Canada Day Flag

Materials:

White Paper (thicker is better, like cardstock)

Red Paint

Wooden Skewer or Dowel

Cut paper into rectangle

I let my daughter fingerpaint awhile on some paper and when her hands were covered thoroughly in paint, I borrowed her hand to make a handprint. I let her help paint the sides of the paper red so it resembles a Canadian Flag

I placed the wooden skewer along the edge and folded the paper over the skewer, glueing it into place.

We will proudly carry this at tomorrow's festivities!

Peanut Butter & Banana Pancakes

I wanted to give my daughter a breakfast different from her usual few items. Pancakes aren't really a healthy breakfast so I thought this would improve its nutricious value.

*This is the recipe off the Bisquick box with a few changes*

2 cups Bisquick Mix
1 cup Milk
2 Eggs
2 Mashed Bananas

Mix all together. Heat griddle (Grease if needed). Pour 1/4cup batter in. Wait for the bubbles and then flip. A minute more (approx) and they are done!

Spread pancake with Peanut Butter and fold in half. Cut into triangles for an easy sandwich-style pancake!

My daughter loves them. For my husband and myself, we use the same batter but then do the tradational syrup & butter and it's still yummy!

Another Healthy Pancake idea is to slather with cream cheese (with a bit of icing sugar & vanilla mixed in), load on the berries, and roll up. Yum!

Homemade Birthday Banner

In planning my daughter's Eco-friendly birthday party, I decided to make a banner that I could re-use for the next few years. I already had piles of felt that had been purchased over the years for various projects that had either not happened or not needed as much as purchased.

Materials:

Hot Glue Gun & Glue Sticks

Cord

Felt - various colours

Scissors

I went with yellow & white pennants as those were the only colours I had enough of in full sheets of felt. (I would have liked to used multiple colours for the penants but wanted to use up what I already had)

I cut out a triangle from one felt sheet and then used it as a template for all of the other triangles. I got three triangles from each sheet of felt.

I drew out the letters on various coloured felt pieces, cut them out, and hot glued them with the ink side down.

To add some more colour to the banner, I used some more triangles and added colourful circles to them. I used these before "Happy" and between "Happy Birthday" and at the end.

The easiest sewing-free way to hang them I thought would be to make little tabs and thread the cord through. Like a tab-top curtain panel would have.

It turned out great and I can't wait to start using it!

Recipe: Frozen Yoghurt Popsicle

1 1/2 cups flavoured Yoghurt
1 Banana
2 T Apple Juice

Mash Banana into the Apple Juice. Mix in the Yoghurt. Pour or spoon into popsicle molds.

*I always favoured grape koolaid popsicles as a kid but these are pretty yummy too and much healthier!*

Items to Paint?

* Paper (use the artwork for birthday cards for the grandparents or other relatives!)

* Large smooth Rock

* Large piece of Birch Bark

* Wooden Items (birdhouses, small boxes, picture frames, etc.)

* Cardboard containers (like those Hot Chocolate is in with plastic lid)

* Large pieces of paper to use to wrap gifts

* Lampshade (buy a used one and let kids have a hand at helping to decorate their room)

* Terracotta Pot



Using Special Glass Paints:

* Clear Glass Plate ( paint on underside of plate )

* Glass Jar (could be used for candy, cotton balls, change, etc.)

Painting Tools & Textures

Put a dab of paint on a plate. Add a squirt of dishwashing soap (for increased washability) and let them try these items for some interesting effects!

.
Potato Masher

Q-Tips

Bingo Dabber ------>

Drinking Straw (for making circles - not drinking the paint!)

Cookie Cutters

Toothbrush

Sponge

Toy Car (drive through the paint to make tracks!)

Thread Spool

Toothpicks

Twigs

Wild Flowers ------->

Stones

Acorns

Leaves

Feather

Hands, Fingers, Feet!


Also try food items as stamps:

Corn on the cob

1/2 Potato (Mom can carve into various shapes for fun stamps too)

1/2 Apple

1/2 Red or Green Pepper (obviously the colour doesn't matter!)

1/2 mushroom

Add to Paint for Texture:

Sand

Sawdust

Cornstarch

Flour