It’s getting close to Valentine’s Day so we thought we’d share a favorite treat we like to make for our daughters class for their Valentine’s party. Her teacher asks that 3 families supply goodies and 3 families supply healthy treats in order to ensure the kids aren’t going to end up full of sugar by the end of the day. These lovable little ladybugs make a great treat and they’re really cute!

What you need: Adapted from Batter Up Kids: Delicious Desserts ~ Makes 16 ladybugs

16 seedless Green or Red Grapes

16 (6 inch) wooden skewers or toothpicks

16 whole strawberries

32 mini chocolate chips or dried black currents

Directions:

Step 1.  Wash your grapes and strawberries

Step 2.  Cut the grapes in half

Step 3.  Slice off a strip on one side of the strawberries (this will help them to sit flat on the plate)

Step 4.  Place a grape on a toothpick sliding it all the way to the end

Step 5.  Next place the strawberry on the toothpick and slide it down to touch the grape

Step 6.  Gently score a line at the top of the strawberry to create the appearance of wings

Step 7.  Finally, carefully push the pointed ends of the mini chocolate chips (or dried currants) into the strawberry to make the ladybug’s spots.

Happy Healthy Eating
Kia

Kia Robertson is a mom and the creator of the Today I Ate A Rainbow kit; a tool that helps parents establish healthy habits by setting the goal of eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables every day. Kia is passionate about creating tools that help parents raise healthy kids!

Fitness Magazines are not just a great read: They can be reused over and over in several fun ways!

This New Year, why not kill two birds with one stone.  Keep your resolution for going green, getting the body you’ve always dreamed of or taking holiday weight off, and organizing your paperwork, your life, and your home all at once.  You can start with that stack of fitness and health magazines that have been sitting in a pile and collecting an array of dust.  This month, check back every Wednesday to tackle one project at a time.

This Week:  Get in shape while reducing, reusing, and recycling!

Step One:  Magazine Subscription Insert Cards

Use subscription insert cards to blot lipstick! Keep stacks in your make-up organizer for ready use.

 

Step Two:  Donate Magazines

When finished with old magazines, pass them on to friends, family, or even your local doctor’s office to keep the ideas going and to inspire another.

Step Three:  Create a Fitness Scrapbook

When I’m completely finished with my fitness magazines I cut out the moves, ideas, inspiring words, and recipes into a personal fitness scrapbook.  I bought a journal for $5.00 at my local Big Lots, took a glue stick, scissors, stickers, and gems to create my work-out scrapbook on the cheap.

My personal work-out scrapbook that I bought for a mere $5.00

 

Recycle old fitness magazines by cutting out moves and recipes then using a glue stick to place them where you like then get ready to shape-up!

 

Old magazine clips have a wealth of routines, moves, and recipes!

Creating your own personal scrapbook gives you time to research and reset your brain for easing into a fitness routine for the New Year!

Step Four:  Use Tear-Out Cards!

Take tear out cards and mix n’match by using a hole puncher and place them on a ring for quick and simple work-outs!

Step Five:  Cut and Paste low-cal Recipes on Index Cards

Be sure to buy an index card box too with a variety of colors then cut and paste your favorite healthy recipes.  Use a label divider to keep your recipes stored in order such as, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and smoothies.

Magazine subscription cards also make great bookmarks for the avid reader!

Blogger Laurali Star can be found on her blog, Charming Laurali Star, and on her site, The Damsel in the Attic, where she sells handmade and vintage clothing and accessories.  Another fab way to help reduce, reuse, and recycle!  Check it out!

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

Get crafty and recycle by using up an old wash cloth and a wrapped bar of soap to make a reindeer!

Here is an easy Christmas craft that you can make using recycled products from around the house!  This is also a great craft that can be used for kids Christmas parties, in the classroom, or at home with mom and dad.  Parents can take the reins with the hot glue gun with small children while the kids pick and choose items to decorate the reindeer with glee!

What you Need:

• A glue gun
• Googly eyes
• Little craft bows and beads
• Brown Pipe Cleaners
• An old wash cloth, preferably brown
• A bar of soap
• Lots of imagination!

Reindeer made easy with 1,2,3 steps!

 

Step One: Cut brown wash cloth in half to wrap around a bar wrapped bar of soap. Fold over and hot glue in place.

Step Two: Tie brown pipe cleaners around each ear to make antlers

Step Three: I spy googly eyes to give my reindeer the gift of sight!

Step Four: Hot glue craft bows, doo dads, and beads to decorate your reindeer with style!

Step Five: One very cute little reindeer gift or house decoration!

Blogger Laurali Star can be found on her blog, Charming Laurali Star, and on her site, The Damsel in the Attic, where she sells handmade and vintage clothing and accessories.  Another fab way to help reduce, reuse, and recycle!  Check it out!

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

Make your Christmas cards with a lot of love!

It’s that time of the year again…one way to take the stress off of giving cards is to have your children get involved in the creation process!  Warm up the oven, throw some cookies in, and sit down at the table to make some special memories. This is easy and fun for the whole family!

All You Need:

• Glitter
• Old Christmas Cards
• Glue Sticks
• Stickers
• Washable markers and crayons
• Magazine clippings
• Poster board
• Paints
• Sewing buttons
• Laminate
• Scissors
• Old and New Photographs
• Christmas Spirit!

Ribbon will embellish any card with a personal touch

One of my favorite things to do is take out old Christmas cards that I received the previous year, cut out the front picture or maybe even use the inside script, then paste it to a square, star, or heart-shaped piece of poster board.  Then add in the details with features such as, a snowman sticker, a ribbon at the top, or Merry Christmas written in glittery silver and gold!  The sky’s the limit on creativity!

Recycle old Christmas Cards for a Green Christmas!

Your little picasso will love painting that snowman for Grandmother

Old and new photographs can also make a greeting card more personalized for family members that live far away!  Take out your glue stick and paste it on the front then laminate for that sheer effect.  Then decorate your card with all the bells and whistles.

Making cards as a family promotes family unity

This is a great family tradition that your kids will look forward to year after year.  Turn on a little Christmas music and dance while you work to spark your creativity!  Not much of a dancer?  There’s always those cookies that are baking in the oven to sweeten the mood.  The important thing is your together, your doing something for others, and your in the Christmas spirit!  All that’s left is to slip them into the mailbox as a treat for friends and family.

Let your kids place them in the mail to get a feel for giving!

Blogger Laurali Star can be found on her blog, Charming Laurali Star, and on her site, The Damsel in the Attic, where she sells handmade and vintage clothing and accessories.  Another fab way to help reduce, reuse, and recycle!  Check it out!

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.