Back in April, I wrote an article highlighting an eco-friendly project for kids - Kid Friendly Eco Project.  The activity involved storm drain marking with fish decals to remind the public that water ways lead to fish.  I was very excited to reserve my marking kit with the city, but because of a fish decal shortage, I only received it this week.  I’m wanted to report back on the success of the activity.

Well, my sons and I loved marking the drains.  Actually, there is nothing my boys didn’t enjoy with this project.  I think I feel a paper route coming in their near future because they loved delivering the educational literature to the houses the most.  Of course at the beginning of this adventure, hitting the fish decals with the mallet was pretty fun too.  <smile>

The entire process of storm drain marking is wonderful for a family project. You put on a reflective vest, brush away debris from the road where you plan on putting the decal, then you pour the glue onto the road, peel and stick the fish decal, then pound it with a mallet approx. 100 times.  When you see the roadway bumps coming through the decal, you’ve done a good job.  These decals need 48 hours to completely stick to the road, so I’m really hoping people don’t lift them up before this time.  I guess this is another wonderful thing about having children. 
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Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents - want a great reusable gift idea for the little person in your life?  This gift arrives in the mail to the lucky recipient every month and we know kids love to recieve their own mail! Remember Chirp, chickaDEE, and Owl children’s magazine subscriptions? I still remember the excitement when my chickaDEE magazine would arrive.  I’ve purchased the Chirp magazine for my boys and the memories of this great little magazine came back.  The wonderful age appropriate jokes, games, and facts are very well written and really holds kids attention. My boys are now at the chickaDEE age and this magazine will be on their wish list for sure.  For the $30 price point, you can’t beat the fun, educational bundle of an ‘Owl Kids’ subscription.  Here’s what this month’s issues look like for Chirp, chickaDEE, and Owl from the Owl Kids site:

Chirp Magazine (Ages 3 to 6) This month’s Chirp is all about weather! Find out what makes thunder and lightning in Look &amp; Learn, and keep track of the weather with Chirp’s handy pullout calendar. Rain or shine, you’ll have fun with this issue of Chirp! 

chickaDEE (Ages 6 to 9)  Burst into school with a great guide on how to make recess fun. Check out the 16 pages of cool puzzles and games to play! Meet Mish, Mash and Mush on the Mish Mash joke page. Also, learn how to pack a healthy lunch.

Enter to win this month’s contest at Mommy Footprint. The prize is a wonderful 3-tier stainless steel carrier - perfect for back-to-school or packing a lunch for work.  Read this article for contest details: Laptop Lunchbox Contest Ends. 3-Tier Carrier Contest Begins!

Today is the last day of summer.  The first day of school symbolizes the beginning of Fall, back-to-school clothes (this year that includes a uniform), a slight chill in the air, and kids either excited to begin their journey back to the classroom or nervous to return to school.  I luckily have a first born that loves school.  He actually requested at the age of 2.5 that he start school and has never looked back.  He requires and thrives on constant stimulization so school is a wonderful place for him. 

This year, however, is different - he’s starting Grade 1 and that means full-time days.  Francesco can’t wait, but I feel grief, like a magical chapter in my life is coming to a close and I’m simply not ready. My days at the aquarium, parks, farm, pumpkin patch, or just hanging out at our craft table, just won’t be the same without my Francesco.  I will miss the enthusiasm of a child that has asked me every day for the past several years “what are we doing today mom?”  Was always ready for an adventure and to go somewhere new.  I know he’s not heading off to University, but I feel like this is a pivotal corner that I’m not ready for him to turn. I haven’t yet managed to think or talk about this first day back at school without tearing up or getting a lump in my throat.  So hopefully I won’t cause him embarrassment tomorrow. <smile>

I’ll simply miss having him with me for the majority of the day.  It’s been an honour to hang out and spend a large amount of quality time over the last 6 years.  I know there are many parents who are feeling this way, so good luck with sending your kids back-to-school, I think it’s harder for the parents than the kids. And for new parents that have heard this advice a million times already, but it’s worth repeating, enjoy every day with your kids.  Time will go by way too fast and even on the days where the walls are closing in - find a way to enjoy quality time and power through with fun and creativity.  There will come a day, when your children will venture out into the world, not needing your hand to hold.  Enjoy the moments and the years that your hand is the most important thing in their life. 

My beautiful boy.

The winner of the Laptop Lunchbox contest has closed and the winner has been contacted.  Thanks again to Green Hands Fundraising for supplying the prize. We have another awesome back-to-work / back-to-school product waiting in the wings.  Let the next contest begin!

Our friends over at Healthy Kitchenware have supplied Mommy Footprint with a 3-tier stainless steel carrier for our new contest.  This is another company founded to  assist consumers looking to purchase safe products for food storage.  Their mission statement says it all:  “To empower you to take charge of your health by providing cookware and storage containers made of materials that do not leach chemicals into food or drink.”  Here is a picture of the prize from the Healthy Kitchenware site:

To enter the contest, select the link below, and complete the form. In order to help ’spread the love’ please include a friend’s name and email address and they’ll be eligible to be entered into the contest too! Your friend will need to subscribe to the Mommy Footprint site to become eligible, but the sender of the form will automatically be eligible to win.

http://mommyfootprint.com/mommyfootprint-referral-form/

Only US and Canadian residents eligible. Contest will close September 15th.  To read an article about the featured prize, read Back-To-School In Tiers - But Ready For Lunch!

Finally, I’ve found a play dough recipe that works!  Not only works, but makes amazing, easy, great quality play dough.  It really is true that once you find the perfect play dough recipe - you can make a product better than you’ll buy at the store.  I was starting to doubt my ability to pull off this great culinary feat. Even the priest that married me made light of my ’skills’ in the kitchen.  It’s no secret I can’t bake and struggle with cooking.  So when my first 2 batches of play dough failed last month, I had decided that making your own play dough from scratch was an urban myth…one of those things only a super mom can do.  But - I’ve conquered the recipe and not only is it easy, but guaranteed you’ll have 90% of the ingredients already kicking around your pantry.  Play dough isn’t cheap to buy so you’ll save money and also help the environment because store bought play dough containers don’t have recycling resin codes.

Okay…before the recipe reveal I’d like to admit that the first two times I tried making play dough I wasn’t aware that the ingredient ‘cream of tartar’ was a baking item (looks like salt that you buy in the spice isle).  I thought they were asking you to add tarter sauce - the creamy kind that goes on fish and chips.  Just in case there are people with my cooking skills out there….these products are totally different and is probably the reason my other batches stayed wet and never gelled.  I know, who thought it could be this hard?  <smile>

Play Dough Recipe:

1 cup white flour
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoon cream of tartar (find it in the spice section)
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup water
food coloring

Mix first 4 ingredients in a pan. Add water and mix well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 - 5 minutes. Dough will become difficult to stir and form a “clump”.  Remove from stove and knead for 5 minutes–add food coloring during kneading process. Play dough will keep for a long time stored in a covered plastic container or plastic sandwich bag.

This amount of play dough this recipe produced was perfect.  Each of my 4 kids received a huge clump of play dough, so there was lots to share.  Also, a great tip with Fall around the corner - add cinnamon to the dry ingredients (as much as you want until you get the right scent).  It produces a magical smell that transports you to a world of pumpkin patches, colored leaves, and windy days.