Summer Picnics with your Children

Hi there!

Long time no see! We've been busy launching our Etsy shop and while we've been doing that, summer has been sneaking up on us.

To me, summer means picnics.  Enjoying the fresh air, the scenery and communing with nature.

It got me to thinking about how to make a picnic educational, but still fun!

How about having your child help you organize a picnic? You could decide together on what foods would be best to take (things that aren't too messy or could spoil quickly), and decide what needs to be kept cold or hot.

Then, let them help pack a picnic basket.  What do you need?  Cutlery, cups, bowls, plates, napkins, etc.  If you decided on sandwiches, let you child help to make and wrap those at home.

Once you're all packed up, decide on where to go for a picnic.  Do they want shade or sun?  Would you have a picnic in a parking lot?  Why not? 

When you arrive at your picnic location, surprise them by pulling out some plastic ants!  Talk about why ants like to come to our picnics. You could use those plastic ants to measure things you have at your picnic, for example, an apple, a sandwich or even the blanket. Then you could sing "The Ants Go Marching" and have those ants leave your picnic.

When you get home and have unpacked what's left of your picnic,why not snuggle up and read a couple books about picnics?  I would suggest Ants at the Picnic: Counting by Tens by Michael Dahl.

As well as Teddy Bears' Picnic by Jimmy Kennedy, and The Bears' Water Picnic by John Yeoman (you may recognize the illustrator as the same who illustrated for Roald Dahl!).

Have an awesome picnic!

Sonja & Joy

It's Official!

That's right folks -- our Etsy shop is up and running!  We've been hard at work, cutting, arranging, cricut-ing, and taking photographs over the last few weeks.  In other words, we've been getting everything prepared. We've officially listed a twelve month subscription to our scrapbooking kits, as well as some individuals, with our monthly themed craft kits on their way!

Check it out if it's up your alley, and spread the word to anyone you know who has a little one with the scrapbooking bug!

Happy crafting!

~ Sonja & Joy

Autism Awareness Day!

This is exciting news for anyone involved in the Autism community in Canada. The government has officially declared that April 2nd (today!) will be dedicated to Autism Awareness. Here's a great article that talks about how over three hundred cities across Canada are making the day known.

We hope everyone's Easter weekend was fun-filled and relaxing! 

~ Sonja & Joy

Community Spotlight - The Honey Bake Shop

A couple of days ago, we headed out to a new[ish] bake shop close by, called the Honey Bake Shop. While there are a number of cute small-business bakeries in the area, we stopped in at this one because we thought, "DiscoverBees...Bees...Honey...Honey Bake Shop!" It was kitchy and cute, so we stopped in and picked up some delicious treats. 

We picked up a 'Mint Smoothie' cupcake (in essence, it was mint chocolate), a 'Red Velvet', and a 'Maple Bacon' -- complete with bacon bits on top! They were super light and fluffy, and there were plenty of other options. If you visit their website (you can find the address on the business card up top), you can see a more complete list of not only their cupcakes, but their other baked goods. The third picture is of the almond meringues, which were equally delicious. If you happen to read this blog and live in the Tri-Cities area, you ought to stop in.

Even if you don't live in the Tri-Cities, scope out your own town or city for a small bakery or treat shop, and bring the little ones (or heck, just go yourself, or make it a date night) for a snack. Of course, it isn't super difficult to make cupcakes, but sometimes you just don't want the mess of baking, and there's nothing wrong with indulging a little bit and introducing your kids to a new location. You never know -- it might end up becoming a bit of a tradition.

~ Sonja & Joy

A Belated Wednesday Book Nook

Happy spring everyone! Although it hasn't quite been springy over here yet.

Things have been pretty busy over the last week, as we've been working really hard to put together some prototypes for our upcoming Etsy shop (maybe we'll post a sneak peak in the coming week), so Book Nook is coming just a day late. We've got some good ones though, so we hope you'll forgive us!

Our picture book this week is The One & Only by Holly Hobbie, from the Toot & Puddle series. 

