Spending the day indoors we decided to draw on windows and make some fun designs. 

First I had to wash the windows, unfortunately.  Then I took clear plastic wrap and stuck them to it.  I figured all I need to do is give my daughter some pens and she will love it.  Not so fast, I guess 3 is still a little young for that.

She was however not too young to decided to write on the window itself.

I needed something more focused, so I took her favorite character and traced it with a sharpie.

She loved it.

Unfortunately we did not have good red sharpie so Strawberry Shortcake quickly became Lemonade.

Then we also made some sun catchers and of course a Spring Bunny.

Since we are slowing getting used to the idea of Spring and Easter being right around the corner.

At any given day in my kitchen you can find cookie cutters in different shapes and sizes.  Most of the time they sit and wait for their respected holidays when they can be dusted off and put to work.  If they ever make it that far since I am not the best of taking care of cookie cutters.  I am not really good at taking care of anything that can’t be thrown into a dishwasher.

And what happens when you throw cookie cutters in a washer?  They get rusty.  Not so good when making cookies but perfectly fine when making potato stamps.

All you need is cookie cutters and potatoes and you will soon have a fun filled stamping afternoon.  Cut the potato in half and press the cookie cutter into it.

When it is all the way down take a knife and slice into the potato until you reach the cookie cutter.  Continue all the way around.

When finished gently remove the cutter

get ready to stamp.  In our house today Pink Shamrocks.  Who knew

Since Pink and Purple where the colors of choice I decided to make a spring flower too.

What a cool flower it was.  In this craft you are only limited by your cookie cutter collection and kids can make up elaborate stories or stamp interesting landscapes using this technique

So next time your potatoes are starting to sprout and you do not want to grow them, use them for stamps.

Now that we have gotten over Mardi Gras and gotten our ashes are calendars tell us that whole week after our lent resolutions we will be tempted with St. Patty’s Day.  A day of joy, fun, lots of eating and drinks.  Which made me always wonder why Irish have their big celebration during lent but  the only answer I can think of is to make it more bearable.  You know just in case you give up something really important.  I on the other have given up green beer the minute I left college but do miss Chicago St. Patrick’s Day parade.  So in honor of the patron saint of Ireland I made some shamrocks, pots of gold and leprechauns.

I made salt dough following our basic step by step recipe here. Salt dough is a mixture of salt, flour, water and oil which is easily workable like play dough but it hardens when baked.

I rolled it out with a rolling pin

and using my shamrock cookie cutter decided to make some… well shamrocks

But shamrock is not really a shamrock without the rainbow

and rainbow is not really a rainbow without a pot of gold at the end of it

and unfortunately that pot of gold is guarded by a really angry little green man

He was the most fun to make

Using play dough presses for hair, but you can just as well use a garlic presser or a grader with large openings

With one of the small hair strings you can make little shamrocks

or four leaf clovers, whatever is the difference… do you know?  I guess I am telling you that I am not Irish, red hair and all.  My kids are half Irish but me, oh no…

I thought that these would make fun earrings

Then I baked it all in 350 degree oven.  Keeping in mind that some little things would bake faster then a big-o leprechaun and a pot of gold.  You always have to work harder for those big things.

So here they are… The top of the morning to you crew…  waiting for to be painted.

It is March which in Virginia means warmer days.  For others it may mean less snow or smaller heating bill.  For some it may mean that after long winter spring soon will be here.  It better !!!

For us it means hanging out on the front porch and keeping the kiddos occupied, and hopefully away from the water hose.  It is not That warm yet.

So what’s better then playing badminton, preschooler style meaning with a slow and deflated balloon instead of a birdie.

If you choose you can also use a monkey.  That takes for a really slow badminton game.

Now I understand that not every toddler has an older sybling with a badminton set so here is an easy way of making one.  Start by taking some paper plates and craft sticks (or a branch).

Staple, glue or tape the stick to the back of the plate.

The handle should be just long enough for little hand, and sturdy enough to play with balloons.  Now take your balloons and play indoors, outdoors or wherever else you can think of.