Rainbow Rice Sensory Bin

Both of my kids love sensory play! They can spend hours engrossed in a sensory bin, exploring. We made this easy rainbow rice bin to Harper's delight. She had so much fun sorting, threading and mixing the colors up. 

This bin has it all. And I do mean IT ALL. My 5 year old stood with wide eyed wonder before this bin. She adorably said "You made this for me?!" As she dove into the colors of the rainbow. It has colorful rice to touch, fun beads to sort and thread, and a puzzle as an added bonus. It touches on so many fun sensory features and functions too. The best part about it is that I spent less than $2 to make this bin with smart shopping at Dollar Tree. But, for your convenience I am linking to my favorite paint markers on amazon. You want to get these! And if you do from my affiliate link, I will earn a little amazon credit.

Supplies:

A plastic box with a clipping lid

Dyed rice in the colors of the rainbow

Buttons

Beads

Pipe cleaners

Cardboard

Scissors

Paint Markers

A sandbox tool, kitchen spoon or tongs

Directions:

To make the rainbow puzzle:
Cut a rainbow shape from the cardboard; I used a half of an oval shape about 6” long and 4” high.

Cut that cardboard rainbow form into 7 sections. Cut the sections with the shape of the rainbow, so

that they will fit back together. This forms a simple puzzle for little hands to explore.

Color or paint the sections of cut cardboard to represent the colors of the rainbow; red, orange,

yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

Set aside.

To form the rainbow rice base:

If you don't want to color the rice you can buy it on amazon

Layer the rice in the colors of the rainbow in the box; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

As you have your rainbow base down begin add beads to the rice base.

Nestle the rainbow puzzle sections into the coordinating color of rice.

Add a pipe cleaner or two.

Add a sandbox tool, kitchen spoon or tongs to offer new ways to explore!

With supervision, invite your child to explore the colors of the rainbow, to thread the beads onto the pipe cleaners and to build the rainbow puzzle. 

When playtime is over, you can snap the lid on the box to store for future play sessions. 

While the children are naturally going to mix the colors together, that is okay! The next time they explore this sensory bin, they can work on their sorting skills!

If you make this bin with your preschoolers send me a picture on facebook.

Don't miss these rainbow craft ideas 

Reader favorites include:

Rainbow Crafts for Kids

Rainbow Coasters

You might also like this In the Sky Sensory Bin.
Find all of my sensory bin ideas here

6 Ways To Keep People Dancing All Night At Your Wedding

On your wedding day and night, you probably want to make sure that all of your guests have the most
amazing time. One way to do that? Keep people dancing all night long! Dancing releases endorphins, and if your guests feel like dancing all night you can pretty much guarantee they’ll have a night that they won’t soon forget. And to capture those unforgettable moments, providing interactive elements like a wedding guest book can further enhance the guest experience, allowing them to leave heartfelt messages and memories for the happy couple to cherish.

Below, you’ll find 6 ways to keep people dancing all night at your wedding. Take a

look:

1. Have A Comfortable Area Where People Can Rest For A While

Although you want your guests to dance all night long, they’ll need a rest at some stage. Make sure you
have a comfortable area where they can rest for a while, and they’ll be able to rest and recuperate before
getting up and busting another move! 

2. Provide Alternative Footwear

This is a great shout, especially for the ladies. You could have some cool colored socks, or flip flops to
give to the women whose feet are hurting them. It always seems like a good idea to wear heels to a
wedding until your feet are killing! This way, they’ll have no excuse not to get up and dance. Plus, they’ll
have a nice little souvenir from the big day. 

Image - PIXABAY

3. Make Sure There’s No Shortage Of Drinks 

The dance floor shouldn’t be too far from the bar, as you’ll have people missing from the floor all night if
this is the case. It could be a good idea to have wait staff bring tea and coffee after dinner to perk
everybody up a little - this is a good idea, especially for those who may be drinking alcohol. Weddings
take up a lot of the day, and people can end up drinking a little too much alcohol. 

4. Choose Your Music Carefully 

For people to dance, you need to have the right kind of music available. This could be a DJ, or you could
choose the best wedding bands Essex has to offer. Whatever you do, make sure you speak with them
beforehand to get a good idea of what they can play and how they get people up on the floor. You’ll want
to discuss the music you like, and anything you definitely don’t want to be played. However, it’s a good
idea to take their advice if they have some, as they have likely seen a lot of weddings before yours! 

5. Show Them How It’s Done 

If you want people to dance, you need to dance too! Show your guests how its done by getting your
groove on. Get people up and in a good mood by coming up with choreography for your first dance as
man and wife. 

6. Make Sure Your Dance Floor Is The Right Size 

If your dance floor is too small, people won’t want to dance. If it’s too big, it’ll look empty no matter what.
Make sure you carefully consider the size of the dance floor when booking the venue. 

Do you have any ideas? Leave a comment!

First-time Moms: How Should you Buy your Diaper Bag Online?

