Decorate a Mini Dream House

No doubt about it, kids love decorating gingerbread houses. It’s a sweet holiday tradition, for sure. But baking and building the house from scratch is also quite the project.

Understandably, store-bought kits have become incredibly popular the last few years. They shave off hours of mixing, baking and cooling versus a homemade house, which also has potential to burn or buckle.

And, frankly, kids likely won’t appreciate the extra effort.

That’s why I love this pint-sized project that’s just perfect for a preschool playdate (though older kids will love it, too). Mom can assemble these no-bake graham cracker structures the night before the party, giving the icing time to set up a bit before the kiddos get to work.

Because it’s hard to share, everybody gets their own. Remember to build a spare or two since little hands aren’t always so gentle.

To make the houses, gently break graham crackers in half into squares. You’ll need six squares for each house; one box of crackers makes about eight houses. Fill a pastry bag with buttercream icing (see recipe below).

We used a paper plate, turned upside down, for the base.

Using icing as glue, assemble the walls of the house. To help with structural stability, wait about 30 minutes before adding the roof. (I build all the houses, then come back and add all the roofs.)

When it’s time to roof the house, pipe icing along the top of two facing walls. Rest two graham cracker squares against each other at an angle and pipe a line of icing across the peak. If you need more structure, use 1/4 of a graham cracker as a center beam.

Let the project stiffen up overnight.

When it’s time to decorate, give each kid a dollop of icing and a plastic knife and let them design their dream house.

HOME IMPROVEMENTS
Shopping for miniature edible decorations is definitely part of the fun. Older kids, especially, will enjoy helping with this.

Here’s a list of some of our favorites:
* In lieu of gingerbread men, Teddy Graham cookies are the residents of our tiny houses.
* Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal makes nice shingles. Try Triscuits or mini wheats for a more “thatched” look.
* Licorice bites are a perfect little chimney. Add a puff of icing for smoke.
* M&M Minis (find them in the individual-sized candy section) or Nerds are ideal for holiday lights.
* Dots or spice drops are a good size for bushes.
* Butter snap pretzels make good windows.
* Pretzel sticks are handy for roofing material, fences or making a stack of firewood.
* A green Life Saver or striped peppermint makes a good wreath. Tiny Christmas tree sprinkles and red nonpareils, grouped to look like holly, add a special touch.
* Fruit by the Foot is handy for doors, stained glass windows, pathways or scarves for the bears.
* Miniature candy canes make a scene more festive.
* Shredded coconut or a dusting of sanding sugar looks like a fresh layer of snow.

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Buttercream Icing

1 c. vegetable shortening
1 tsp. vanilla
2 T water
1 lb. confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
pinch of salt

Using a mixer, blend shortening, vanilla and water. Add sugar, about a cup at a time, and mix on medium speed until thoroughly blended. Blend an additional minute, until creamy.

If mixture is too stiff, add a small amount of water — one teaspoon at a time — until reaching desired consistency.

NOTE: We used about 2 1/2 batches of icing to assemble and decorate 10 houses. Be sure to have plenty (you can save the extra for other treats), but make one batch at a time so you don’t burn out the engine on your mixer.

Make an Advent Calendar

With Thanksgiving now behind us, it’s time to pack up the pilgrim plates and flip the calendar to December (yes, already!). In the latest issue of the magazine, I promised to give you a new craft project each week through the end of the year. So, here’s the first project: A homemade advent calendar.

At my house, advent calendars are a big deal. The best part of the season, according to my husband. He’d never even heard of advent calendars until a few years ago — yes, I married a Martian — but now he insists the season wouldn’t be complete without his imported German advent calendar, which I buy online.

A few years back, it was almost impossible to find advent calendars in the stores, but they seem to be gaining popularity now. I’ve seen simple chocolate advent calendars at the grocery store for about $1.99 and the craft stores have all kinds of paint-it-yourself wooden options that you can reuse from year to year.

In case you, like my husband, are also from Mars and don’t know what I’m talking about… An advent calendar is a way to count down the days until Christmas, usually from Dec. 1 to 24. If you’re interested in a little advent history, read more here.

In addition to being fun all month long, I love advent calendars for kids because they help answer the “how many more days” question. So, at the very least, I’d recommend making a paper chain.

You can use anything from recycled newspaper to printer paper to extra pages of scrapbook paper or gift wrap. Just cut 24 strips of paper, approximately 1.5 inches wide by 8 inches long. Tape them together into a chain & hang them on the wall. Each day, through Christmas Eve, you’ll remove one link. (Hint: Before you hang the chain, I’d recommend numbering each link with the date 1-24 so you’ll be able to quickly determine whether a link has already been removed each day. This saves you from counting them over & over again…. learned that one the hard way.)  At my house, we like to make paper chains for counting down other anticipated events as well, such as a birthday or family vacation.

Okay, finally now, I’m going to tell you about the little paper bag advent calendars my family’s been making. I first made this last year for my dad, who said it was the best gift he’d ever received. So, keep it in mind for a grandparent gift as well as for the kids.

