Making bath bursts

A great Gift:

Recipe:

1/2 cup Citric Acid (I have found the best price at Mustard Seed in bulk)

1/2 cup Baking Soda

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup oil (almond, Castor, or olive)

6-12 drops essential oil. (my favorites are lavender and sweet orange)

1. Add dry ingredients. Mix.

2. Add oil and essential oil. Mix until you have a dough. Add food coloring if you wish.

3. Press into silicone molds. Dry over night.

4. Take out of molds carefully and store in an open container until ready to use.

Then fill bath and equally distribute to little ones.

Warning: 

Store out of bathroom.  Your children will love them so much that they will want to use all of them in one luxurious bath.

Tallmadge Beach

 This is not really a beach.  A slightly flooded hardware supply store.  We went for pea gravel and a little sand for the sandbox, but found ourselves covered in sand and water.  It was too perfect for me to say they could not play.

Two Dolls to Norway

These are the dolls I made to send to our friends in Norway.

One for big brother and one for new sister

Roasting Sweet Potato Blocks

One of the best toys ever: Sweet Potato cubes and tongs

Roast sweet potatoes:

Cut into cubes, place in a bowl of water, allow children to play while you wash knife and cutting board.

If children and counter are not soaked, add more water, wash more dishes

When children and entire area are soaked through, drain water.

Add olive oil and S&P, if children add salt it will now be all over their wet hands.

All the better to toss the sweet potatoes with. Toss by hand. 

Then after most of the salt has escaped the chubby creases of little hands,

Add baking dish and tongs. (a pair of tongs per child, no other way)

Now you can finish the lunch dishes or sip your tea while they transfer the potatoes to the pan.

This took a good 10 minutes. Big brother put them into baking pan, little brother put back in bowl.

Roast at 400F for 45 minutes, tossing a few times.