Building toys have always been popular in this house, but nothing, not even Lego, has stood the test of time like the Marble Run.
I bought our first Marble Run
set when my son was about 5. He already loved the building aspect of the toy but being able to run a marble through his creation was mesmerizing. When my girls got to about the same age, we actually picked up a second set of the interlocking plastic marble run tubes so they could all build their own individual marble runs or construct one ginormous creation together.
My son is now 14 and my youngest daughter is 8, but as you can see from the picture you are never too old to create a marble run. They spent about an hour working the angles, adding funnels and moving parts in order to maximize the height and fun factor.
I just heard that another set – one with some motorized parts and marble elevators (Quercetti Marble Run with Motorized Elevator) is on my daughter’s Christmas list already! I can’t wait to see what they end up building with a third set added in.
Here are some of the better Marble Run sets – click on the image for details and ordering information.
Posted on August 27th, 2010 by Char
Filed under: Activities | No Comments »
As my favorite Staples commercial EVER says…”It’s the MOST wonderful time of the year….they’re going back…” (click here to see the video and get a good giggle) and for me that means Sunday evenings have to become my time for planning the week ahead. It is the only way it works around here. I need to know what the sports schedules are, who has what appointment, what’s for dinner, what I plan to accomplish… the works.
This year I have three kids in three different schools which means three different breakfast schedules and out the door times. I have posted a list of healthy breakfast ideas inside one cabinet and quick, healthy snack/lunch ideas on another. Hopefully this will help make mornings a little easier and get rid of the “What can I pack for lunch?” question. Check back later this week and I will put the lists together for you so you can print them out and hang on the inside of your cabinet.
My menu this week:
- Monday – Pierogies with kielbasa and fresh, steamed green beans
- Tuesday – First day of school but also a sports night – Pot roast with carrots and potatoes in the crock pot – a family favorite
- Wednesday – Another busy sports night – BLT sandwiches and tomato soup
- Thursday – Grilled chicken, patty pan squash, roasted red potatoes
- Friday – Hamburgers on the grill, corn on the cob, salad
Need more inspiration? Check out my Menu Plan Monday archives or head over to Laura’s at Organizing Junkie for links to hundreds of menus this week.
Don’t forget to submit your family oriented blog posts to our blog carnival called the “All Things Family” blog carnival - enter your submissions by 5 pm today to be included in this week’s edition.
Posted on August 23rd, 2010 by Char
Filed under: Menu Plan Monday | 1 Comment »
After making granola with my 8 year old yesterday, I do not think I will ever buy granola again! It was so easy to make – not to mention it is healthier and less expensive than store-bought granola!
All you need is a few simple ingredients. For our recipe we mixed together 4 cups of rolled oats (not the quick cook kind), 1/2 cup shredded coconut, 1/2 cup slivered almonds, and 1/2 cup sunflower seeds in one bowl. Then in the other bowl we melted together one stick of butter, 1/2 cup honey, a splash of vanilla and some cinnamon (just a touch).
Mix the wet ingredients in to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir until well coated.
Preheat the oven to 350 and spread the granola mixture out on a foil lined baking sheet. Cook for 10 minutes and then stir. Cook another 5-7 min. until mixture is golden brown.
Let the granola cool a few minutes then break it up onto a cool surface or another pan. When completely cool, transfer the granola to an air-tight container and store for up to two weeks in the fridge.
We served the granola over vanilla yogurt and mixed in some craisins at the last minute, too. YUMM-O!
Here are a few more granola recipes you can try, too:
Posted on August 18th, 2010 by Char
Filed under: Recipes | No Comments »
Building toys have always been popular in this house, but nothing, not even Lego, has stood the test of time like the Marble Run.
