Busy Bee and Party Animal!

I am very into adventure and keeping busy.

Of course there are days when Autumn, her dad, and I all sit in PJS and watch movies and eat junk food all day- but those days are rare, because we are always getting into something.

I have a memory board in my dining room/kitchen and every time we go on an adventure I print pictures and hang them up on the board along with ticket stubs, brochures, and other paper memorabilia from the adventure. Autumn calls them "parties." Every time we go to an event, it's a party. Every Monday we make Monday Cakes.

Life is short, and life get's busy- I like to make it so that every moment is exciting. This is very easy to do since my awesome kid is so easyily excited! Here are some pictures I'd like to share of our recent adventures:

Visiting friant dam and lake. Definately in a drought.

Winning her first cake in a cake walk at Sacred Heart fundraiser.

At Casa de Fruta, on the way to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

Autumn and her Aunt Savannah getting ready to head home from Fremont, Ca.

Autumn and her sugar induced crazy eye smile, and our Monday Cake.

Autumn steering the pirate ship at Renaissance Faire at Fresno City College.

I can't remember which "party" we were going to on this day, but Autumn was prepared with her pink ranger and polly pocket car in her purse. 

At Santa Cruz Beach on Valentine's Day.

Autumn's attire for St.Patty's.

Autumn getting face paint by a fairie at Wiccafest.

Homemade Playdough

Autumn and I made playdough about a month ago, and she's still sooooo proud of it. I have this photo of her on the memory cork board in the kitchen and everytime she see's it she says: "Remember when I was little and made playdough?" Apparently, a month ago she was "little."

I actually just had to throw it out because since they sat for a few weeks the liquid started to seperate from it and looked really gross.

However, after three failed attempts this is the recipe/and how-to that I used, mixing the instructions from a couple of different pinterest sources.

This is the recipe that I used:

For each color I used this amount:
2 cups flour
2 cups warm water
1 cup salt
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Food coloring

*Oh and glitter. We definately mixed in glitter to make them "sparkerlee."

1. I started by having Autumn pour the warm water and vergetable oil together in an already warmed up pot. Warm pot, NOT hot. I also like to add the food coloring drops in now, because it mixes easier.
2. Then start to slowly mix the salt and flower in. Also- add glitter if you want.
3. Keep stirring until it begins to feel like playdough.
4. Roll into a ball and let cool. It will be hot at first, so be careful with the little hands.

We made all sorts of colors and Autumn played for hours. When we were done we put it in reuseable plastic containers, the type that you use for leftover food.

She loved it and played with it everyday until she decided the carpet needed "clothes" and she rubbed blue playdough into the carpet. Then it went in the closet and stayed there while it seperated.

So... two weeks of playing with it and it still was staying together well. Shelf life? Not so long.

Hope you have fun!
-Brittany