Ironically, we weren't going for a pig  theme -- it just happened that way! This is a really adorable little book though, and if your little one enjoys it, there are others to look into. Not to mention, if you head over to the Tood & Puddle website, there are games, videos, and printables! It doesn't get better than that, really.

The story follows Opal, who finds herself a bit frustrated when the new girl at school, Bubbles, decides to copy everything she does. It doesn't help that Bubbles gets all the credit, and everyone starts to absolutely adore her. It isn't until the girls of the class begin to rehearse their big chorus line for the end of the year party that Bubbles reveals her weakness -- she can't dance! Fortunately Opal can, and decides to be the bigger person, and helps Bubbles out. 

The only thing we wished had been included in the story, is a page or two that sums up whether or not Opal and Bubbles become friends (seeing as it's a picture book, we can assume that they did, but you never know). All in all though, this was a great little story, with a lot of excellent material to follow it up with.

Next is an old favourite, Awful End by Philip Ardagh.

This is one of those books that has a quirky, eccentric type of humour. If you or your kids liked A Series of Unfortunate Events, or if you're not quite sure they're ready for that series, this is a good one. It's a part of the Eddie Dickens Trilogy, and there is actually a second trilogy with Eddie Dickens if they really love it. 

As you can imagine, the main character is a boy named Eddie Dickens, and this first book in the trilogy follows him on some hilarious misadventures. It all starts when his parents catch "some awful disease that made them turn yellow, go a bit crinkly around the edges, and smell of old hot-water bottles". We kid you not, those words come directly from the first page of the book. Eddie is sent to live with Mad Uncle Jack, and Even Madder Aunt Maud (and her stuffed stoat) at their house, Awful End. 

This is a great book to read out loud if you like doing voices, because the characters are absolutely hilarious, and it's a bit more of an advanced read if your child is just getting into chapter books. It's divided into "Episodes" instead of chapters, as the author wrote these books in installments for his nephew in boarding school. Definitely gives it a bit of uniqueness, along with great chapter titles (ie. Episode 6 Orphanage - in which geese save Rome).

Happy reading!

~ Sonja & Joy

Wednesday Book Nook

We're back with our second edition of Wednesday Book Nook! 

First up is a cute Easter read called Piggy Bunny, written by Rachel Vail, and illustrated by Jeremy Tankard. 

As you can imagine from the cover, this book tells the story of a young pig (named Liam) who wants nothing more than to be the Easter Bunny. Unfortunately though, his family can't understand why he would want to be anything other than a piglet. It isn't until his grandparents buy him his very own Easter Bunny suit, that Liam full realizes his dream. This story is a testament not only to the wonderful imaginations every child possesses, but is also a story to remind parents to support their children's dreams -- even if it is to be the Easter Bunny!


Our second read is an early reader's chapter book: Mouse Soup by Arnold Lobel. Lobel is also the author of the classic Frog and Toad books, so as you can imagine, this one didn't fall short of expectations. 

The neat thing about this book is that there are actually four stories within the main story. The concept is that a young mouse gets snatched up by a hungry weasel who wants to make mouse soup. Mouse is clever though, and convinces Weasel that in order for the soup to taste good, he needs to put stories in the soup. Mouse then tells four short, quirky stories, each containing a particular item that Weasel will then need to collect to put in the soup. However, as soon as Weasel leaves to collect these items, Mouse sneaks to safety. Mouse shows that using your brain and your words are better ways to get you out of sticky situations than rudeness or violence.

This is a great read if your child's at the point where picture books are no longer cutting it. There are still small illustrations throughout the book, but the focus is on the story itself. It's actually categorized as a Reading with Help book, but if you have a strong reader on your hands, it might not be a bad idea to encourage them to try reading the story by themselves, and then regrouping so you can discuss the book -- ask them what they liked, what they didn't like, about each of the characters, and what the author was trying to say through the story.

We hope you enjoyed this wee's Book Nook! Happy reading!

~ Sonja & Joy

Make Your Own Craft Bin

This March Break, why not take a "break" (if you'll pardon the pun) from all the electronics we're hooked up to, and encourage some hands-on creativity?


