*This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Momtrends. All opinions are 100% my own. I love experiencing new things with my family! Both of my sons are extremely active and really enjoy when we go on local adventures as a family. One of our favorite places to visit is the Liberty Science Center. We are super excited that, every fourth Friday from 6 PM to 10 PM families can kick off the weekend with tons of fun at Extreme LSC! There are so many fun-filled activities to enjoy at Extreme LSC. You can have a family challenge in their laser tag arena. Getting messy with yucky slime experiments are right up kids' alley, especially since they can take the slime home with them at the end of the evening. They even have a massive ball pit that you can jump into and literally "have a ball" with. The theaters of the Liberty Science Center will be open for exciting new planetarium and laser shows that the whole family can enjoy! It's an experience you won't want to miss … [Read more...]
Experience Liberty Science Center’s Family Adventure – Extreme LSC! #ExtremeLSC #Giveaway #Ad
Start Saving For Higher Education Now! #NY529Event @NY529Direct #Ad
*This is a compensated campaign in collaboration with Momtrends. All opinions are 100% my own. Since even before both of our sons were born, my husband and I were concerned about how we were going to save for the college educations. We value education tremendously but we are also realistic about the growing costs associated with going away to college. One of the savings options that immediately became appealing to us was the 529 college savings plan. It is a type of investment account that can be used for higher-education savings which is particularly beneficial for families. Just about anyone can open a 529 account, including parents, grandparents, other relatives, and even friends as long as they are a United States citizen or resident alien. This is very convenient because, very often, loved ones are more than willing to contribute to saving for the education of the young people whom they care for. Giving to a 529 plan for holidays and birthdays … [Read more...]
Christmas Tic-Tac-Toe
One of the things that I have noticed as an educator is that children and young people are completely addicted to technology. They don't take time out to speak to one another fact to face anymore and they definitely don't play the kinds of games that we used to play when we were kids. The games I'm talking about were Jacks, Tic-Tac-Toe, Hopscotch, etc. Lately, my husband and I have been trying to limit technology in our home. Since we now have a teen and a pre-teen, they would rather spend most of their time playing video games when we are home. While we do reward them with time to play these games, we've also been going back to basics by making them turn off their gadgets in lieu of playing some good old-fashioned games as a family. When I was younger, one of my favorite games was Tic-Tac-Toe because it was so easy to play and because you could basically use any surface as a game board and many items can be used as game pieces. That … [Read more...]
Nativity Puppets
Can you believe that Christmas is right around the corner? This is, by far, my favorite time of the year. I just love all of the sights, scents, and sounds of the holidays. It just feels like such a warm and inviting time and I do believe that it helps to bring out the good in people. Everything about the holidays also lends itself to some creative and colorful arts and crafts. One of my favorite memories from my childhood was my grandmother's Nativity which she put up every Christmas Eve. Those fond memories were the inspiration for this project. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Nativity Finger Puppets Supplies needed: -stretchy gloves in your choice of color - peel and stick felt nativity stickers (found at Hobby Lobby or most craft stores where scrapbooking materials are sold) - craft glue or hot glue/glue gun Directions: 1. First decide in which order you wish to place the nativity characters. For ours, we placed the Holy Family together on one side … [Read more...]
Basketball Cookie Pops
I definitely could not let the official start of basketball season at my son's school without commemorating the event with a fun basketball recipe. His team often has celebrations throughout the season and parents are always being asked to bring treats and donate their time. My son and his teammates love cookies and they love anything that has to do with basketball. I thought it would be fun to utilize my chocolate pop making experience to create some delicious basketball cookie pops for them to enjoy. Many of you probably don't know this but I worked at a gourmet chocolate shop when I was in college and learned quite a bit about creating delectable treats with chocolate. But that is a post for another day. In the meantime, check out this fun recipe that is so easy to make! Basketball Cookie Pops Ingredients: Oreo cookies 2 cups orange candy melts 1 cup brown candy melts Lollipop sticks Parchment paper Decorating bag Directions- 1. Lay out a … [Read more...]
