Teach your daughter - Mean Stinks campaign by Secret

Hey guys!!!

 So I have an awesome new love interest to share with you. It's called Mean Stinks- a girls anti-bully campaign by Secret. I came across it when I signed up to be a Girls on the Run coach. The ladies there had blue pinkies and I was like what was that for?  And so I googled it when I got home to see what the blue pinky deal was. And MeanStinks.com showed up from swab, I watched the videos and read a little about it.  I LOVED it. It's definitely geared towards high school kids because that's where a lot of the bullying happens and girls can be very mean. Buuuut since I liked it I thought… I could totally do something with this with my daughter. She's five and even girls at her age are mean so I came up with something more age appropriate for her. Here’s what I did:

First, I got the book the recess queen. We read it together and as we read we talked about bullying and how to treat other kids. I generalized to kids rather than just other girls- due to her age. We talked about the characters, how they were acting in the story and how the other kids in the story felt. Every couple pages, we tried to make connections to her school and friends. I really wanted to emotionally relate to the story and the idea behind it.

Then I showed her a couple of the clips of the Mean Stinks campaign. We talked about the videos and what was happening and things she could do in her school and with her friends. After that, we agreed that we would be nice to other people and other kids and that we would paint our pinkies blue to show that we believe in being nice to everybody and that...

MEAN STINKS!

I made a paper that said Mean Stinks and we colored it in together, talked about different ways we could be nice and revisited the story and what we read. We talked about what we would tell others if they ask us about our blue pinkies.

The next part is a video that she decided to make; she wanted to tell everybody that MEAN STINKS!

Check out OLIVIA!

Bein' Mean Stinks

I highly encourage you to purchase The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill . Here is a link to the story if you would 

like to see/ listen to the story and do these activities with your child.

The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill

Hope you enjoy!

Please leave any comments below

Kelly

xxoo

Quick and Easy Sloppy Joes

Hey Guys! I have an incredibly easy and delicious recipe to share with you all!
The other night I was out with the girls and my friend was talking about a recipe she made for dinner that her kids loved and was super quick and easy. Naturally, I was like "whaaaat?! Please share!" And she did...

Sloppy Joes 

aka Sloppy Mickeys! (it was her recipe)

Ingredients:
1 lb. Beef- I like as lean as possible
1/2 onion
1/2 C Ketchup
1/2 C BBQ sauce- I used Sweet Baby Rays
Pinch of
     Salt
     Cayenne
Any additional spices

Brown the beef with the onion, Cayenne and salt.















After completed add 1/2 C of Ketchup and BBQ mix thoroughly.

Ta DA!

Throw in a few fries and veggies and ya got yourself a quick and easy meal when you're on the go! I used it on ZUMBA night!

Mmmmmmm....

Did you try something different? Let me know what you like! 

Please...comment below!

Thanks guys!
Kellyxxoo

Best EVER {& easy} Chocolate covered Strawberries recipe

Hey guys!!!
OMG! So I decided to make chocolate covered Strawberries but I wanted them to taste like the chocolate place in town. So as I'm searching for a recipe I find people inject liquor into strawberries- uhhhh yummy! But not for this particular party so, I'm thinking along those lines and decide maybe I could get the effect of the chocolate place but injecting Simple Syrup. So I decided to try and it if it works- cool, I'll make them again and post if not, oh well.

But, wow! Were they delicious! When you bite into them they are filled with a sweet strawberry goodness flavor. But not filled like Gushers. Remember those? Nasty gooey gel inside. So gross. NOTHING like that. Just regular strawberry juice but sweeter.

My ways may be unconventional. As you read my posts I'm kinda a tinker in that I will find ways to do what I want using what I have soooo my injection method may not be ideal, but I like to use and re-use what I can!

I, soooooooooooooo, recommend you give these a try!




Ingredients:
Simple Syrup
Strawberries 1 pint
Chocolate 1/2 bag
White chocolate 1/4 cup
Crisco just a dallop
injector :)


Before you begin, make sure to wash your strawberries- ya just never know what\s on 'em. Then I used this tool (no clue was it is) and a Tylenol syringe. I told you I was creative in this respect! Poke a hole with the 'tool" and inject the simple syrup into the hole. I did enough that I could see the syrup at the top of the hole.

Next refrigerate them while making chocolate. I used Ghiradelli chocolate chips- about 1/2 bag. It's important to use good quality chocolate to have the best taste. Melt chocolate in 30 sec intervals stirring after each.

When melted carefully dip and roll each strawberry in the chocolate and place on PARCHMENT paper. I made the mistake of not using it the 1st time. They tasted good just not as pleasing to the eye.

Melt about 1/4 cup of white chips with a dallop of Crisco so it is runny and put your fancy white stripes on. I kinda suck at it, but tastes the same!

Again, refrigerate. Ideal to refrigerate 12-24 hours. The syrup seems to juicy up the strawberry. So yummy and easy- DANGEROUS!

