Rhubarb Cake

I was gifted a large bag of rhubarb, I was excited the first bag of the season!  I chopped and froze several cups of rhubarb but wanted to use some right away AND wanted a new recipe.  When I mentioned to my mom wanting to make something using the rhubarb she recalled my aunt's recipe for rhubarb cake....I started digging into my recipe box and I found the recipe she was talking about!  I have no idea where the original recipe came from so if it's yours way to go because it is yummy and super EASY!  We actually ate some for breakfast.

Rhubarb Cake
Roughly 2-3 cups of chopped rhubarb, enough to layer the bottom of a 9x13
1 boxed white cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup hot water

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  I buttered my 9x13 pan and layered the chopped rhubarb on the bottom.  Sprinkle the white cake mix over the top of the rhubarb.

 (this is a pic from underneath)

Drizzle melted butter then water over the top of rhubarb and cake mix.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.  Check the center of the cake by inserting a toothpick until it comes out clean.
* Next time I will stir in those little peaks of dry cake mix that didn't get hit with the melted butter and water, they left a bit of dry cake mix after it was baked.

Unfortunately I didn't get a picture before we dug in.

Sensory Bins

Going through our pics I found some sensory bins that I have put out for the boys.

Dad got involved in this one, pulling icicles off our roof line.

Colored rice, toy trucks, containers, scoops.

Corn kernels, plastic eggs.  Not sure what the two have to do with each other but we had fun none the less.  The eggs did turn into some nice shakers. :-)

On the Cheap

While searching Pinterest I always come across great and simple ideas to do with the boys during our days at home.  Some of them I have seen before and even done and completely forgotten about.  Yesterday Big Brother and I sat down and did some salt painting.  Find the post here.  Yes, it is a bit messy BUT it is cheap and fun way to make some art.

All you need:

cardstock or cardboard

glue (liquid NOT a glue stick)

food coloring

salt

a container (we used baby food jars, I will get to that in a minute)

box lid or cookie sheet

1) Put maybe a 1/4 to a 1/2 cup of salt in each jar, add a couple drops of food coloring and mix.

2) Let your kiddo doodle a design, write their name or practice letters and/or numbers onto the cardstock. 

3) Now let your kiddo sprinkle/pour/dump the colored salt onto their glue masterpiece.

4) Pour off the excess and set aside to dry.

What I did:

For the containers I used Little Brother's cleaned out baby food jars that I had been hoarding (see honey I do have a use for all these little jars :-).  Using a hammer and a small nail I hammered holes into the tops of the baby jar lids making them into 'salt shakers'.

Do you know how much a spent on this little activity...? NOT A PENNY because I already had everything on hand, love it!  Plus it gave Big Brother and me a new activity to do.

Winter Fun (Inside)

The weather outside has been chilly and though I wouldn't hesitate to take Big Brother out there Little Brother just can't keep warm like the rest of us movers and shakers so we have been inside a lot more than I would like to admit this winter.  Here are a couple pics of some indoor activities that me and the Little Guys have been doing.  There is also an awesome blog/facebook page with a few other SAHMs and their awesome activities/ideas to keep those little ones engaged and creating, Play At Home Mom!  Check them out.  And now check out what we've been up to:

 Materials: zip lock baggies, paint, painters tape.  A fun squishy bag.  I had all the materials on hand = FREE

 Materials: Paper and Do-Dots (or Bingo Dotters)  Do-Dots are only $1/each at Dollar Tree!  They were a stocking stuffer for Big Brother this Christmas.  It is probably one of the things that he plays with the most, go figure!

Homemade Light Table: clear tub, rope lights/Christmas lights.  We put a tub of water beads on top of the light table.  Again, I had all the materials on hand = FREE FUN

Big Brother made a mask and all on his own I had left my paper bag on the table and he got our his art box and started creating, it is so awesome to see the process and what he came up with.  = FREE FUN

Christmas Gifts

I was unable to post this gift because I didn't want it to be spoiled but here is a homemade gift that we gave to Grandma's and Grandpa's:  Michel's had a sale of 40% off the clear glass ball ornaments that you can put items in so I picked up a set of 4 and then Noah and I went through the sticker isle and our stickers at home.  Levi and Noah both had two ornaments (two sets of grandparents).  We picked out stickers that related to events in the last year. 

Noah had:  preschool sticker, spiderman (costume for Halloween), dinosaur (we went see dinosaurs at The Field Museum in Chicago with one set of Grandparents),  a Zoo sticker for the other Grandparents, Lego block because he had a Lego themed birthday, etc.  You get the idea.

Levi had:  'It's a Boy' stickers, toy stickers, some stars, etc. 
I attached a green ribbon for the stop and strung a paper tag with '2011' and a printed wallet size pics of both of them, glued the pictures back to back and strung them on the ribbon as well.  I should mention that if I couldn't get the sticky off the back of the sticker I just covered it with colorful cardstock.  I added 'snow' confetti to the ornaments as well so everything wouldn't just sit at the bottom.  I also realize that I don't have a pic of the finish project, oh well at least I got them done.  And I really liked the way they turned out.

Advent Calendar

Last year I saw this post for an advent calendar and I have slowly been working on one of our own since then, yes one whole year!!  But moving on.  This whole project cost me a whole $2 and some odd cents because I had everything else.

Materials:

25 small match boxes (purchased at Dollar Store two packages $1/package)

scrapbook paper

number stickers

tags

I used brads but aren't required

tape/adhesive

address labels

Of course you need to empty out all the little boxes and wrap each box with a strip of scrapbook paper.  The strips I cut were 4 inches long by 2 inches wide.  I made star tags with my cricket but a punch would work or nothing at all.  I attached the tags with mini brads, a few of the boxes have a little ribbon wrapped around them just for a little something extra.

In each box the hubby and I sat down and came up with 25 family oriented activities.  Activities that encourage time spent together and giving to others.  Here is what we came up with (I am lacking a couple so if you have suggestions please comment).

• Decorate Christmas Tree
• Make A Homemade Ornament
• Shop For Non Perishable Foods To Donate To The Local Food Bank (our church collects these)
• Host A Holiday Playdate
• Make Cookies
• Deliver Hot Chocolate and Cookies To College Class (my husband is a professor)
• Watch A Christmas Movie
• Shop For Angel Tree Gifts (our church collects these as well and we try and find kiddos the same age as our kiddos)
• Write Letters To Great Grandparents
• Invite Friends To Share Dinner
• Make Cookies And Deliver To The Fire Department
• Build Lego Nativity (my boys *husband* are really into Legos)
• Shovel Neighbors Sidewalks
• Decorate Gingerbread Houses
• Take A Drive And Look At Lights
• Redeem Cans/Bottles And Donate Money To Salvation Army Kettles/Ringers
• Build Snowman/Go Sledding
• Sleep In The Living Room With The Christmas Lights On
• Record A Holiday Greeting For Aunts and Uncle (all of our siblings live a pretty good distance)
• Read The Christmas Story/Make Hot Chocolate

Flubber

Don't you just love Pinterest!?!?  But I get a little addicted to 'pinning' things and ideas that I don't ever get around to the making and doing part!  ;-)  Well I am happy to say that this is my second 'making/doing' after 'pinning' the idea on Pinterest.  Noah and I made FLUBBER!!  It has offered us hours of entertainment and has lasted well over a couple of weeks (I wasn't sure if it would dry up or what).  Here is where I 'pinned' it/got the recipe: FLUBBER RECIPE

Here is our HOURS of entertainment!  Levi (6 months) even got to squish it.  Remember ALWAYS SUPERVISE little ones, Levi wanted to put it in his mouth of course but I just guided his hand away.