Here’s what you need:

* 24 small bags. I got these colorful bags at Michaels craft store. Small lunch bags would work too, and Chinese take-out boxes would be super cute.

* 24 small clothes pins (also from the craft store) or paper clips.

* A 5-foot length of ribbon.

* Stickers. We used number stickers, but you could also hand number the bags with a Sharpie. Also, this is a great use for leftover scrapbooking stickers with a holiday theme.

* 24 items to stuff the sacks (more on this below).

So, the basic idea is that you number each bag 1-24. On Dec. 1, you open bag No. 1 and see what prize is inside, repeat the next day with bag No. 2, etc. I love the little bags (as opposed to the drawers of most reusable calendars) because you’re not so limited in size of items … and the variety of daily surprises is what makes this fun.

I let the kids decorate their own bags, then I secretly stuffed them with the goodies. This year, I also sent each of my parents their own advent calendar. Since I can’t be with them as much as I’d like during the holidays (they live in Oregon), it’s a nice way to be a regular part of their day.

Anyway, here are some ideas for fillers for grandparents: Ornaments, jewelry, pocket-sized tissues, soaps, small office supplies (sticky notes, push pins), seed packets and bulbs, playing cards, fishing lures, fridge magnets, wallet-sized photos of the kids, travel or sample-sized items, coffee/tea bags, hand-written notes or drawings, and — of course — chocolates and other candies.

You’ll want to decide on a budget since the cost for 24 items can get out of control pretty quickly. I’d suggest doing at least five “gifts” and then filling the rest of the days with an inexpensive treat.

For the kids, filler ideas include:

* Candy. Find cute foil-wrapped chocolates at Boehm’s Candy Store in the Chalet Place shopping center, 56th and Summitview avenues, Yakima. Also, Top Foods grocery store at S. First Street and Washington has tons of bulk candies.

* Small toys: Leftover party favors, Silly Putty, toy cars, Bakugan, Polly Pockets. The Clover Leaf at 4110 Main St. in Union Gap has some fun stuff for advent calendars or stocking stuffers. Dollar stores are also a great place to look.

* Holiday ornaments.

* Pencil sharpeners and erasers. We found lots at the school supply store at 302 W Yakima Ave. Other small arts and craft supplies are great, too. A new box of 24 crayons would fit in my bags.

* Items for their treasure box: Shells, colored rocks, marbles, etc.

* Coins.

Now enjoy the Christmas countdown!

Mad Science Goo

Mad Science Goo
Experiment: Investigate a very different kind of liquid

In the 17th century, Sir Isaac Newton conducted experiments with liquids and declared that all liquids have a constant thickness. Well, he never played with Mad Science Goo!

This slime, which you can make at home, takes the shape of whatever container it is in (like a liquid), but can also act like a solid.

What You Need
Newspaper
Large bowl
Cornstarch
Water
Measuring Cup
Food coloring (optional)
Tablespoon

What To Do
Lay some newspaper under your work area. This could get messy.

Place a bowl in the center of the newspaper.

Pour a cup of cornstarch into the bowl. Add a few drops of food coloring if you wish.

Slowly pour some water (start with 1/2 cup) into the bowl, mixing the water and cornstarch together until all the powder is wet.

Keep adding water, little by little, until the mixture feels like a liquid when slowly mixed.

Try tapping on the surface with the back of a spoon. When the Goo is just right, it won’t splash like you would expect; it reacts like a solid! If your Mad Science Goo is too powdery, add a little water and mix again. If it’s too wet, add more cornstarch and mix.

Pick up a handful and squeeze it. Stop squeezing all of a sudden. What happens? What did you notice?

— Carole Jevons, Mad Science of Yakima County

What’s Going On?
The mixture feels solid when squeezed but flows like a liquid when released. This is because Mad Science Goo is a non-Newtonian fluid. This means that it does not have the same properties that most other fluids do (the ones described by Newton). Non-Newtonian fluids all share a unique property: Their thickness changes in response to pressure!

When you tapped the goo with the back of your spoon, you caused a sudden increase of pressure on the surface of the goo and the goo thickened. If you move your hand quickly through the goo, it resists your movement by becoming even thicker.

Did You Know?
The same principle applies to quicksand. If you ever find yourself trapped in quicksand, move very slowly toward the shore. The quicker you move, the thicker the quicksand will become around you, causing you to sink even further.

This one’s not for the birds

The kids and I made some cute and tasty Easter treats yesterday. These no-bake Easter Nest Cookies are super easy!

You just need three ingredients: Chocolate chips, crunchy chow mein noodles and some sort of candy that looks like little eggs. We used speckled Easter M&Ms, but jellybeans or even peanuts could work.  I used a little more than one bag of milk chocolate chips for each 12 ounce bag of chow mein.

Line a couple cookie sheets with parchment or wax paper. This will keep the nests from sticking.

In a medium sized pan, melt the chocolate chips on the stove (medium heat), stirring so the chocolate doesn’t burn. This will only take a couple minutes. Remove from heat and add the noodles, stirring until they’re well coated. Then use a large spoon to drop a good-sized dollop of the chocolate chow mein mixture on your lined cookie sheets. Our nests are about 4 inches across.