If you’re planning to purchase stylish diaper bags online, you might find it difficult to choose the exact
diaper bag to go with especially if you don’t have a particular brand or model in mind. A simple search
will net you dozens of results, and even the process of trying to narrow down the field to your top five
choices might be a daunting task.

            Here are five things that you can do to help make that process just a little bit easier:

Compare, Compare, Compare

            This might seem like counterintuitive, but a lot of people actually DON’T like canvassing on the
Internet because of the sheer amount of choices that they have available. You might think that people would
rather canvass for items online because it seems more convenient and easier, but when you compare
browsing in stores compared to browsing for products online, most people would rather go to
brick-and-mortar stores.

            There are two ways that you can actually go about this. If you already have a certain diaper bag
model in mind, or at least, an idea of what you’re looking for in a diaper bag, you can compare different
brands and models online. You can simplify your search by using filters such as features, bag types, or price
points.

            However, if you don’t have any idea of what kind of diaper bag you need at all, it might be better if
you go to a brick-and-mortar store first to canvass for ideas. By going to a store, you will have a first-hand
idea of the size and appearance of the different bag types, as well as the material that you want in a bag.
Most stores can also point out different features that you might want to have in your final choice of a diaper
bag.

Ask Other Moms

            Asking other moms is a valuable way to get feedback on the performance of a particular model
of diaper bag. You can get valuable feedback that you won’t be able to get in a store, such as how well a
certain bag holds up to long-term use and abuse, if a certain bag really does store and organize baby items
well, and whether certain features are worth the extra price tag tacked on them. Mothers are generally more
than happy to give feedback and help out other moms to find the right diaper bag.

Check Out Forums

            If you find it difficult to ask other moms for their honest feedback and opinions on certain diaper
bags, you can always go online and check out parenting forums. There are dozens of forums out there
dedicated to baby care, and many of the threads discuss which qualities you need to look for in a good
diaper bag. In fact, some threads are even dedicated to popular diaper bag models, so you might be lucky
and find a thread that’s dedicated specifically to a particular diaper bag that you’re considering.

Reviews are Great, BUT…

            One of the ways that you might be considering to help you choose the right diaper bag is by
checking out online reviews. As a baseline idea, online reviews can be helpful, but you should always take
any reviews you find online with a grain of salt. It’s very easy to create fake reviews online to boost a
product’s popularity and make it more attractive to consumers. In fact, it’s an actual industry! Many
companies have been caught red-handed hiring writers to create fake reviews for their products or services,
or even writing reviews themselves. The practice is so widespread that it has become difficult to actually
spot which reviews are real and which ones are fake.

Go for a “Test Run”

            Once you have decided on a certain model but you’re not 100% sure, there’s nothing wrong with
going for a “test run”. Many stores have floor models that you can check out and try so that you can see
whether it lives up to your expectations or not. Take your time and be meticulous with inspecting a
particular diaper bag. Check whether the straps are padded, and whether the seams are strong and
well-stitched. Does it have enough pockets and compartments to hold all your baby’s essential items? Does
it feel comfortable to carry even if the bag is full?

            You might think that it’s silly to bring all your baby’s essentials and load them all into a diaper bag
before you decide on it, but consider this: wouldn’t it look even sillier if you’re lugging around a bag that’s
too small for your baby’s items, or worse, if you’re stuck carrying around all the contents of the bag
because it gave out? 

Seashell Towers STEM Activity

Beach fun meets play doh for a hands on early engineering activity. My 5 year old loved playing with this Seashell Towers STEM Activity.

This is such a simple activity, but it is also challenging and ideal for little learners. It combines fine motor skills and problem solving to create a recipe for hands on fun.

This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase I do earn a small advertisers fee at no added expense to you.

The smallest things can bring hours of entertainment to kids. This seashell tower stem activity is a perfect example. This gives little hands a chance to build and begin discovering the magical world of engineering. Best of all, you might have the supplies you need on hand. I LOVE activities that I don't have to buy anything to do with my kids.

Supplies:

Play Doh

Seashells

Directions:

Invite your child to roll a can of play doh into small balls.

Encourage your child to use the doh and the shells to make a tower.

Talk about how to make the tower taller, larger, wider without it falling over.

This activity is so much fun and was so easy to set up for Harper. She was engaged with building what she called mermaid towers.

After about an hour of building we put the play doh back in the can and added the seashells to our busy bag collection. We will be revisiting this play doh activity many times! I have a feeling my 9 year old would enjoy this one too!

Find more fine motor activities here

Check out my favorite play doh projects here

12 Dog Beds to DIY

Charles Schulz said "Happiness is a warm puppy." And he couldn't have been more spot on. Dogs bring so much joy to our lives and make such wonderful additions to the family!

At our house, the dogs have added a layer to family life. Wagging tails, long walks, enthusiastic friendship are a few of the perks. But there is a downside, the dogs are couch, bed and chair hogs! They are happiest curled up someplace cushy for a nap.

Yea, we need a big doggy bed! So I rounded up 12 of my favorite ideas to share with you for dog beds to diy! I love how simple yet stunning these are!

