Play Clay

When it comes to getting rid of the "I'm Bored" blues, a batch of this playtime clay is perfect for that.
Store in an airtight container for weeks of hands on fun

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/c cup salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vegtable oil
• food coloring

Mix the flour, salt, cream of tarter, water, and oil in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until it holds together (keep  mixing or it will stick to the bottom of your pan)
When clay is cool enough to touch, knead it on a floured surface, divide it into smaller balls, and add a different shade of food coloring to each ball.

Football brownines

Time for the game..Sit back, relax and watch

These brownies are easy to make...Add chocolate chips for extra flavor. 

• 1/2 c. butter
• 1 c. sugar (splenda)
• 4 eggs
• 16 oz can chocolate syrup ( sugar free syrup)
• 1c. plus 1 T. all purpose flour (whole wheat)
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1 c. chopped nuts (optional)
• garnish with powder sugar

Mix all ingreients together and pour into a 15" x 10"  greased jelly roll pan

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 22 minutes

Cool 10 minutes

Remove from pan and dust with powder sugar

Makes 2 1/2 dozen.

Simple Pleasures

Simple Pleasures

are lifetime's Treasures

Enjoy Today!

ASL word of the day...Pancake

Pancake n: A thin, flat cake made on a griddle: ordered a stack of panackes for breakfast

• (indicates turnig a pancake over while cooking) Beginning with the back of the right open hand across the palm of the left hand, both palms facing up, flip the right hand over, ending the right palm facing down across the left palm.

RJ loves his pancakes!

Bear Tales...To a Very Young Cloud

To a Very Young Cloud
ruth crary

Hurry! Hurry! Little Cloud,
Lagging, lagging far behind
While your brothers push and crowd
Though you stray, you'll never find
Skyways bluer or more kind.
Do another and another
Somersault, and catch your mother!

Kick Ball Racing

• Make your own kickballs by crumpling up aluminum foil into solid 3 inch balls
• Have two teams with equal number of players on each side.(each side has it's own ball)
• The playing field should be long with plenty of interesting twists and turns. Clearly mark start and finish lines
• Teams stand several yards apart at the starting line, each team grouped around its kickball
• A single is given to begin. One player of each team kicks the ball into the air and the other members run after it and kick it down the course
• The team getting its ball over the finish line first is the winner

It's summer

Renee' and Donna overlooking the Salmon river in Riggins Idaho

Wildflowers dot the rolling hills,

Skies dawn bright and fair,

Warm rains have brought 

new shades of growth...

It's summer everywhere

shirley harrow

Chill Out

In this game of "Chill Out" you want to get good and soaked.
Start with forming 2 teams with an equal  number of players

• Provide each team with 2 buckets (one empty, one full)
• A plastic cup with 3 holes punched in the bottom

At the word "GO"

• the first player on each team dips his cup into his water bucket and holds it over his head as he dashes to the the other end of the yard. (9 no covering the holes!)
• When a player reaches the second bucket, he dumps what's left in his cup into it
• The game continues until the formerly full bucket is empty
• The team with the most water in the second bucket wins.

Enjoy whats left of the summer!

ASL word of the day...Butterfly

Butterfly n.
An insect with a slender body and large, colored wings: a butterfly poised on the flower

• (symbolizes shape of butterfly's wings) With the thumb of the right open hand hooked around the thumb of the left open hand, both palms facing the chest, bend the fingers of both hands in an dout with a repeated movement.

 Bekah, Sariah and R.J. watch as they release the butterfly's into the wild

Garden Coupon Gift

Stephanie is proud of her garden. Look how much it has grown.
You can share your love of gardening with other people by making up a fun coupon to give as an inexpensive gift, but one that will be cherished.






Make a cute card for your "Gardening Coupon" and volunteer your services in their garden or yard.
Volunteer for:

• Mulching
• Lawn Mowing
• Dividing plants
• re-potting
• planting
• Harvesting
• Digging Holes
• Weeding
• Watering

Tie the coupon to a decorated trowel or hand gardening tool.

                                                   

Bear Tales...Self Control

Self Control
polly chase

My dolly would not play with me,
She simply stared
Her silly stare.
It made me wild
To pull her hair.

I kissed her very quietly
and walked outdoors and kicked a tree

Bekah, RJ, Sariah and Austin love playing with their dolls. 

You can find doll clothes to buy or special order for your dolls at reneesworkshop.com

The kids are pictured in their Dolly and Me clothes...A new blouse, Karate clothes and a Doctor Outfit.

Frozen Fruit Slushies

Slushy Time in the Kitchen

These slushies are a snap to make using canned fruit.

• Open a cfouple of cans of fruit packed in heavy syrup such as: peaches and pineapple
• Seal the contents in a ziplock bag, and place the bag  in the freezer
• When everyone is hot, thristy and ready to make a slushie, take the bag out of the freezer.
• Submerge the bag in a bowl of hot tap water for about a minute
• Pour the syrup into a food processor and slide the frozen fruit onto a cutting board
• Chop the fruit into small chunks and put them into the food processor. 
• Blend the fruit and syrup until smooth...from 30 seconds to 2 1/2 minutes, depending on the fruit. 
• Serve immediately! Makes about 4 half cup servings

Friendship dolls make great gift for someone who has everything...these cloth dolls as cusom made to your friends hobbies and likes. You pick how you want it to look...order these at reneesworkshop.com

Octopus Tag

You're It!

This game is a mix of tag and red rover. Lots of fun for the whole neighborhood!