Carefully check to make sure the mixture’s not too hot to touch, then use your fingers to shape each drop into the shape of a nest: circular with a little indent in the center. Move on to the next nest.

After you’re through forming the nests, the chocolate should still be sticky but not real warm (don’t want to melt your eggs!). Add a couple egg candies to the center of each nest. The chocolate will work like glue to hold them in.  Chill them in the fridge for at least 20 minutes (we left ours overnight).  To make them into little gifts, I placed each nest in a cellophane bag tied with a ribbon.

My kids are 5 and 3, so they were able to help stir the melting chocolate, help form the nests and add the egg candies (their favorite part). We thought the nests looked great using three eggs that were the same color (shades of blue, for example) or mixing it up. Either way, you can’t go wrong!

Celebrate Grandparents Day

Make a handmade card, pick up the phone or head over the hills to Grandmother’s house: National Grandparents Day is Sept. 7. (No, we didn’t make this up.)

Always the first Sunday after Labor Day, this holiday honoring grandparents was authorized by Congress and signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. It’s the perfect opportunity to set aside a few hours for family. Read more

10 outdoor art activities

The Nature of Things: 10 arty activities for the great outdoors

By Jessica Moskwa

1. Capture the Earth’s Textures
Collect your favorite leaves and place them under a piece of typing paper. Use the side of a crayon to capture their texture. Try the same method on the bark of a tree! Supplies: Paper & crayons, leaves & trees.

2. Make & Fly a Kite
Download instructions on the Drachen Foundation Web site (www.drachen.org) to make three different types of kites. Try the Kono Box kite, designed by Seattle-based kite maker Greg Kono. The design (circa 1893) was immediately adopted for meteorological investigation and contributed to the worldwide quest for stable flight!

3. Visit the ArtsVan
This summer, make art in the parks with Allied Arts’ traveling art classroom, ArtsVan! For details, visit alliedartsyakima.org.

4. Adopt a Rock Pet
Always wanted a pet? Make one from a rock! Search for a rock with an interesting shape, and then take it home to paint it into a fdog, bear, or ladybug — anything your heart desires. Supplies: Rocks, acrylic paint.

5. Sketch Outdoors
Looking is one of the most important skills needed in making art. Famous artists often draw from real life. Sit outside and choose something that doesn’t move (a pond, tree or flower). Then, use your eyes to draw what you see. It doesn’t matter if what you end up with doesn’t look like the real thing — your drawing will represent how you see life. Supplies: Sketchbook & pencils.

6. Indulge in Outdoor Summer Cinema
Summer evenings, enjoy viewing almost-new releases and time-tested favorites in one of Yakima’s lovely city parks. Visit alliedartsyakima.org for details.

7. Make Windchimes
Love the sound of the wind? Using a clean, empty 8-10 oz. clear plastic deli tub, permanent markers, clear nylon fishing line, and metal washers, you can make your own windchimes. Decorate the tub with patterns using your markers, punch 4 holes along the rim, and then tie a 12-inch piece of fishing line through each hole. Attach the washers to the bottom of the lines. Clink!

8. Attend Summer Sunsets Concerts
Thursday evenings in the summer, take your blanket and enjoy summer music at Franklin Park. While you’re there, join ArtsVan to make Creatively Green art projects like newspaper origami critters, egg carton bouquets and bottle fish.

9. Make a Boat & Float It
Sail the high seas — or just your bathtub. Using clean plastic-foam trays, cut out a flat base. Then, for the cabin, cut out three rectangles and two squares from another tray. Glue together at sides, then glue to the base. Then, add details like flags, a captain’s chair or ropes! Color with permanent or waterproof markers.

10. Storytelling Yarn Ball
It is an American Indian storytelling tradition to use knots or small objects in balls of yarn to remember important life events. Get a ball of yarn, and as the summer passes, tie mementos of your summer activities to the yarn. Try things like tiny toys, a found stick, ribbons or pieces of postcards. Share the ball with your classmates during the first week of school. It’s a great way to remember your summer!

Questions for Grandparents

National Grandparents Day is always the first Sunday after Labor Day. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about your grandparents’ lives.

Here’s a list of sample interview questions. Be sure to schedule the interview ahead of time so they won’t be surprised. Also, think about taking a tape recorder or video camera to record the memories.

• Where were you born? What year?
• What were your parents like? Were they strict?
• What are the names of your brothers and sisters?
• How well did you know your grandparents?
• Did you have a pet when you were growing up?
• Did you get an allowance?
• Did you have to do chores?
• What were your favorite games and activities?
• Who was your best friend?
• What did your house look like? Is it still the same?
• Did your family have a television when you were young?
• Did your family take vacations?
• Did you like school? What kinds of grades did you get?
• What were your favorite subjects?
• What did you like about grandma/grandpa when you first met?
• How old were you when you got married?
• What was your first job?
• Tell me about my mom/dad when he/she was growing up.
• What makes you proud of my mom/dad?
• Have you accomplished what you wanted in life?
• What advice would you like to give me?

For a more extensive list of ideas, click HERE.

For more information about National Grandparents Day, click HERE.