Create-Celebrate-Explore

A Baby Animals Lunch and Reading Activity For Kids

2017-02-08T22:11:41-08:00

Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Karen B. Winnick.

Good Night, Baby Animals, You’ve Had a Busy Day follows the true-to-life antics and adventures of young animals in the wild as they, eat, play, tumble, romp, and explore their natural habitats and meet other animals who share their surroundings. Just like our children do. Which makes it such a wonderful story to share with them. And I've paired with the perfect lunchtime treat too. Something to eat, the perfect bedtime story, and your kids will be down for an afternoon nap in no time.

This 64-page, beautifully illustrated story book, authored by Karen B. Winnick and illustrated by Laura Watkins, is the perfect bedtime story for little ones. Children will learn fun and accurate facts about the animals featured: tigers, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, pandas, and gorillas.

Also, download these free printable activity and coloring pages and create a themed day of learning and fun.

About Karen B. Winnick, children's author, artist, and animal enthusiast:

Karen B. Winnick introduced this month two new books on animals that will both teach and positively delight young readers.

Good Night, Baby Animals, You’ve Had a Busy Day is a treasury of six original stories that follows the true-to-life antics and adventures of young animals in the wild as they, eat, play, tumble, romp, and explore their natural habitats and meet other animals who share their surroundings. Children will learn fun and accurate facts about the animals featured: tigers, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, pandas, and gorillas. Filled with action-packed pages, sound effects, and patterned text, Good Night, Baby Animals, You’ve Had a Busy Day is the perfect bedtime story for toddlers and preschoolers.

While Karen’s books entertain children and parents alike, her stories offer her readers far more. Winnick's picture books, Gemina, The Crooked-Neck Giraffe and the just-released How Lucky Got His Shoe honor those who are differently-abled. Her stories help children to feel better about themselves and are an important reminder to show compassion and respect for others.

In How Lucky Got His Shoe tells the story of a Humboldt penguin born at the Santa Barbara Zoo who was having difficulty walking. The zookeepers worried his foot was not growing properly. Teva, a local shoe company, was asked to make him a shoe. If a big elephant with a foot problem could wear one, so could a small penguin. This is the true story, told with affection and illustrated with oil paintings of how Lucky got his shoe, his name and his ability to walk and swim like all the other penguins.

A reader favorite, in Gemina: The Crooked-Neck Giraffe Karen tells the story of the very famous Gemina who stood out from the other giraffes at the Santa Barbara Zoo because of her crooked neck. Everyone who saw her wondered if she was ok! Did her neck hurt? As months passed, Gemina’s neck leaned more and more to the side but it never seemed to bother her. Gemina didn’t let her difference stop her from doing anything the other giraffes did. Told with affection and illustrated with oil paintings, Gemina’s story is a celebration of the life of a very special giraffe.

President of the Los Angeles Zoo Commission, Winnick supports many animals charities including Best Friends Animal Society, the Lange Foundation, the Los Angeles Zoo, WildAid and Wild Earth Allies to name a few.

For more on her books and some fun & games to download, visit karenbwinnick.com.

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MyPrintly: Heart Eye Emoji Lollipops

2017-02-08T08:08:27-08:00

Our obsession with the heart eye emoji for Valentine's Day continues.

I'm over at MyPrintly showing you how to make these Jolly Rancher heart eye emoji lollipops, and I've got free printable gift tags to go with them.

How to Make Pink Hot Chocolate

2017-02-06T13:39:55-08:00

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of ALDI.

It's been cold and rainy the past couple of days. And by cold I mean in the 50's, not nearly as cold as some parts of the country, but us Californians are used to the heat, so once it dips below 60 degrees I'm immediately bundled in about 30 layers from head to toe, bring out all the throw rugs for the bed and couches, and put the fire on.

Of course rainy, cool days, and hot chocolate go hand-in-hand. My daughter doesn't like milk chocolate though. I know ... I KNOW! If she didn't look like the spitting image of me I'd order a DNA test. She does love white chocolate though, so whenever I make hot chocolate I always make a pink version for her with white chocolate in it.

Before getting to the recipe to make this delicious pink hot chocolate, I want to share a little about the brands used, including the price comparison on the brands available at ALDI versus national brand products available at other grocery stores.

