Jessica Nan: A Different Kind of Valentine

Jessica Nan: A Different Kind of Valentine: I love Valentine's Day, I love having a holiday to celebrate love. Why shouldn't we celebrate it? I'm a love baby and regardless of having...

A great cup of coffee

A great cup of mocha is easy to make.  Just add one cup of brewed coffee to one tablespoon cocoa powder, a tablespoon of suger, and 2 tablespoons of milk.  :)

SAHM Starting a Good In Home Day Care

Most SAHM are very busy.  The day spins by as we multi-task, clean and care for our little treasures.  I know personally, how hard it can be to be a stay at home mom.  To add a little more adventure and actually a little more income to our family, I have now opened an in home day care.  I made it through the mounds of paperwork and requirements to become state registered.  In order for me to stay at home with my children, a 5 year old son and 2 year old daughter, I must bring in income.  Most importantly, I must mold them into the individuals I know they can be (kind, smart...).  I owe the same to those children in my care.  We follow a daily schedule that includes creative art, movement and music, reading and outdoor play. 

This is a great adventure for both me and the children in my care.  I wish there were more in home day care mommy blogs out there.  It would be great to find resources about activities for the children and also ways that one person can do the job that several staff would handle at a licensed day care facility (janitor, accountant, pre-k teacher, director....)

You are required to have all the toys bleached or sprayed with Clorax any where spray, keep a next to spotless house because they have random inspections in my state about 3 times a year.  In addition spend quality time with 6-8 young children under the age of 5.  It takes a very short time for a group of toddlers to trash a spotless house during fun free play.  There are days I think WOW, how can I do this and then there are days I think WOW I did it!

Mixed Berry Jam

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Mixed Berry Jam Ingredients 2 cups blueberries 2 cups raspberries 1 cup strawberries, diced 1 box (1.75 oz.) pectin 6 cups sugar Directions *Heat your empty jars in boiling water while you prepare the jam. When you process the jam, you should have 2 inches of water above the jars. 1. Rinse the berries under cold water and place them between paper towels to dry. 2. Place the berries in a large sauce pot. Crush the berries with a potato masher. 3. Stir in the pectin. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium-high heat and stir constantly. 4. Stir in the sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. 5. Skim off any foam. 6. Pour into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch head space. 7. Clean the glass rim well with a clean wet cloth. Top with canning disk and screw on the ring. (Do not tighten it tightly.) 8. Place the jars in boiling water for 10 minutes with lid on. Turn off the heat. Remove the lid and keep the jars in the hot water for 5 minutes. 9. Remove the jars from the water, being careful not to tip the jars. Place the jars on a cooling rack. Do not touch the jars for 24 hours. 10. Unscrew the rings on the jars and check the seals carefully. If sealed properly, the jam will be good for one year. *This recipe makes about 5 half pints.

Check out Make Ahead Meals for Moms (Thanks for this recipe!)

Make at Home Fun Finger Paints :)

All you need is: 2 cups white flour 2 cups cold water food coloring Pour water in bowl. slowly add flour, while stirring. Pour into smaller bowls. Add various food coloring. Paint and enjoy!

Check out ...Edible Playdough

Please check out simplygoodstuff.com by clicking the link in the blue box on the left hand side below. Thanks, It has recipes for edible playdough. Fun!

Fun Summer Art

Today we had some friends spend the day with us (ages 4 - 8) My son, who is 2, enjoys it when we spend the day with friends. To help fill the time and do something special with the kids, we made butterfly art. We took tissue paper and colored it with markers. Once colored we sprayed the tissue paper with a little water. This made the markers run together like paint. It was neat looking. We then crimped the center together with colorful pipe cleaners and made butterflies. This can also be done using coffee filters and pipecleaners, instead of tissue paper. It was a fun activity and everyone's art looked different and unique. :)

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