What you will need:

Clothing or other markers to delineate your ocean

Players...the more the better

• Set up a rectangular ocean: to determine the right width, have everyone hold hands and spread out across the field. Mark two sidelines with clothing or other markers.
• The fish line up at one end: The queen or king octopus stands in the middle and cries out
• "I am the octopus, queen (king) of all motion. Let's see if you can cross my ocean"
• The fish try to run or sneak across the ocean as the octopus tries to tag them.
• If tagged, they become seaweed. Keeping one foot planted, the seaweed try to reach out and tag the fish running by, thus turning those players into seaweed too. 
• Once the fish reach the other side, the octopus and seaweed say the chant and the crossing contest starts again.
• The game continues until all teh fish become seaweed. 
• The last fish tagged becomes the new octopus.

If You Have Faith

If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed...

Nothing shall be impossible to you

Matthew 17:20

Congratulations on your baptism Rebekah!

Indoor Campout

Jess and Kayleigh have their 

Hooogy Monsters and are ready for a 

camp out and scary stories.

Need to have a fun evening of camping, but are stuck at home? Your child can still "retreat to the great outdoors" by setting up a basic 

"table-cushion-sheet tent". Remember when we did that as kids? 

Build your fort, grab a canteen, and roll out the sleeping bags. 

Other props to give you the camp out feel:

• Marshmallows are a must,
• Flashlight,
•  compass,
• provisions.

So, grab a book of scary stories, your Hooogy Monster to protect you, and place your bear outside the tent to growl, but cuddling just might tame the beast...and have a fun evening "camping out"!!!

Hooogy Monsters are available on reneesworkshop.com

ASL word of the day...Boat

BOAT: my mom and dad are going to cruise on a boat. 

• Form a cupped shape with both curved hands and move the hands forward with a wavy motion

Chocolate Marshmallow Cupcakes

You will need:
1 box chocolate fudge cake mix ( make according to directions)
Baking cups
Large Marshmallows ( half one for each cupcake)
Chocolate Kisses ( one for each cupcake)

• Bake chocolate fudge cupcake in baking cups as directed on package
• Just as cupcakes come out of oven, place a half marshmallow on top of each cupcake
• Put back in the oven for 3 min or until marshmallows soften and start to melt
• Remove from oven and press chocolate kiss in center of each marshmallow
• Serve warm or cold

The Kids will love to help you make these yummy cupcakes

Renee is back from vacation so watch for my daily BLOG'S

Renee', Donna, R.J and Bekah on the waterfront in Seattle..

                                   

Bear Tales...Over the garden wall

Over The Garden Wall
Eleanor Farjeon

Over the garden wall,
Where unseen children play,
Somebody threw a ball
One fine summer day
I caught it as it came
Straight from the hand unknown
Playing a happy game
It would not play alone

A pretty ball with bands
Of gold and stars of blue
I turned it in my hands
And wondered, then I threw
Over the garden wall
Again the treasure round
And somebody caught the ball
With a laughing sound

Dipped Marshmallows Pops

RJ, Bekah, Grandma, Kaelinn, & Hayden 

Enjoyed eating their dipped marshmallows as they did making them

You will need:

14 oz. chocolate melts

Sucker sticks or craft sticks

Large Marshmallows

Assorted sprinkles, nuts, sugar etc.

• Line a cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper
• Melt the candy melts following the package directions
• Insert a stick into each marshmallow
• Working one at a time, dip marshmallow into melted candy melts to coat
• Now dip into the candy decorations (have these ready in shallow bowls)
• Set on prepared cookie sheet until all the pops have been dipped
• Place in freezer for 10-15 minutes to set...
• Or just eat them Goooey!

For Gift Giving...

Cover each marshmallow pop treat in a cellow treat bag, or cut down pleated sandwich bags

Tie with ribbon

Doll Jewelry

Rebekah, RJ and Hayden had a great time making Doll Jewelry

You will need:

• Memory Wire...Bracelet size
• Beads
• Wire cutter
• Needle Nose Pliers

Cut one bracelet size memory wire

Using needle nose pliers turn one end of wire to make a loop. 

Thread beads onto wire

Turn other end of wire to make a loop. 

To make doll bracelets, use ring size memory wire

Have fun making jewelry for you and your doll!

Doll Clothes

Rebekah shows off her dolly and me outfit. 

While Grandma made the top, 
She helped make the doll skirt

Making doll clothes is a great way for children to learn how to sew. Making a skirt for your doll is super easy.

• Measure the dolls waist and the length you want the skirt
• Cut a piece a fabric 2 times the waist  times add 1 inch to the length to make the waist casing
• Fold in half (wrong side together) and sew up side seam
• Fold top of skirt (wrong side together) down 1 inch and sew a casing for elastic
• measure a 1/4 to 1/2 inch piece of elastic the size of dolls waist
• Thread elastic through casing and sew or tie ends together
• To make a fast and easy hem, cut 2 inch slits every 1/2 inch on hem or fold up hem and sew 
• Add embellishments like lace, ribbon or buttons 

Un-lock their imaginations 
 Encourage them to design clothes for dolls

Can't find doll clothes in the store to buy? No problem... purchase doll clothes from reneesworkshop.com

Hydro High Jump

The quickest way to cool off in the summer is to get wet...just ask Jess and Kayleigh!

For this game you will need:

• garden hose 
• 2 to 10 players

Spray a long, thin horizontal stream of water 6 inches abovc the ground. Have everyone line up and aim to jump over the water without getting wet. Whoever succeeds moves to the next round.
Raise the hose another 6 inches, and so on, until only one player remains dry and wins.

Happiness

Happiness

is a habit

Focus on it!