Price comparison on the main ingredients:

Milk

Friendly Farms Reduced Fat Milk- $2.56
[National Brand] Reduced Fat Milk - $5.48

Half & Half

Countryside Creamery Half & Half - $1.99
[National Brand] Half & Half - $2.98

Mini Marshmallows

Baker's Corner Mini Marshmallows - $0.59
[National Brand] Mini Marshmallows - $1.25

White Chocolate

Choceur White Chocolate - $2.29
[National Brand] White Chocolate - $2.68

Whipped Cream

Friendly Farms Whipped Dairy Topping - $2.99
[National Brand] Whipped Dairy Topping - $3.48

As you can see the cost of the ALDI products are considerably less expensive than the other brands, and by purchasing ALDI brands you save a lot of money to make the recipe I'm sharing below. To help shoppers save money, ALDI stores are 90 percent ALDI exclusive brands – with a few national brands mixed in. In the ALDI Test Kitchen, they sample and analyze their products so customers know they’re getting the best selection of great food at a great price. *Price and availability may vary

Now for the recipe to make Marisol's favorite pink hot chocolate.

Servings: 3

Ingredients:

1 carton Countryside Creamery Half & Half (approximately 3 1/2 cups)
3/4 cup Friendly Farms Reduced Fat Milk
7 tbs Strawberry syrup or powder
2 rows of Choceur White Chocolate (broken into pieces)

Toppings:

extra Choceur White Chocolate for grating over the top
Baker's Corner Mini Marshmallows
Friendly Farms Whipped Dairy Topping

Pour the Half & Half, along with the pieces of white chocolate, and strawberry syrup (or powder) into a saucepan and heat until the chocolate is melted, and the liquid boiling around the sides. Stir often though so a skin doesn't form on top.

Pour into large mugs or hot chocolate glasses until 3/4 full. Add a little cold milk to the top so the hot chocolate isn't too hot to drink.

Top with marshmallows, and then with whipped cream (this stops the whipped cream from melting too quickly into the hot chocolate.

Serve and enjoy!

This hot chocolate is perfect to serve for Valentine's Day too. Do you have a favorite cold weather drink that you love to make?

Since opening in my area, ALDI has quickly become one of my go-to places to food shop. Their livegfree has become a favorite with my little man, who is the only member of our family on a completely gluten-free diet, and thankfully my other kids love some of the products just as much, making dinnertime so much easier when I don't have to cook two separate dishes. Plus, as I showed above (and in previous blog posts), you just can't beat the prices of ALDI compared to other grocery stores for staple items such as milk, bread, meat, and fresh fruit and vegetables.

If you are a wine drinker, the Winking Owl Pinot Grigio has become a staple in my house … it’s under $3, you simply cannot beat that.

Tips for shopping at ALDI: Don’t forget a quarter for the grocery carts, and bring your own grocery bags.

Enter the giveaway below and you could win a $200 ALDI gift card. And don't forget you can earn entries by sharing a photo or video of your ALDI Try & Tell experience, sharing your blog post on Twitter, and sharing the giveaway with your friends.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Disclosure: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of ALDI.

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Blissfully Domestic: Pantone's Color of the Year, Greenery

2017-02-06T08:34:11-08:00

I am absolutely obsessed with Pantone's color of the year choice, greenery. My favorite color is green, and this is my favorite shade. Although I don't wear it too often, I do have a couple of pieces, but my home is dotted in it too, from my reclining reading chair, to picture frames on the wall.

Pantone's "Greenery" Fashion for Her by tonyastaab featuring super skinny jeans

You can find my top picks for adding a little greenery to your life, from home goods, to fashion over at Blissfully Domestic.

This Valentine’s Day, slip into something a shade darker

2017-02-03T08:06:17-08:00

Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Universal Pictures.

Are you ready to celebrate the February 10 release of Fifty Shades Darker? We are!

Gather your girlfriends together this Valentine’s Day, and slip into something a shade darker. I'm sharing a few tips below on how to host a fun night with the girls below.

This party would be perfect for a girl's night in, or even your book club. My biggest tip is to keep it simple, after-all it's about the book and movie, but offer something that's a little fun.

My 'fun' party item, was handmade chocolate masquerade masks. You can see from the movie image above why I made these and thought they'd tie in perfectly with the movie.

