Earth Day Ideas - Page Corners Bookmarks!

In this household, whenever Dumpling tells me that she is bored, I'd ask her to challenge herself by creating things. There are days where she will cut up papers, staple and stick them together to make something new and there are days that I will suggest an activity. It was such a day on Good Friday as the little one has been homebound because she has been fighting a cold. I decided to let her work solely with existing materials we have at home and repurpose them for something useful in 'honour' of Earth Day.

(A typical usual crafting scene)

The idea started when Dumpling asked me what Earth Day is, when we were at the library and she saw a display of suggested titles, etc. In case you are not aware, Earth Day is an annual event on 22 April, where events are held worldwide to demonstrate support for environmental protection (source).

That question triggered started a series of small pockets of activities to keep ourselves occupied  (truthfully, and me from yelling at her too) for the past days where we have been home bound. 

We made these.

Here's a close up :)

I first saw these page corner bookmarks here and I fell in love with them. Practical and cute, these are definitely useful for us because Dumpling is going into chapter books and she finds it hard to track which page she has left off at. We have bookmarks but those are hard to come by these days and I thought why not make them ourselves especially when we can easily make them out of 'old materials'. 

To start off, I did a demo where I snipped off the corner of a red packet and then pasted the cutout of a flower on the top corner. It looked like this (bottom photo).

I then showed her the web page where I saw those book corners and she really liked the monster series so away we crafted. :)

To start off, you will need these:

:: The gathering list

1) Old envelops (since we are on a recycling mission here)

2) Any old stock card items - post cards, inserts in magazines, flyers, etc. (These are lovely as the backing for the eyes or the teeth)

3) Newspapers / Hong Pau 

4) Scissors 

6) Glue 

7) Marker

8) Optional: Masking / Washi Tapes 

(I happened to receive some from Scotch Expressions Tapes from 3M and put them to good use here! I have to say that I am pretty impressed as they were easy to use, pretty and definitely easy to 'remove where it did not rip off the piece of paper it was stuck to)

:: Steps

1) Snip off the corner of any old envelops

2) I then added the sharp jagged teeth for Dumpling to cut them out

Now, for the above versions, there is no protruding backing piece like the pieces here:

3) If you prefer such an option, you will need to fold down the envelop corner and cut it out where it forms a square when "opened". Thereafter, fold one side up and cut it off. Because Dumpling was actively involved in this project, after folding up the triangle, I 'puffed' the piece up where she can start cutting by  following and cutting up the line at the edge before cutting across. 

4) Therafter, Dumpling stuck some washi tape on the remaining top triangular piece

5) She then pasted a row of teeth (made earlier by her by using the remaining bits from the earlier hong pau) to the underside and then added on the eye pieces (made from hong pau and newspapers)

6) Color in the eyes and voila! We are done!

She wanted to make more and came up with these with more of our Washi Tape:

And we even decided to stretch it a tad further by NOT making a monster but a jellyfish page corner bookmark! And we had to do was to stick on a strip of air bubble sheet and cut out some strips as the tentacles! 

Aren't these  page corner bookmarks the cutest??? These would also make lovely gift ideas too.

In honour of the upcoming Earth Day, stay tuned for the next post on some recommended stories which I have read with Dumpling on 'nature' and being environmentally responsible :)

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Disclosure: I received a few rolls of Scotch Expressions Tapes from 3M where I found them useful for our recycling project here and hence, the sharing. This is not a sponsored post.

Quick DIY Father's Day Gift Ideas

With the flu bug flying around this year for the past month in our home, Dumpling and I have not been out much to do much shopping for Father's Day Gift. I spent some time googling online for fun ideas to do with Dumpling and OMG, I chanced upon this lovely idea of using Lego for cufflinks! And so, with a dig through my cupboards and the Lego blocks, we made this! Ta da!

All that you need to do is just to stick the back of a Lego brick to an old cufflink / new cufflink base. :)

Now, I also wanted to add on more fun ideas where Dumpling can have some input into what she wants to give and we decided on a coupon book!

I basically just used power point to create rectangles where I added on free clip art images. Dumpling then has the free play of deciding what Daddy can redeem for :) She was giggling the whole night as she doodled, added stickers and letters to the pages. And because it is a surprise, we are not revealing what's inside. :p

Looking for more ideas? You can also DIY a simple photo frame with duct tape written by Adora who guest post for me. Or is Dad a foodie? You can also consider making your very own jam with just 4 easy-to-get ingredients!