Please share your thoughts!!! Pleease...talk to  me :)

Please I'd love to hear what you think! Did you make these? A variant? Suggestions?

  I'd love to hear from you!

Kellyxxoo

Coping with surgery part 2

OK, Here's the 2nd half of what I did to cope with my daughter's impending surgery. The list goes on and on :) Miss part one? Find it here: 

Coping with Surgery Part 1

My sister in law, the hairstylist I mentioned before did a fundraiser for my cause & we organized red streaks in our hair in February.

I wanted a way to bring awareness to CHD with something I could wear every day the month of February. I created these CHD shoes to wear everyday! And for Heart awareness day I brought my A game!

    

I wanted my daughter to know she was loved and many people were thinking of her while in the hospital. So I decided to pick certain people and family members to create a one of a kind 6x6 square of fabric that we would see together as a quilt for her. THIS WAS AMAZING! I bawled like a baby when it was done, so beautiful- meaningful. I was blessed with another heart mom who was able to create this amazing quilt.

Next up, I told ya, I like to be busy, is my book I wrote for her. I met with the child life specialists to see exactly what would happen to her. From there, I decided what I wanted her to know and what I thought was appropriate.  This took a ton of time and energy. I illustrated it and put many significant clues in the illustrations as to it being for her. It was wonderful. I published it through my school's Student Treasure program.

I wanted to give her something special for her heart day. I searched for a beautiful, real heart ring and presented it her the morning we left for the hospital. In addition to the ring, I wanted her to have dolly like her. So I found this FB site, The Cutest Dolls Ever, and I picked the doll for my daughter. From her hair and eyes to her clothes and scar. The doll is beautiful.

   

Before going to the hospital I wanted to have a Suitcase filled with new things needed- button jammies, movies, slippers, ice pack, leggings, photo album, journal, and other little stuff.

I prepared stiff for a glow party at the hospital. We invited 2 family members (all that was allowed in the room, but they rotated) and gave the nurse some stuff. Fun, fun!

Throughout the months preceding surgery I tried to collect heart decor and fun things to decorate the boring hospital room as well. 

I needed to have a small token of my appreciation for anyone who came in contact with our family. Each person meant so much and played an important role in my daughters care. So I made heart pins. I bought the hearts, glitter painted them, added the stitch and pin back. We put them in cute mesh bags with thank you tags. All supplies from the Dollar Tree! Every doctor, nurse, specialist or volunteer got one!

And then there's those doctors, the miracle workers. I needed just a little more. So I prepared and framed a heart wordle for each doctor and of course, Nurse Natalie! Each was so appreciative!

These things helped me occupy my time until surgery came. I knew I could not control any part of surgery and the outcome, but I could control my outlook and my energy. I needed to turn that stress into positive things to get  by. After the girls went to bed, I did these things, during lunch I worked on this. Basically any time I had to think was filled with these projects. It helped- it really did!

What have you done to help yourself or others cope? Please share your ideas...I LOVE hearing what you have found to work or help! 

Please comment below!

Kellyxxoo

Snow Graffiti

Looking for something fun to do with all this snow? How about a little snow graffiti? The kids Love it and will stay outside as along as you let them!

Snow Graffiti

Easy, EASY, EASY! 

Ingredients:

Bottles that spray

Food coloring

Water

Add water to bottle, then food coloring!

SPRAY AWAY!!!!

They played outside til it was dark! So much fun!

And meet Elsa!

Hope you enjoy with your little ones!

Kellyxxoo

Snow...what?!?! ThE bEsT SNOW ICE CREAM EvEr!!

Hello Monday!!!! Annnd for us in the midwest... hello snowstorm Linus....yaaay (can you sense the sarcasm? It's there.) But what else does snowstorm bring besides snow? Snow ice cream. One of my favs! I used to work at a day care and when it snowed we'd rock the snow ice cream. Now that I have my own girls- WE rock the snow ice cream. It is surprisingly good. Just make sure to get clean snow. Yah know, 'Don't you go where the Huskies go and don't you eat that yellow snow!'

SIDE NOTE (to see snow ice cream SCROLL ON)
Despite the inability to travel easily, there are some living things that enjoy the snow! Meet my Husky Mya! She loves the snow, she spends a lot of her time outside this time of year.

And then there's my polydactyl cat- Schwartz. He's confused as to whether is a cat or dog. But he too, enjoys the snow. 

And so, now, for how my girls and I enjoy the snow- from inside!

This recipe is super easy. First collect about 8 C of CLEAN snow. And don't mind the child is summer jammies collecting SNOW! It was a quick collect ;)

Next, gather all ingredients: 1 C milk, 1/3 C sugar, Pinch of salt and 1tsp Vanilla extract.

Add everything to a large bowl and mix to desired consistency.

Scoop into bowls, add sprinkles- A MUST!

and Enjoy!!!

Yummm....

Here's the recipe: