Happy Earth Day!

This Thursday marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, a day to heighten awareness of the impacts we make on this earth. I'm not into the doom and gloom of global warming, but I am into being a good steward of God's creation.

Brainstorm with your family and decide on one way you will be a better steward of our natural resources. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• use reusable bags on every shopping trip


• switch to reusable plastic or steel bottles instead of one-time use water bottles


• plant a tree


• be part of a park or street clean up


• walk or ride your bike on one errand per week


• unplug an appliance that uses energy even when not in use

This week is also Turn off the TV Week...a great time to get outside and enjoy nature! Check out a book from your library about the trees, animals, birds and insects in your area then go for a nature walk and see how many different things you can find and identify.

We live on a planet that is full of exploration potential...get out and enjoy it!

Raindrop Shakes

With a super picky eater in our family we have to find snack foods and recipes that he will eat, but are also as nutritious as our regular meals.  One of the areas that I worry he is missing out on is protein which is how I came up with this recipe.  It is perfect for the springtime rain theme. 

Raindrop Shakes (makes 4 servings)
2 cups of frozen blueberries
½ cup (4 ounces) low fat yogurt (vanilla or blueberry)
2 Tablespoons peanut butter
2 scoops low fat vanilla ice cream
¼ cup milk

Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until you reach your desired consistency. This recipe meets the USDA guidelines for ½ ounce meat alternative and 1 fruit which fits within the meal pattern for a snack for children 1-2 and 3-5.

If you have a child in your care that is allergic to peanuts you will need to double the yogurt to have enough meat alternative to fit within the USDA guidelines. If you do that leave out the milk until you've blended everything else and add the milk 1 Tablespoon at a time until you get the correct consistency.

April Showers

bring May flowers. I woke up this morning to the sounds of thunder and rain beating against the roof...oh how I love spring showers! Time to dust off those umbrellas! Here are a couple ideas to do on a rainy day.

You can make a quick and easy umbrella to stick in a sandwich or snack for fun. Cut out a circle from construction paper (3" diameter or so). Have the children fold the circle in half, into quarters and finally into eighths. Unfold the circle and let them decorate their umbrella. Carefully poke a flat toothpick into the center of the circle to finish the umbrella.

Print the umbrella on this page, have your children decorate the umbrella and then put blue glitter glue dots around it for the raindrops falling down.

Stop and listen to the sound of the rain, try listening to it from different rooms in your house, does it sound different?

Happy Spring!