Here's more Father's Day gift / craft ideas to share:
1) Danielle Space
2) The Crafty Crow
3) Powerful Mothering

4) Tip Junkie

And lastly, for those who wish to e tend this to homelearning, here's a printable pack:
- Father's Day Pack by Enchanted Homeschooling Mom (subscription needed but at a flat one time fee only!)

Happy Father's Day in advance to all the Daddies out there! 

Have a great one!

Mama Sue

Advent Activities - STICKY CHEWY OREOS!

Are you a sticky chewy chocolate fun? Do you love the chewiness in dessert but would love a bit more crunch / bite to it? I do not have a sweet tooth so it was a big surprise that I love this little sweet snack so much that between Dumpling and I, we polished off about 1/4 of the snack in less than 3 days! Best of all, it is a NO BAKE recipe, all done in under 15 mins, which you can easily do with the kiddos!

Here's the gathering list:
1) 2 packets of marshmallows
2) 2 packets of Oreos Cookies N Cream
3) 1 Block of Butter (we used salted)

 1. Place 1 - 1.5 packets of the Oreo into a zip lock and use a rolling pin to smash up the Oreos. Do not pound / smash it to a powdery form - the idea is to have chewy crumbs

 

2. Place the 2 packets of marshmallows + 3 tablespoons of butter into a Microwave friendly pot. Heat on high for 1.5 to 2 mins. Check regularly to prevent it being 'burnt'. The marshmallows should puff up like below - not melted into a liquid form. You will need to stir it to achieve a consistent texture. I had to do this on high setting twice, each around 1.5 mins.

3. Once marshmallows are done, mix in the cookies crumbs by folding it in. Then place it in an oiled baking tray. Let it cool.

Once cooled (under 2 hours), you can then cut it out in small blocks

Place it in a simple jar, tie it with a nice ribbon and add a gift tag!

Tada: side view! Look how good it looks - the perfect mash of chewy yet crumbly yummilicious good!

** The Oreos can be replaced with other cookies - Chocolate Chip, etc. I chose Oreos because it is not as sweet as chocolate chip cookies. The rest of the steps are still the same. If the cookie has a tendency to crumble easily, just ensure that you do not roll/pound it for too long. :)

Linking up with Jennifer!

This activity is part of an Advent Activities series where my co-host Jennifer and I aim to share on a daily basis the various activities we are doing as we lead into Christmas! 

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If you have any posts where you can share on the spirit of giving (gifts), joy of sharing (resources/tips/ideas) or the importance of loving (musings/parenting thoughts/values, etc.), please do link up and grab our badge!  

 

Foodie Fridays - White Choc Fudge

For Foodie Fridays series this week, I am sharing my first Advent yummy dessert treat. 

I do not have a sweet tooth but the kiddos all love this! So this is for those who love white chocolate and for those who loves things such as Milo Dinosaurs! 

Ingredients:

- 2 cups of white choc

- 1/2 can of sweetened condensed milk

- 2 teaspoons of vanilla essence (more if you are a vanilla fan)

- rainbow sprinkles / rainbow styles to add a dash of colour! 

Steps:

1. Melt the white chocolate over low heat (do NOT bring to boil). Stir continously

2. Once it achieves a smooth runny texture (take around 3 - 5 mins only so do not walk away), remove from stove and fold in the rainbow sprinkles / stars

3. Place it in a well oiled baking tray / pot or use baking sheets (size will depend on how "thick" you prefer these pieces) and leave it to cool totally before placing in the fridge for it to harden. :)

The Ingredients

A wonderfully colourful affair!

Guess who's a happy camper? :p

And voila! Here's our first Advent Holiday Treat!

Tradition of Fudge:

Apparently, in many families, Fudge is a traditional candy / treat which is handed out. But in the Dutch holidays, chocolate letters (as in letters of the alphabet) are part of the Dutch holiday of Saint Nicholas (which is one the holiday sources for Santa Claus)*.  

* Wiki: "Chocolate letters are a form of candy associated with the Dutch holiday of Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas). Celebrants of the Sinterklaas celebration are traditionally given their initials made out of chocolate. Various sizes, types and flavours are available."

This post is part of an Advent Activities series which I am co-hosting with Jennifer where we aim to share on a daily basis the various activities we are doing as we lead into Christmas! 

Hop on over to Jennifer's post as she shares with us her version of Chocolate Candy!

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If you have any posts where you can share on the spirit of giving (gifts), joy of sharing (resources/tips/ideas) or the importance of loving (musings/parenting thoughts/values, etc.), please do link up!

Foodie Fridays - Milk Currant Buns!

