dew puff

you know how your skin starts feeling sort of yucky in the summer, with the days old sunscreen, pool, chlorine, and dead skin just building up?

well, i found something pretty fantastic! it's the dew puff,

i have been using it for the past few weeks, and i love it.  all i need to do is add water,

then i give my face a gentle cleanse at night before bed.

it leaves my skin feeling soft, and refreshed!

 i have also been using it on my son herc,

he has had milk bumps on his face since he was a baby, and

 the pediatrician had told me its nothing to

worry about but it still bothered me.

 i have been using it to wash his face, and it has definitely helped. There are less bumps now.

check out my skin with no make up on.

it's like going to a Korean Spa without all the intense, scary scrubbing.

truthfully i have always wanted to try going, but i am seriously scared!

a little about Dew Puff:

Dew Puff face and body cleansing natural sponges are 100% plant based cleansing tools.  Dew Puff has only one ingredient - konjac root – also known as elephant yam or kon-nyaku in Japanese.  When hydrated, these natural sponges become exceptionally soft, yet gently exfoliating, while creating a perfect pH balance on the surface of the skin.  Regular use brightens and evens your skin tone without irritation.

rocket balloon blast off!

summer is in full swing around here.

today we tried out a Pinterest science project! 

it was a success.

you will need:  yarn or string, a straw, tape and a balloon.

how to:  

1.  string the yarn or string through the straw

2.  tie the string at two sturdy point across the room. (i tied it to the railing and a chair.)

3.  blow up the  balloon but do not tie it, tape the balloon to the straw. 

when you let go the air that is escaping the balloon will propel it across the yarn!

we tied the string higher on one side,  and changed direction of the balloon to see what would happen

good luck!

banana split smoothie

this is my go to smoothie when I want something cold creamy and delicious.

it's a hit with the kiddos as well!

i like to keep cut up frozen bananas in my freezer.  that way I am always only a few  minutes away from a fresh frozen treat!

ingredients:

-one cut up frozen banana

-one Tbsp peanut butter 

-half a cup almond milk or any milk you like

-a drizzle of chocolate syrup 

-two maraschino cherries and a spoonful of the juice

how to:

combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  put a cherry on top

and your done!

lots of love helen

last man standing kickball game

last man standing is a modification of traditional kickball.
this game is awesome for many reasons, its quick and you don't need a ton of equipment or people.

                                                                did I mention FUN!




                                              

this is how you play:

1.  Pick one pitcher and one first baseman.

2.  Everyone else lines up behind home base.

3.  The first kicker kicks the ball the pitcher has rolled, and tries to run to first base without getting tagged. The pitcher and first baseman retrieve the ball and try to tag the kicker out. If the kicker makes it to first without getting tagged they join the kicking line-up again.  If they are tagged out, they join the fielders.

4.  This goes on until there is only one kicker left.

pitcher and first baseman can be switched after the round is completed

super easy and super fun!

little math ninja- counting activity

this little math game is such a fun and easy way for kids to practice counting and number recognition. 

this activity can be thrown together quickly with materials you have around the home. 

i used go fish number cards, but you can easily write numbers on note cards. 

for counters i used fruit loops we had. some more ideas for counters are beans, fish crackers, Pom poms and shells. 

have the child put the cards in numerical order then count out the number on the cards using the materials.

hope you enjoy this activity!

beeswax birthday candles

 herc made his own birthday candles out of beeswax sheets. this project is really simple and with just a tiny bit of assistance, even a toddler can participate!

i found a kit at Micheals but you can easily find beeswax sheets online.

he was quite proud of his handy work!

we will be making bigger ones for the holidays...what a sweet handmade gift from a little one! 

bear-y special breakfast + three day weekends

three day weekends are pretty fantastic in my book! it's that third day that really allows you to relax. the way I see it, whatever you accomplish on that day be it an extra load of laundry, is bonus! so you start the day off a step ahead! 

we started off our day with some teddy bear waffles! super easy + cute. 

faith

got to have it

camp rocks

Had so much fun with my campers making this simple project.

We first gathered rocks with smooth surfaces, then we painted them with acrylic paint! That's it- and it was super relaxing:)

funky uncky coco non-dairy smoothie

 

funky uncky coco non-dairy smoothie

1 cut up frozen banana

1 cup silk dark chocolate almond milk

a few frozen strawberries

1 Table spoon peanut butter

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Herc named it cause it's his favorite!

toddler necklace making

      

    yarn+needle+shapes+beads+color

snowzo buckets

spring is sooo close we can feel it

yesterday we spent the morning outside, enjoying the sunshine, 40 degree weather...and melting snow!!

i know gorgeous, but like any chicagoan we will take it!

herc and my super sweet and amazing nephew andrew

came up with a wintery take on BOZO buckets.   snowzo buckets

i think bozo buckets was a midwest thing.  it was a show on channel 9,  kids threw ping pong balls in

buckets and won prizes.  the boys made snow balls with snow ball makers and tossed them into buckets,

they had fun, my cousin and i enjoyed our coffee, all was good.

a new favorite

we recently borrowed the book Mr. Tiger Goes Wild from the library.  a sweet and funny story about letting loose and being you! the illustrations are so vibrant and refreshing. we read it every night and shared it with friends! 

a neat little thing you can also do is go to

www.peterbrownstudio.com

there are printable puppets and games to enjoy. we look forward to more books by this spirited writer/illustrator:)

you BLOW me away valentine

my husband and i are not big valentines day people. however, i do love the sweetness and excitement of a good old classroom valentine exchange. this is herc's first hearts and kisses day at school! 

i typed out the messages, heart punched them and herc drew a smiley face or just a H on the back. then I tied them onto the bubble wands i bought at Micheals with some bakers twine!

winter games

he's having a great time, learning how to skate this winter...and I am having a great time learning how to use my favorite new photo editing App called Rookie by Jellybus!

last days of summer

of course the week i go back to school, is the week the temp finally reaches the 90's.  that did not stop us from enjoying the beach though.

take a look at our little carnival tent we brought along!
it kept our water and lunch cool too!

...and yes,

herc digs the girls!

summer backyard fun day

here we are in the thick of summer,
having some good old fashion, messy, wet summer time fun!

the day began as we transformed ourselves into super hero ninjas
those squirters from the dollar tree are awesome

 we did a little painting...

 played with a lot of water

and finished it off with an angry birds lunch

i love summer

picnic

herc and i have been loving our summer off, and any opportunity we get for a picnic we take it.

this picnic was across from the glenview train station, so we did some train spotting!

tips for picnicking with toddler: no dips no drips and no utensils!

i like to keep it simple, a ham and cheese sandwich, some kind of a crunchy snack,
some fruit like a grapes, a sucker or gummy bears, a water bottle or juice box.

grab a blanket throw it in a basket or bag whatever and go!

and i just picked up some fun stuff at the container store to make our next picnic a little cuter! Reusable sandwich bags that come in all these adorable animal designs!

The Container Store

 

happy fourth

enjoy your friends and family and most of all freedom

karaspartyideas

breathe

via

...just breathe, it will be ok!!