Jell-O Playdough, Recipe for Homemade Fun

Jell-O Playdough, Recipe for Homemade Fun

Posted on by Mama

 

 

playdough1

We finally tried the Jell-O playing dough thing this weekend, and mom and son gave it two thumbs up. . . oh, and also dad, because he actually gave it the taste test since it smelled so good (not like he snacked on it, just a nibble). We used the recipe from Modern Parents, Messy Kids, but I have seen similar recipes all over the web.

We made raspberry dough because I had it on hand, which made the pinkish red colored dough that you see here. My son enjoyed mixing all the ingredients together, but quickly tired of the stirring and kneading steps; although he magically reappeared for the play/testing phase. The cooking process didn’t take that long, just remember to keep stirring until you really can’t stir any longer. Also, I probably kneaded an additional cup of flour into the dough to get rid of the stickies, so just keep “kneading it in as needed” (ha, get it). When it was finished, I admit I was completely surprised by how much it actually felt like the real thing, and this recipe makes enough for at least a couple of kids to enjoy.

playdough2

Our son played with his newest creation for over an hour Saturday afternoon, and afterwards, we plopped it into an airtight container and put it in the refrigerator until the next play day. According to Modern Parents, Messy Kids, the playing dough should last at least a few weeks if properly stored in the fridge.

So if you have a hankering for some homemade fun, here’s the recipe you should use:

Jell-O Playdough
Homemade playdough that feels like the real thing.
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
40 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
40 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 c white flour
  2. 1 c warm water
  3. 2 tbsp. salt
  4. 2 tbsp. cream of tartar
  5. 2 tbsp. cooking oil
  6. 1 Jello pack (3 oz.)
  7. extra flour for kneading
Instructions
  1. Mix all of the ingredients (except extra kneading flour) together in a small saucepan until the lumps are gone.
  2. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously until it thickens into a big ball of dough. (Stir until you can't stir anymore.)
  3. Turn out the dough on a flour covered surface, cutting board or mat.
  4. Let the dough cool.
  5. Add flour and knead the dough until it is no longer sticky (1/2 cup to 1 cup of flour).
Notes
  1. The dough should stay good for a few weeks if placed in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator.
Adapted from Modern Parents, Messy Kids
Adapted from Modern Parents, Messy Kids
https://www.smalltalkmama.com/
 Shared at:
Green Willow Pond

 

Mom Essentials: For Women of All Seasons

Mom Essentials: For Women of All Seasons

Posted on by Mama

ReviewDisclaimer
2420533The church ladies and I recently finished our latest Wednesday night Bible study via the Mom Essentials, 10 Words Successful Mothers Live By by Kasey Johnson. When I received the book as a member of Beacon Hill Press’ Off the Shelf Bloggers, I suggested it as a group study and the gals, while not all moms, jumped on board. Of course, since it was my suggestion I was elected to facilitate the 11-session study and the fun began.

There were about six to 10 of us that took part in the study each week and, as I said, not everyone was a mom. We had grandmothers, great-grandmothers, single moms, married moms and even one lady whom had never had children; but this wonderful mix of Christians had one big thing in common — we were all women. It quickly became clear that while this study was specifically directed to moms, it also spoke to the heart of women in varied seasons of life.

In this study,  Kasey emphasizes the need for balance in our lives and to support this balance she addresses how we can learn to be “Put Together,” “Shaped Up,” and “Equipped” through Christ to face the challenges of motherhood and life. In the first session, Kasey writes, “During this time of caring for our family, we need to remember we are investing in something bigger than ourselves and God is working everything together to help us enjoy this season while preparing for seasons to come.” Throughout the study Kasey addresses fears, weaknesses, preparation and perspective among other aspects of a woman’s life. She touches on the need to prioritize our time, shape our own identity, beef up our discipline, create a support system and even unplug from time to time.

There are so many great lessons in this study, that I would recommend it to any women’s group looking for a new venture. My only criticism of the Mom Essentials is that the lessons were a bit disjointed. Each session, standing on its own, contained great Biblical truths, wonderful points and valuable insight, but they didn’t all seem to complement the whole in a fluid manner. Of course In my book, if that’s the only problem, it’s pretty much a winner.

As facilitator, I found the supporting opening and closing videos and leader’s guide to be wonderful resources. They can be downloaded free of charge by clicking here. It was quick and easy to prepare for each lesson and I had ample material to engage the group and generate discussion. There is at-home work to be done between each session, but the length of said “homework” is easily manageable, even for a busy mom.

Perhaps one of my favorite parts of the study was the personal prayers at the end of each chapter. Kasey is definitely grounded in scripture and has a way with words and insight into a mother’s heart. As a group, the church ladies agreed this was a worthwhile study for women of almost any season and we enjoyed the opportunity to really get to know one another in ways some previous Bible studies have not allowed. On a more personal basis and as a mother, I appreciated the opportunity to take a closer look at my life, put away some of the mommy guilt and strengthen my walk with God (of course, that super easy-to-use leader’s guide made me look like one of those moms that has it all together, which wasn’t half bad either).

“Hate” is a Four-Year-Old Letter Word

Posted on by Mama

Every now and then I catch a glimpse of unexpected assurance that our four-year-old son is actually soaking up a few of our better parenting moments. It’s usually when we least expect it and often when he doesn’t know we’re watching, but when it happens it’s gotta make a parent proud.

The other night there was just nothing on TV for the family to watch, so I switched over to Netflix (no, this is not the fine parenting moment of which I speak). I started searching for a family-friendly Disney movie that was not animated, because frankly there are times my husband and I deserve to watch “real” people doing real things during our son’s waking hours. I settled on The Rocketeer, and although I hadn’t seen it in many years I remembered it being a fun wholesome movie. Perhaps I should get my memory checked (showing an unscreened movie to my preschooler — still not my finest parenting moment, but stay with me here).

The first 10 minutes included a rolling gun battle, death, robbery and the D-A-M-N word at least four times. We finally decided to find something else to watch (which probably ended up being Bubble Guppies or Umizoomi after all), but our son was already riveted to the screen. He just couldn’t understand why we nixed the movie, so we told him that the people in it weren’t being very nice and they were saying bad words. Immediately he asked, “What did they say? What did they say?” Of course when we weren’t forthcoming with the actual term, he was left to ponder what he had heard. A few seconds later he came up with the answer.

“Oh, I know what they said. They said ‘hate’ and that’s not nice.”

I smiled and said, “Yes, baby, they said hate.”

Now this may not seem like much to most, but inside I wanted to take a victory lap or do a whole-hearted chest-bump with my equally triumphant husband. Still lost? Well let me interpret:  Thankfully our son hasn’t had enough exposure to the d-word to know it’s connotation and we’ve never heard him say it. On the other hand, he does know and use the h-word. As of late, we have been trying to instill the dislike of hate into his pretty little head, so you just have to understand that it’s a complete proud parent moment when your little one suddenly assumes that “hate” is a four-letter word.

Page 102 of 144
1 … 100 101 102 103 104 … 144