Halloween

What kid doesn't love carving a pumpkin? It's enticingly messy and squishy, and it's a tradition that's been celebrated for centuries. Check out this step by step guide on how to carve your own spooky pumpkins at home! (The kids will need your help with this one) Find out more by visiting www.marthastewart.com

Cut a Hole in the Pumpkin

The first step is hollowing out the pumpkin. Use a keyhole saw to cut the hole. If you'll be using a candle for illumination, you can cut the hole in the pumpkin's top (always put the candle in a high-sided glass, and never leave unattended). For electric lights, make the hole in the bottom or side so you can hide the cord.

Scoop Out the Flesh

Scoop out flesh, pulp, and seeds with a plaster scraper or fleshing tool

Transfer Your Design

Now it's time to transfer your selected designs. Affix it to the pumpkin, and trace the design by poking holes with a sharp awl, needle tool, or T-pin.

Carve the Features

Remove the template and carve along the pattern with a miniature saw or linoleum carving tool. If you want to make holes in the pumpkin for eyes, use a drill equipped with a 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch spade bit.

If desired, place candles, small flashlights, or battery-operated light sources inside your pumpkin.

Tip: Prevent exposed areas of the pumpkin's flesh from turning brown by applying a film of Vaseline.

How to Light a Pumpkin

To illuminate a carved pumpkin, string lights are preferable to candles for most designs: Wrap a strand of 20 lights around a glass jar, and secure wires with tape. Cut a hole in the hollowed-out pumpkin for the cord, and place jar inside. Unplug lights before leaving the house or going to sleep. If using a candle, place it in a glass or votive holder, and cut a hole in the back of the pumpkin for ventilation (or leave the top off). Battery operated candles are another good alternative.

Story courtesy of www.marthastewart.com

Kids Art & Craft

Story courtesy of www.positivelysplendid.com

Supplies:
Sheet of bubble wrap, approximately 12″ x 24″
Scotch tape
Aluminum floral wire
Cardboard
Red construction paper
Scissors
Acrylic paint and foam brushes
Cotton balls
1-inch styrofoam or wood balls
Black paint pen
Elmer’s glue
Foam adhesive dots

Sanity-saving plan-ahead tips for busy moms

The night before…

…gather all supplies and place in one location.

…cut out the bubble wrap rectangles and the cardboard feet.

…trace the frill shape onto the red construction paper for your child to cut out. Or, for younger children, cut out the frills yourself for easy assembly.

…consider painting the white balls to eliminate the need to let them dry the day of the craft.

Have fun!

Plant Pals

This photo originally appeared in FamilyFun Magazine

Ages: 2 years and up

Total time: 1 hour

Your indoor gardener may not get your "bad hair day" jokes, but the fun of this grassy-      haired friend won't be lost on him. Like a Chia Pet, the project requires just a sprinkling of seeds, a bit of sun, and a few drops of patience.

        What you'll need

• One 9- or 12-ounce plastic cup
• 1 to 1 1/4 cups of potting soil
• 1 tablespoon of grass seeds (we bought rye grass at a garden center)
• Decorations, such as office dot stickers, markers, and ribbon (for safety, it should measure less than 6 inches long)

       How to make it

1. Fill the cup halfway with soil. Divide the remaining soil in two, then have your child measure the seeds and stir them into one of these halves. Tip: To speed germination, you can first soak the seeds in water overnight.
2. 
   
   
   
   Spoon the seed-filled soil into the cup, then top it with the remaining soil (this final layer should be about 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep). Water the soil well.
3. 
   
   
   
   Let your child decorate the cup with stickers and markers. Finally, leave the plant in a warm, sunny spot to sprout. Water as necessary to keep the soil about as wet as a damp sponge.
   
   
   Courtesy of FamilyFun Magazine.
   
   
   

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Early bird catches the worm!

Encouraging our kids to recycle

How about making recycling fun? Designer Benjamin Jones created his cartoonish “Binster” monster to make recycling a more playful endeavor for children of all ages. Children can develop positive recycling habits just by feeding recyclables to the ever-hungry Binster. Jones envisions the monster coming in different forms for gulping different sorts of trash. - See more at: http://www.alternativeconsumer.com/2011/11/12/binster-monster-encourages-kids-to-recycle/#sthash.70sZSYYB.dpuf

Courtesy of www.Babble.com

Environmentally Friendly Products for Kids

Green toys, reusable water bottles, and more

By ANDREA ROXAS | April 18th, 2011 at 10:00 am

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Hank

Give your kids some old-school style with these retro tube socks made from bamboo and AZO-free dyes. They even come packaged in an adorable, lead-free lunchbox (an odd pairing,
but we’ll take both!).
Get Hank & JoJo socks »

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12Next »

Positive Thinking For Kids – 3 Great Tips For Teaching

Taken from http://www.finerminds.com

31 Mar 2011

by Dawn DelVecchio

Do you want to know why a lot of us adults struggle to be able to consistently think positively? Because we were raised with the old skool notion that focusing on negitude might actually improve things. Sounds laughable today, but if you think back to your own childhood, you’ll probably agree, that too much positive thinking for kids was seen as a bad thing.

Well not anymore – thankfully! More and more parents and teachers today are recognizing the value of positive thinking for kids, and teaching them how to think in ways that improve their self-image, aptitude for learning, social attitude and overall well-being.

If you’ve got a kid-friend or two, here are 3 tips to help you model positive thinking for them, and to encourage them to think positively too :)

1. Speak in Affirmatives

What’s the difference between “I don’t want to go to school” and “I want to stay home today”? Well, you might argue not a lot, and that what we’re talking about here is nothing less than wanting to ‘play hookie’ – whichever way you slice it. And you’d be right, practically speaking. But when it comes to positive thinking, the two statements are worlds apart. Here are a few other examples worth considering …

• “I hate it when my homework takes too long,” or “I love it when I finish my homework with more time for fun!”
• I don’t want to go out in the cold,” or “I’d like to stay inside and be warm.”
• “I don’t like to play with Roger, he’s a jerk!” or “My favorite people to play with are Sam and Eddy and Jenny.”

2. Look on the Bright Side

S**t happens to all of us, but how you look at it – especially in front of kids – can make all the difference in the world. Here’s a great example – Kids spill things. Sometimes what they spill makes a heck of a mess. You’ve got a choice about how to look at it, no matter how much time it’s going to take to clean it up. You could either a). get pissed off, make a scene, shame the kid and then clean it up; b). fume a little bit, bite your tongue and clean it up; or c). think: “it could be worse, it could be a bottle of fish sauce!” Then smile and begin the clean-up.

3. Teach ‘em how to Rampage

Instead of letting kids go off on a rampage of anger or a crying fit; when they’re feeling calm and happy, teach them the appreciation game. You can use crayons, markers, pencils, words, stories or animated miming. Just pick a topic and go off on a rampage, thinking of every single thing you appreciate about that person, place, thing or experience. Make it fun and the kid will learn it for life!

Have you had the chance to teach or model positive thinking for a child? What did/do you do? Leave a comment and let us know.

Dawn DelVecchio

Dawn DelVecchio is a writer, traveler, speaker and coach. She's been living a life devoted to spirit and purpose for more than 28 years. As the author and host of DawnDelVecchio.com, and a guest contributor to a number of personal growth blogs, Dawn shares insights, tips and practical tools for you to live a life of greater purpose, happiness and abundance. She is the author of the forthcoming book, Unlocking your Prosperity: 7 Keys to Healing your Money Mindset & Fully Stepping into your Calling.

View all posts by Dawn DelVecchio