Superhero Soaps
In our family, we have been blessed with nothing but boys and they love wrestling, running around, riding their bikes, and pretending to be superheroes. Now that my boys are older, they enjoy being superheroes on their favorite video games. Recently, I was asked by a friend to come up with some fun party gift ideas for her nephew's birthday party. Since I've made DIY soaps before, I thought it would be fun to make superhero soaps for all the kids. Superhero Soaps Materials: 1-2 lb. clear glycerin soap block (I purchased mine at a local arts and crafts store but they are readily available on Amazon) 4-5 drops of essential oil in your favorite scent (optional) Superhero erasers Square soap molds Directions: Cut the glycerin into small chunks using a sharp knife and place in a 2 cup microwave safe glass measuring cup. Microwave the glycerin in 1 minute increments, stirring until completely melted. If using essential oil, add 4-5 drops and stir. … [Read more...]
Coconut Cupcakes Recipe
We are finally back in the full swing of things here in New York City. It feels like we were the last ones to start back to school after seeing all the pictures that parents have already been posting for weeks on social media from other states. We finish school at the end of June which is why we start up later than most other places. My sons are enjoying their new teachers and classes. Honestly, I'm just glad that we got through the first week. As usual, my boys come home starving after being in school all day. I now have a tenth-grader and a seventh-grader and they both have huge appetites. Since I am a full-time Working Mom, I don't have a lot of opportunities to bake treats for them when they get home from school. However, this week I am actually off today and tomorrow for the Jewish holiday so I am taking advantage by making coconut cupcakes for my big boys. These cupcakes are really easy to make and they taste delicious. I'm so excited to see how my boys are … [Read more...]
Cactus Bottle Craft
Last Fall, we remodeled our kitchen and purchased new appliances. Now that we have a refrigerator that allows us to dispense filtered water, we are not buying bottled water that much anymore. As a result, it has allowed us to see not only how much money we were spending on bottled water, but also how many empty plastic water bottles we were contributing to the environment. This inspired us to figure out creative ways to recycle these plastic bottles. You'd be surprised how many uses there are for making sure that we don't just throw these bottles away in the trash. Since the weather during the summer is perfect for enjoying the great outdoors, what better way to reuse these bottles than by using them to do crafts that will beautify your front yard. The thought inspired the following Cactus Bottle Craft which I'm sure many of you will love too! Cactus Bottle Craft Plastic water bottles Green spray paint Yellow tissue paper Toothpicks Hot glue/hot glue … [Read more...]
How Much Do You Love Donuts? @Entenmanns #ChiefDonutOfficer #Giveaway #Ad
We love donuts in our house. As a matter of fact, I took both of my sons to my job last Friday and one of my co-workers asked if she could bring in a special treat for them to enjoy. Of course, they asked her to bring in donuts and they enjoyed eating them all day long! I would say that donuts are definitely in their top three favorite desserts. I think our family loves donuts so much because they come in so many varieties and they are the perfect on-the-go snack. We often take them with us on road trips and because they are so convenient to travel with and so much fun to eat. Also, they can be eaten for breakfast with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate or even enjoyed as an after-dinner treat. Really, there is no wrong time of the day to enjoy donuts. The search for the country’s biggest donut devotee is on! Entenmann’s®, the iconic baked goods brand, has officially announced its search for the person who deserves its sweetest honorary title ever: Chief Donut … [Read more...]
S’mores Candy Bark
Two years ago, I had the opportunity to make some S'mores outdoors for the first time. I know I'm kind of a late starter but, better late than never! I absolutely feel in love with how delicious they tasted and vowed to enjoy them as often as possible. Since it is not always possible to make S'mores the traditional way, I came up with a fun S'mores Candy Bark recipe that you can enjoy indoors no matter what time of the year it is. This recipe is also a lot of fun to make with the kids. I hope you guys will enjoy this S'mores Candy Bark recipe as much as we do! S’mores Candy Bark Supplies needed: - 2 cups of milk chocolate chips - honey graham crackers, 1 sleeve - 1 cup of mini marshmallows - mixing bowl, microwave safe - wax paper - baking sheet Directions: 1. Place the milk chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Place the bowl in the microwave and heat on high for 30 seconds at a time, stirring well between intervals. Repeat until the chocolate is … [Read more...]
