Simple Friday Night Fun

One bag of salad split between 2 large bowls, topped with leftover roast chicken, chopped mangoes (frozen/thawed work great!), chopped cucumbers, sliced avocado, bacon pieces, fresh raspberries or blueberries (just picked from my garden), and sprinkled with feta cheese, walnuts or almonds, and pepper.  A simple dressing of olive oil and red wine vinegar (1 to 1 ratio)  drizzled on top kept it heart healthy and made a lovely, refreshing, and filling Friday night dinner for my husband and I.

 We eat at the dining room table 5-6 nights a week, but when Friday night is also old musical movie night, we take it to the living room.  Living it up, simple style!  :)

The simple pleasures are the best ones.  Enjoy your weekend!  What old musicals do you love to watch year after year?

Take care,

Donna

Dried Beans + Low Plastic Bin = HOURS of Fun for Kids

Long ago when I was a young mom, I learned of the idea of filling a plastic bin with dried beans as a sort of indoor sandbox for my children.  They had many fun hours playing with the beans with spoons, dishes, trucks, and little figures.

Now, my daughter is a mother too, and she's continuing the tradition. Her precious little 2 year old son has his own bin of dried beans!  It is easily his FAVORITE thing with which to play!

Carson loves using his toy cars, trucks, and digging machines with the beans.  His toy animals are often in there as well.

There is no muss and no fuss as he uses his toy bulldozer to move a load of beans into his toy dump truck.

The old Fisher Price Pirate raft with the shark head was fed many, many beans while I was there visiting last week.  :)

Carson never has been one to put things in his mouth that might be a choking hazard, so he started playing with beans before age 2.  Please use wise discretion with your own little one and little grands...make sure they are not prone to putting small items in their mouths.

Isn't this cute?!  And see the little frog?

I had fun hiding his little animals in the beans and letting him look for them.  :)  A real live I Spy!  Using play dishes or mom's smallest saucepan, spoons, and measuring cups would also provide alot of kinesthetic learning and fun.

My daughter uses this size of underbed box for the dried beans.  When the lid is on, they can be stored under the bed.  She put 2 large bags of dried pinto beans in the bin, and it is just the right amount.  A vinyl tablecloth or a blanket under the bin will help to coral any stray beans that make it out of the bin.

I'm a big believer in the notion that the simplest toys and joys are what kids enjoy the most!  
So Mamas and Grandmas....give it a try!

Blessings,

Donna