In line with our homeschooling unit study this week - Peter Rabbit, we baked some simple milk currant buns. :)

Here's a very simple recipe

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup of flour (plain / bread flour)
2. 1/2 cup of butter
3. 4 eggs (I used 54gm eggs)
4. 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup evaporated milk
5. Instead of sugar, we used sweetened condensed milk (5 - 6 table teaspoons depending on your preference) 
6. 1/2 to 1 cup of raisins / currants (soaked for 5 mins)

a) Mix items (1) to (5), slowly kneading in the butter till it dissolves into the batter

b) Once the batter is well mixed, place over low heat on stove 

and mix till you get the texture as photo below and mix in the raisins

c) Then scoop the dough up and drop (like a rock bun) into the baking tray (well-oiled) or use baking sheets. Bake on 170 degrees for 25 mins. (My oven was pre-heated).  

With Christmas coming up, this makes a lovely gift in a clear cellophane bag tied with X'mas coloured ribbons :) Enjoy!  


 

Advent Activities

The month of December is definitely one of my favourite months (procreation talk aside). It is also one of the months where homeschool takes on a more religious angle as we discuss Creation and God, give thanks and where we do advent activities. It is important for me in the parenting arena because Christmas holds a deeper meaning than just shopping and gifting.

December is where I take a step back and think deeper - to be kinder, more patient and humble especially in this rat race of a modern society we live in. Hence, I am excited to announce that I will be sharing on various advent activities that we are attempting on the homefront. 

More than that, I will be co-hosting a linky party (my first!!! woo hoo!!!) with Jennifer where we will blog about our Advent activities: crafting ideas, book reviews, homemade gifts and also research on the traditions / stories behind them and share them with you and your little ones! :)

If you have any posts where you can share on the spirit of giving, joy of sharing and the importance of loving, please do link up. Please visit us regularly from 3 Dec and link up when you can! Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to you all in advance. :) 

Guest Post - Love Gifts {From the girls to the man}

I am over at Sarah today and am very excited to be part of her X'mas series - Gifts of Love where I share a very simple DIY present Dumpling and I made! 

So what did we create with the below? 

Tada! Hop on over to find out more!

DIY Teacher’s Day Gift – Yummy Homemade Jam!

Yup, Dumpling and I did the unthinkable. We actually decided to make Jam. But that is not all, we made it without Pectin! Pectin basically is the gelling agent which gives it the sponginess and makes the jam less watery.

At the time of this post, I basically searched through for pectin at Giant (3 branches), Phoon Huat (OOS) and Cold Storage (2 branches) without avail. I know that it can be done without pectin but I was worried that I’d end up messing it up!

With Dumpling’s insistence (and vote of confidence I must add), we decided to take a plunge. Here’s how it turned out!

I made 2 batches. Batch 1 was Blackberries and Blueberries mix while Batch 2 was with Raspberries.

Tempted to try making your own?

Here's what you need:

1) The fruits of choice (below - blueberries and blackberries)
2) Lime / Lemon Juice (this is something which I always have in my fridge)
3) Sugar (not in picture but I had left over from the scrubs we made)
4) Honey (without the use of pectin, the honey helps to gel it better and gives it a really nice flavour)


 

Steps:

1) Wash and drain berries well

2) Blend it lightly (I prefer my jump to be a tad chunky)

3) Pour into pot

4) Add honey - I used about 4 to 5 tea spoonfuls

(based on the amount I have above - 2 boxes of 4.4oz + 1 box of 6oz) 

5) Add 2 teaspoons of lime/lemon juice

6) Add 4 - 5 tablespoons of sugar

(you will need to experiment with this as it depends on how sweet/sour you prefer your jam to be)

7) Cook over high heat for about 5 mins stirring constantly

(you can see it thicken slightly while bubbling)

8) Then simmer on low heat for about 15mins

9) For Raspberry Jam: I also added about 2 - 3 teaspoons of gelatin powder for the raspberry version as the fruit has very high water content and I found that it did not gel as well as blueberries

10) Scoop them into the bottles and cool down thoroughly before putting them into the refridgerator (this step is necessary for it to 'gel')

Note: all bottles need to be sterilized properly and dried thoroughly before use as it may turn mouldy otherwise)

And voila!

From this

to this:

Pretty them up in nice jars + ribbons :)

Looking for more yummy treats? Susan (my guest blogger for tomrrow's post BTW) from A Juggling Mom shares her recipe for cake pops here!

This is part of a DIY Teacher's Day Gift series. For the other gifts we made, click here!