Greetings - Smilebox

Check out this website for easy e-card sending. I use it all of the time. I had no trouble adding photos, adding music and using the site in general. The whole process is so easy! They have a card for every occasion...Love it!!! OH, and it is totally free.

Greetings - Smilebox

No Bake Cookies

No bake cookies are a great way for kids to help in the kitchen... Here are a few good ones to try out! 

NO BAKE CEREAL COOKIES

Original Recipe Yield 2 dozen

 http://www.familyoven.com/offsite?r_id=25432&u=http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/No-Bake-Cereal-Cookies/Detail.aspx

Ingredients

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup white corn syrup
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 6 cups crispy rice cereal

Directions

1. Bring sugar and syrup to a boil. Add peanut butter and stir well. Remove from heat. Stir in cereal.
2. Pat into a 9 x 13 pan.
3. Ready made chocolate frosting tastes good spread on the top.

EASY NO BAKE COOKIES

Original Recipe Yield 3 - 4 dozen

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup butter
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
• 3 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Mix together the sugar, butter or margarine and the milk in a large pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes.
2. Turn off heat and add in the pudding, oats and vanilla. Mix well and let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper.

NO BAKE CHOCOLATE COOKIES

http://www.familyoven.com/offsite?r_id=25514&u=http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/No-Bake-Chocolate-Cookies/Detail.aspx
Original Recipe Yield 36 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 1/2 cup butter or stick margarine
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 6 tablespoons baking cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, milk and butter; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
2. Stir in the oats, coconut, cocoa and vanilla. Working quickly, drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper. Let stand until set, about 1 hour.

NO BAKE CAMPING COOKIES

http://www.familyoven.com/offsite?r_id=25430&u=http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/No-Bake-Camping-Cookies/Detail.aspx
 
Original Recipe Yield 3 dozen

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon strong brewed coffee
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups rolled oats
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

Directions

1. Cream together butter or margarine, sugar, cocoa, coffee and vanilla.
2. Add oats and mix well. Roll into 36 balls about 1 inch in diameter. Dip balls into confectioners' sugar. Set on wax paper.

Create a storybook

Let your child be the Author and Illustrator of their own book!
We enjoy making storybooks often. We sometimes incorporate real photos, things from nature, and of course the wonderful artwork they come up with.  You can laminate them, hole punch them and use yarn/ribbon to hold pictures together, or simply staple them together.  The possibilities are endless.  It's up to you.  It is such a big confidence booster for them... When they are finished we put them inside our bookcase to display their wonderful work!
Click on the links below for fun, educational websites for children to make storybooks...

http://www.seussville.com/games_hb/storymaker/story_maker.html

http://www.makeastorybook.com/mas/step1.jsp

http://www.lil-fingers.com/storybooks/index.php

http://www.suite101.com/content/three-little-pigs-activity-for-preschools-a105690

http://www.bookemon.com/make-children-book

COFFEE FILTER CRAFTS

Coffee filter fun!  I love the way paint dries on a coffee filter.  So vibrant!

http://familycrafts.about.com/od/earthdaycrafts/a/CFEarth.htm
 
Materials Needed:

• Coffee Filter
• Food Coloring, Blue and Green
• Wax Paper

Instructions:
Lay a piece of wax paper down on your work surface. If you like, find a picture of the Earth for reference. Lay the coffee filter onto the wax paper.
Now you can 'draw' a picture of the earth on the coffee filter by using drops of blue and green food coloring. Add one drop at a time and watch how the colors spread. Once the entire coffee filter is colored, set it aside and let it dry.
The dried earth picture can be hung up in a window or attached to the front of a Happy Earth Day card!

http://familycrafts.about.com/cs/butterflycrafts/a/blcfbutterf.htm

Materials Needed:

• Round Coffee Filter
• Watercolor Paints or Food Coloring
• Clothespins
• Black Acrylic Paint
• Wiggle Eyes
• Black Chenille Stem
• Magnet
• Craft Glue or Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks
• Scissors

Instructions:
Start out by dampening the coffee filter with water so it lays flat. Color the coffee filter using watercolor paints or food coloring. Set it aside to dry.
Paint the clothespin black. Once the paint is dry, glue on two wiggles eyes. Cut a piece of chenille stem about 2-inches long, fold it in half, and glue it on just above the eyes to be the antenna.
When the coffee filter is dry, pinch them in the middle. Clip the middle of the coffee filter into the clothespin to be the wings. Spread the wings out and you are done.
Finally, to finish your butterfly, glue a magnet to the back. If you prefer, you can add a ribbon loop instead of a magnet and hang it up like an ornament.

COFFEE FILTER SNOWFLAKE CRAFT
http://familycrafts.about.com/od/snowflakes/a/CoffeeFilterRainbowFlake.htm
Materials Needed:

• Coffee Filter
• Markers
• Spray Bottle of Water
• Scissors

Instructions:
Fold the coffee filter however you choose (like you would fold a piece of paper to make paper snowflakes). Cut small holes and slits into the coffee filter to create your snowflake.
Use the markers to trace ALL opf the edges of the coffee filter - the outer edge plus the edges of all of the cuts you made. You may use more than one color. The more colors the cooler it looks. Do not overlap colors.
Leave the coffee filter folded and spray it with water to get the filter moist. Do not soak it! You want the filter to be moist not dripping. Unfold carefully and let dry. (Drying time is about 5 to 10 minutes.)

Rainbow Fish Coffee Filter Craft

http://www.dltk-teach.com/books/rainbowfish/coffeefilter.htm