Something I always had for my kids was a craft bin. It's really just that simple. We used a large Rubbermaid bin, which you can find at any old Walmart. You could always get fancy too, and find a decorated box like the one Joy uses for her yarn. You can find some on great sales at places like Marshalls or Winners, if you keep on the look out!

Here are some ideas of what you can include in your craft bin:

• glue (both liquid and glue sticks)
• glitter
• pom poms
• felt
• paint (craft acrylic, washable tempura, and little watercolour pallets are good options)
• safety scissors
• tin foil
• yarn scraps
• fabric scraps
• tissue paper
• used wrapping paper scraps
• pipe cleaners
• old greeting cards
• cotton balls
• construction paper
• stickers
• empty tissue boxes
• beads
• coloured string

The great thing about craft bins like these, is that you don't have to necessarily plan out a specific craft. They can go into the craft bin and see where their imagination takes them! Another good thing to invest in is a child sized apron -- crafting can get messy, and you don't want their nice clothes to get ruined. Sometimes you can even find them at the dollar store. No need to shell out a ton of money for something that's going to get all mucked up -- in fact, there's no need to spend a ton of money on any of these items. Just watch for sales, and use whatever is lying around the house that might otherwise end up in the trash or recycling.

Happy crafting!

~ Sonja

DIY Building Blocks

All right, we're back with another fun craft to occupy the kids (or, if you're like Joy, yourself) during March Break. It's from the book I Can Make That! by Mary Wallace. 

Drum roll please...

DIY building blocks made from stuff you probably have lying around the house!

Click on images to enlarge!

How cool is this, right? All you need is cardboard, construction paper, paper towel and toilet paper tubes, paint, scissors, and any other bits and bobs you feel like using. The sky is really the limit here. If you're looking for a craft that'll keep them occupied for more than fifteen minutes, this is definitely one to consider. Not only do they have to cut and colour the cardboard and paper, there's hours of fun to be had afterward creating all sorts of buildings and figures! This would be a good craft for babysitters to either make ahead of time, or bring to the kids' homes for something fun and different. 

Have a good one!

~ Sonja & Joy

Wednesday Book Nook

Good afternoon folks!

We're going to be starting a bit of a tradition around here, and as I'm sure you can guess from the title of this post, we're calling it Wednesday Book Nook. Every Wednesday we'll be featuring two books on the blog: one picture book, and one early chapter book, or middle grade novel. We'll be looking at new releases, classic lit, and pretty much everything in between. Posting it mid-week means that if it sounds like something your little one might be interested in, you can make plans to head on over to your local library on the weekend to scoop it up -- if your library carries it, of course!

Coincidentally, both books we picked up were British. What are the odds?

First up, is the picture book, Bear and Bird by Gwen Millward. 

What a great story about friendship and working together! Bear and Bird are a delightful (and kind of an odd) pair, who live together in a little cabin in the woods. When they run out of the firewood to keep them warm through the cold winter, Bear sets out to find some more -- only to get lost. Bird, being the good friend he is, sets out to find his friend, and bring him home safely. 

This book is filled with lush illustrations that are great for playing "I Spy" with kids. Ask them to point out different objects, or find all the insects on the page. This will keep them occupied for quite a while, and is a wonderful learning opportunity!

Our early chapter book of the week is You, Me, and Thing (The Legend of the Loch Ness Lilo) by Karen McCombie.

This one caught both of our attention with its cover alone. Who said you can't judge a book by its cover? The Legend of the Loch Ness Lilo revolves around three characters: Ruby Morgan (who narrates the tale), her friend and neighbour, Jackson Miller, and their magical friend/pet/thing, Thing -- who can't keep from getting into trouble. Especially when they bring him along to a friend's pool party! 

The pages are chock full of quirky illustrations, and fun British terms that you and your reader will have fun deciphering and researching, and the wild characters provide an excellent opportunity to read aloud and play with voices. The Legend of the Loch Ness Lilo is actually the third book in a series of three, and we can't wait to get our hands on the rest of them!