Elegant Upcycled Small Breed Bed by Diva of DIY
Princess Pet Bed by Morena's Corner
Pillow Pet Bed by Designers Sweet Spot
End Table Dog Bed by Domestic Imperfection
Packing Fabric Dog Bed by DIY Danielle
Recycled Tire Dog Bed by Practically Functional
Doll Dog Bed by My Repurposed Life
Basket Bed by My Pinterventures
Crate Bed for Small Dogs by The Inspired Hive
Drawer Dog Bed by My Repurposed Life
Envelope Pet Bed by Susy's Sitcom
Table Dog Bed by Diva of DIY

If you have an idea for a DIY dog bed, I would love to hear about it in a comment!

Find more DIY Ideas Here

Homemade Cherry Orange Soda Pop Syrup

Homemade Cherry Orange Soda is light, refreshing and perfect for sipping. It comes together with only a few ingredients to make a gourmet soda that you won't be able to get enough of.

This post contains affiliate links.

We have a  Drink Mate in the kitchen and I vowed to put it to use this summer. I made a delicious Strawberry Peach Soda recipe a few weeks ago and I couldn't wait to make more fizzy drinks.  The neighborhood kids were more than happy to be my taste testers, so I started experimenting.

This is such an easy homemade soda pop recipe. If you are not using a soda machine like the drink mate or soda stream, you can make this work with club soda.

Supplies:

1 orange

1/2 pound of pitted fresh cherries

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of water

Mesh Strainer

Directions:

Combine fruit, water and sugar in a saucepan.

Over medium heat bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and allow the fruit syrup to simmer for 20 minutes.

Pour through a mesh strainer.

Allow the syrup to cool.

Discard fruit (This is wonderful over ice cream if you are so inclined.)

Soda directions:

Carbonate filtered water.
Add 2 ounces of cherry orange syrup per 8 ounces of carbonated water (or club soda) to ice.

If you want a stronger, sweeter soda increase the syrup from 2 to 3 ounces.

My family loved this. The kids liked the sweet, juicy, bubbly flavor. I loved that it was a caffeine free option and that I know what is in it, and that I can control the sweetness of this soda.

I served this on a hot day, with lots of ice. My husband mixed a little vodka into his and declared it to taste like summer should.

If your family loves this, next time double or triple the batch for the syrup. You can store it in a mason jar in the fridge for a few weeks.

When pitting your cherries, a cherry pitter is a handy tool to have. If not you can find other ways to get the job done. I sliced mine in half to make smashing the fruit even easier.

If you liked this cherry orange soda recipe you won't want to miss my Homemade Strawberry Peach Soda.

You might also like 12 Homemade Soda recipes.

11 Truffles to Make

The path to my heart is paved with decadent things; soft pillows, sweet smelling flowers,  a warm animal to pet and truffles are a few of the things that can turn me to a puddle of mush!

This holiday season I have intentions to make and share some amazing truffles with my friends and family. You know what they say about intentions, so it is debatable whether my truffles will actually be shared, or if I will over indulge and then act like I didn't make any... HA!

This post contains affiliate links.

I found some amazing truffle recipes that sound fantastic! I can't decide if I should make one, two, or all of them!

Fudge Round Truffles by Shaken Together Life
Oreo Buckeye Truffles by Baking Beauty
Dark Chocolate Pistachio Truffles by Kleinworth & Co
Pumpkin Cookie Truffles by Club Chica Circle
Dulche De Leche Truffles by Thrifty Diva
Mudball Truffles by Creations by Kara
Red Velvet Truffles by Create Craft Love
Mint Oreo Truffles by Simplistically Living
Brazilian Coconut Truffles by DIY Candy
Milk Chocolate Truffles by Savory Experiments
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles by Who Needs a Cape


Which of these sound the best to you? If you have a favorite truffle recipe please give me the scoop in a comment!

Cement Spoon Garden Markers

This easy cement spoon garden marker project is perfect for beginners and adds a nice touch to your outdoor area.

I love to make things with cement. From coasters to mushrooms and even a cake stand! I ran across a silicone spoon mold and I knew exactly what I wanted to make. Garden Markers. 

This post contains affiliate links.

While working with cement seems like it might be hard, it is surprisingly easy to work with and there are so many possibilities for what you can do with concrete mix. 

I am not much of a gardener. I have tried in the past, but usually bite off more than I can chew and reduce the rate of success for my garden. This year I decided to give it a go and try to grow a small garden that mixed flowers and vegetables. I got some of these little plaques to label my plants, but they were ugly.

These cement spoon markers were just what I needed to add some character to the scene.

Supplies:

Silicone molds
1/2 cup of cement mix; I prefer portland cement.
1/3 cup of water
Chalkboard Paint

Directions:

Mix the cement and water until it is smooth.
Pour the cement into the silicone mold.
Place in the sun and allow to dry for 6 hours.
Remove the spoons from the mold carefully to avoid breaking them.
Paint with chalkboard paint and allow to dry.

I used a chalk paint pen to label the cement spoon garden markers.

You can find all of my DIY projects here

Cement Projects