toy.  My 4.5 year old uses it as a hide out, plays with her animals and loves crawling around and pretending that it is a castle.  My 15 month old likes playing with the balls and poking her head out the various holes.  We recently had a play date and the two big girls loved throwing all of their toys in the ball pit (I was too tired to bring out all of the balls)  They found their own creative use for the holes in the side:

Overall, this toy earns 5 out of 5 hearts from me, and I highly recommend it to anyone!

Book Review: The Hunger Games

I had recently heard many people discussing Suzanne Collins' "The Hunger Games" Trilogy, and I have to admit, when I first heard the plot, I wasn't very interested.  It wasn't until I went and saw Breaking Dawn (yes, I'm a Twilight junkie as well) and I saw the movie preview for "The Hunger Games" that I was really interested in reading it.  I found that I was very surprised with the series and couldn't put the books down!

These books are geared toward ages 12+ and grades 7 and above.  It is categorized in multiple genres, including Science Fiction, Dystopic Literature and Adventure.  The books center around Katniss Everdeen, who takes the place of her sister to be in her districts Hunger Games, of which there can only be one survivor. 

The book deals with some heavy themes, with the overall theme being the struggle for self preservation throughout the districts and often the decisions made by the main characters often are walking the line between right and wrong.   An overwhelming sense of Big Brother-esque control runs throughout the books as the characters are forced to take part in the Hunger Games, perform cheap labor and entertainment and as they are forced into compliance you can feel their pain and will root for them to overcome the capitol.


The books have won several awards, including Publishers Weekly's "Best Books of the Year" in 2008 and a The New York Times "Notable Children's Book of 2008".  It was the 2009 winner of the Golden Duck Award in the Young Adult Fiction Category. The Hunger Games was also a "2008 Cybil Winner" for fantasy and science-fiction books along with The Graveyard Book. It also one of School Library Journal's "Best Books 2008" and a "Booklist Editors' Choice" in 2008. In 2011, the book won the California Young Reader Medal.

All in all, the story is compelling, and the books are guaranteed to suck you in, no matter what age you are.  These books earns 5 out of 5 Hearts from me!

Welcome!

This blog is designed to be about all sorts of great "finds" for the family.  Whether it be quick recipes, tips for your home, activities for the children, you can bet that it will be fun!

Let me tell you a little bit about me, the author.

I am a midwestern mother of two rambunctious little girls.  They are the light of my life.  In the times when I'm more me and less mother, I am a photographer and artist.  (I also work a third job in my life, but I don't plan on letting that bleed over into this blog)  Because I am an artist, I push my children to unlock their artistic sides and to find the beauty in every day life.

I look forward to providing you with great "finds" for your life and sharing a bit of mine with you!