I Love Pinterest, Snack Edition

Sunflower Fruit

Ok, I'm not going to lie. I drank the kool-aide and am totally addicted to Pinterest, it has quickly become part of my weekly Internet routine. Well, you can find all kinds of great craft/DIY projects, recipes, tutorials, etc. and organize it all. I love it because there is so much stuff I find on the Internet and forget about but with this you can keep track of all the stuff you love and find some goodies you never would have know about.

Here are a few fun snack ideas that I think would be great for the summer, play dates, family get togethers, you name it!!

1. Frozen Yogurt Dots, what a great idea for the summertime!Also, another way to "make" yummy frozen yogurt, is to just stick gogurts in the freezer and pull them out whenever you want a yummy, healthy treat. I love these dots because it looks so easy to just pop them in your mouth and go...athough, I do wonder if they melt quickly. Might be a great idea for a birthday party.

2. Smoothie Freezer Packs, fun quick and easy. Put a couple in the freezer and you have a treat ready to go when your in a pinch. Looks like you make just about any flavor combination to make your favorites.

3. Crescent Pizza Rolls. How fun are these? I mean really, I think it would be so much fun to have the kids make these with you one afternoon. They are so quick and easy. What a great idea!


4. Owl Cupcakes how adorable! I already have an owl addiction but these just take it to another level. They are so cute and would make great treats for a party! Love, love, love.

These are just a few of my favorites and there are a ton more out there. Go, join, explore and share! Look for another post in a little bit about some of my favorite crafts I have seen up there.


xxxo.

The Garden Patch

So about six months ago C joined the girl scouts and one the first patches she was earning was her gardening badge. We started out with a small seed kit to grow herbs from Wal-Mart that quickly sprouted with plenty of sunlight. I was actually so impressed that I went back to store and bought my own starter kit to have at home and now we are overflowing with basil. After awhile, C's herbs were to the point where they needed to be repotted so once again, I picked up some really cute pots for her at Wal-Mart. To make a long story a little bit shorter, it inspired a mini-garden in the backyard that has finally sprouted! I am so proud of C and her little green thumb her garden looks great and she is learning a valuable lesson in where food comes from and the hard work required to produce it.  I think gardening is a great way to get not only get kids outside but they also learn a variety of lessons from it. Not only are they learning about what different plants look like and how they grow, they also learn valuable lessons in hard work and patience.

Here's a pic of C's garden, it looks marvelous! She most definitely earned her badge on this one :)

Lake Wheeler

Visit Lake Wheeler's Website

Out of all the parks that I have been to, walk around, or visited in Raleigh, Lake Wheeler remains on of my favorites. I think I like it because it's a little more tucked away from the highways and it's usually not as busy as Lake Johnson or Umstead.

Lake Wheeler has a great picnic area and playground for the little one's to go run and jump and play in. It's really shaded so it doesn't get too hot there in the summer time. When I've taken C and D, we've always packed a picnic lunch and just enjoyed the park. The downside is Lake Wheeler doesn't offer much in the way of walking trails or paths but it makes up for that with the lake. It is beautiful and expansive. For a reasonable rate you can rent paddle boats (C and D were not big fans of this... be ready for your leg work out!), canoes, kyaks, john boats, you name it! When the boy and I went out there we rented a canoe and paddled around the water for at least an hour.

Also, there are tons of birds! It would be a great place to do a little nature lesson with the kids or to highlight whatever science curriculum they are learning in school. 

In all its such a beautiful and relaxing atmosphere it's hard not to have a good time while your visiting.

Don't forget your sunscreen and have fun!

xxxo

ms. omi

Trains and Planes

With my little ones, I have the treat of working with a boy and a girl so I usually have to find activities that are fun and engaging for the both of them. However, there are days when I am with just D, who is all boy.

What I like to do on our days together is plan something that is going to be fun for him. Some of the things I like to do are plan a picnic at the train station or the airport. Since my family lives in Clayton we usually frequent the Selma Train Station and the Johnston County Airport. I really like the Selma train station, which has been restored to it's 1924 splendor. Inside there are few displays on the history of trains and the railroad.  There is a train car outside the station that you can climb and play on... but it is locked except for twice a year.

However, both of these are small and out of the way if your living in Raleigh but you do have the advantage of going to RDU and there is the Amtrak downtown and also on in Cary.

If you are going to the train station I suggest looking up the times trains are arriving and departing the station. Nothing is worse than trying to entertain a toddler while waiting for the train.