~ Sonja & Joy

Autism Ontario -- Online Webinar Opportunity

If any readers are a) parents of children with Autism, b) teachers and/or educational assistants that work with autistic children or c) are caregivers for these children, Autism Ontario is hosting a registered webinar series. Here's the info from the site:

Hi everyone,Autism Ontario is proud to be providing you with our first Online Webinar Series.  We look forward to having you join us from the comfort of your own home.   Registration is now open for the webinars listed below: Thursday, March 14, 2013 at 7pm On-line Webinar: Ask the Doctor Presented by Dr. Wendy Roberts Webinar Description: Everything you wanted to ask your doctor about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and more! This webinar will cover early signs of ASD, when and how to make a diagnosis, early intervention principles, and medical problems including sleep, nutrition, GI problems and toileting. Dr. Wendy Roberts will also review competence building at all ages and communication strategies. For more information and to register please click here. Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 7pm On-line Webinar: Individual Education Plans – The Basics and Transition and Safety Plans Presented by Patricia O'Connor Webinar Description: This webinar will address the necessity, the process, and the role of the parent in the development of the Individual Education Plan (IEP). The IEP is an essential document since it becomes the template for the student and teacher program and represents how your child’s program will differ from the regular program. Transition and safety plans will also be discussed and examples of when, why, and how these documents are implemented in the school setting will be reviewed. For more information and to register please click here. Our first webinar was a huge success.  Thank you to those who attended.  Wednesday, February 27, 2013 at 7pm On-line Webinar: Positive Advocacy Strategies/The Identification Placement Review Committee (IPRC) Process Presented by Ed Mahony

You can also view this information directly, you can find it here. 

Have a good one!

~ Sonja

Our Attempt at the Cookie in a Mug

Hi all,

Today we experimented with the chocolate chip cookie in a mug, which we'd come across a while ago on No. 2 Pencil. It turned out great, and we thought we'd share it with you guys (just in case you haven't come across it yourself whilst wandering the blogosphere). This would be a great little snack to make with your little ones, as it's fast, easy, and it's done in the microwave! Not to mention, the fact that it's in the mug means it minimizes crumb messes -- bonus! It's also great if you have a craving for a homemade cookie...but don't feel like going through the hassle of baking a full recipe. 

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon of butter

1 Tablespoon granulated white sugar

1 Tablespoon firmly packed dark brown sugar (we didn't use dark brown, but it still tasted delicious)

3 drops vanilla extract (well...we weren't super precise about this)

Small pinch of kosher salt (or, leave out the salt if you're using salted butter)

1 Egg yolk

Scant 1/4 Cup of all purpose flour

Chocolate chips (as much or as little as you want!)

The How-To:

1. Melt the butter -- not to boiling though!

2. Add your sugars, vanilla, and salt. Mix together.

3. Separate your egg, and add only the yolk to the mixture. Stir.

4. Add your flour, and combine again.

5. Toss in your chocolate chips, and stir them in!

6. Cook in a microwave between 40 and 60 seconds. This will depend on your microwave, so start at 40, and go from there. Don't cook for longer than a minute, as the cookie will continue to cook as it cools.

That's it folks! A great little recipe that we were super excited to stumble across. We can't wait to try out some other Desserts-in-a-Mug. They're just too cute!

~ Sonja & Joy

March Break is on its Way!

I can't believe that March Break is next week!  I want to share some ideas with you this week that you can do with your little ones while they're home.

Today I want to share with you a recipe for Kool Aid playdough.  It's colourful, smells wonderful and is easy to make.

image via chocolate on my cranium

1 1/4 cups flour

1/4 cup salt

1 pkg unsweetened Kool Aid powdered drink mix

1 cup boiling water

1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

Mix together the flour, salt and Kool Aid until well blended.

Mix in the boiling water and oil into the flour mixture.  

Mix with spoon until it's cool enough to knead.

Keep kneading until the colour is blended.

Store in a tight bag or container in the fridge.

This mixture can be kept for 2 months in the fridge.



WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOME OF YOUR CREATIONS.

EMAIL US SOME PICTURES AND WE MAY FEATURE IT HERE!

~ Sonja

First Post -- How Exciting!

Just like that little worker bee says, we're so glad you've dropped by! We are super excited to get this blog underway, and bring some fun craft ideas to the table. 

~ Sonja & Joy