These are made quickly, and easily, and you need very few ingredients.

What you need:

Masquerade mask lollipop mold
White chocolate - I used Lindt white chocolate blocks and 1 block makes approximately 6 masks.
Wilton silver color mist
Lollipop sticks
Edible sprinkles - I used red

Melt the white chocolate in a microwave safe dish on 50% power for 30 second intervals, stirring between each. Pour into the mold and refrigerate until set. Once set, pop the masks out of the mold and lay on parchment paper. Spray with the silver color mist, and shake sprinkles over the top, then pop back into the refrigerator until the silver mist is dry.

I also made a few in regular Lindt milk chocolate too for those who prefer that over white chocolate.

I also placed out an appetizer plate of assorted mini quiches, meat, grapes, Gruyere cheese, crackers, and fig jam ... if you haven't tried fig jam on Gruyere cheese and crackers you are missing out, it's become one of my favorite appetizers of late.

And of course I served the appetizers with the Fifty Shades of Grey wine.

If you can, leave out copies of the book for anyone who hasn't read it, and I added themed lip balm and cosmetic bags too, along with the shirts you'll see pictured below, because when you are at home with the girls, it should be all about being comfy.

Don't forget a backdrop and masquerade masks for taking fun photos.

About the movie:

Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson return as Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele in Fifty Shades Darker, the second chapter based on the worldwide bestselling “Fifty Shades” phenomenon. Expanding upon events set in motion in 2015’s blockbuster film that grossed more than $560 million globally, the new installment arrives for Valentine’s Day and invites you to slip into something a shade darker.

When a wounded Christian Grey tries to entice a cautious Ana Steele back into his life, she demands a new arrangement before she will give him another chance. As the two begin to build trust and find stability, shadowy figures from Christian’s past start to circle the couple, determined to destroy their hopes for a future together.

Intrigued? Watch the trailer below and then get your tickets on Fandango now for opening weekend!

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Celebrate The LEGO Batman Movie with a DIY Joker Piñata

2017-02-02T09:28:49-08:00

Disclosure: The post has been sponsored by Warner Bros. Pictures.

The LEGO Batman Movie is arriving in theaters February 10. In the irreverent spirit of fun that made “The LEGO® Movie” a worldwide phenomenon, the self-described leading man of that ensemble – LEGO Batman – stars in his own big-screen adventure. But there are big changes brewing in Gotham, and if he wants to save the city from The Joker’s hostile takeover, Batman may have to drop the lone vigilante thing, try to work with others and maybe, just maybe, learn to lighten up.

So in the spirit of LEGO Batman, and so you can help Batman defeat The Joker, I've created this fun piñata, perfect for all of your LEGO celebrations.

My piñata stands about 34 inches high, and the best part, it costs about $5 to make, as long as you have glue and tape at home, all you will need is a cardboard box and the crepe paper streamers.

What you need:

1 large cardboard box
Crepe paper streamers in purple, orange, green, white - I added two shades of purple and green, but that's optional
Glue, scissors, clear packaging tape, and printout the image below (resize as needed).

Note: to assist in this project I printed out a template of a LEGO man (which you can find with a simple Google search).

Begin by sketching a LEGO man on a piece of cardboard. You will want it to be quite thick, like a packing box, and large enough to cut out two identical pieces.

Cut strips of cardboard approximately 4 inches wide, and begin taping them around the outside of one LEGO man cutout.

Once you've made it all the way around, place the other LEGO man on top, and repeat.

Next, you are going to cover The Joker in crepe paper streamers. Measure and cut strips, working your way up from the base on all sides, front, and back. It might help to sketch with a pencil where you need the colors to change.

Next, download and print this template of The Joker.

You will want to adjust the size of the face, depending on how big (or small) you make your piñata.

Once you've finished adding white crepe paper streamers to the head, cut out the facial features and glue them into place.

Poke 2 holes in the top of the head, and thread a zip tie through for hanging.

And there you have it, the perfect way to help Batman defeat The Joker.

TIP: Fill your piñata with brick candies, LEGO bricks, balloons, and assorted LEGO merchandise

Connect with and learn more about The LEGO Batman Movie here:

Official Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

And watch the movie trailer here:

The kids' and I are so excited to be attending an advance screening next week and will be sure to let you know what we think.

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