Conserve

We had a basic, basic plastic container worm bin about four years ago, which didn't yield a substantial amount of rich humus. However, maintaining the box proved to be fruitful in an entirely different way. Our young son (4 at the time) was totally mesmerized by the bin and its squirmy occupants which opened up several discussions on worms, recycling and taking care of living things. Who knew a silly little bin would hold so many teachable moments? I was crushed when we no longer were able to maintain it due to a home remodel (RIP worms).

As rainy days begin to give way to warmer weather one can't help but feel that Spring is finally here to stay. And since the seasons are changing so must the decor. Out with the frosted glass votives, in with the daffodils in milk glass.

Yeah, Easter is great and all but what gets me is when all the hunting/egg-dying/basket-giving is over what do I do with all the egg-shaped goodies (both candy and plastic)? Sure it's fun to relive the magic by staging mock egg hunts but after the 100th time you've run out of places to hide the eggs and your still left w/dozens of egg-shaped plastic. I'm always on a look out for fun ways to reuse those plastic eggs so they don't end up as carpet bombs in my kids' rooms.

Lee of Craftstylish has a fantastically simple how-to for making a kitty hat "(for humans)". I'm in love with how one ugly, old sweater can be transformed in a cute kitty hat.

Fall is here in full force! And as the leaves cover the ground in a beautiful blanket of deliciously warm Autumn colors our leaf collection continues growing (out of control). We've been having a blast doing all sorts of fun projects with our fall treasures. However, the leaf rubbings are getting a little played out. Becky of My Kids Make offers this simple activity for making leaf connect the dots. A few fall leaves, paper and pencil. How clever is that?

Family walks are a whole new level of special when Autumn rolls in to show off it's beauty. And my kids (expert leaf hunters) make sure we arrive home with a baker's dozen worth of fresh leaves on each and every outing. We count them, make crayon rubbings of them, craft crowns, masks and fans out of them. Then, they dry up and become a crunchy mess all over my floor. It's kinda sad to see their demise. Wouldn't it be nice to enjoy their beauty the entire season and beyond?

With a freshly-minted middle schooler and kindergartener at home the days are now numbered for our well-loved (worn out) board books. And although we're sure to find good homes for many of our cherished page-turners there are a few in our collection that just won't make the cut.

Time to start filling the ol' summer bag of tricks with a few good ideas (that is if you treasure your sanity). Here's a cool project for making a CD case fimo labyrinth contributed by Teri of Giddy Giddy on Bloesem Kids. It's the perfect go-to summer project when things get hairy with the kids.

What ever good summer needs is the perfect hideaway...A cool place to stash one's self for a while with a few good books and several stuffed pals...A haven from the heat!

I admit our home is overrun with small plastic toys...Boo, hiss!...I KNOW plastic...Don't judge! Despite our best attempts to provide eco-friendly playthings for our kids these bright colored pieces of death are the most popular toys in our home providing hours of imaginative play. However, that doesn't solve/rationalize the unequal toy-to-kid ratio of our already spaced challenged living space.