Easy DIY Puzzles for Preschoolers

We love puzzles, but it seems like my kids lose a lot of the pieces in a short amount of time. When I learned about making our own puzzles a while ago, we were hooked. If a piece gets lost it is not an issue as we can make a whole new puzzle for pennies!

This is such an easy project you are going to wonder why you have never made these with your kids before!  It requires basic supplies and only a few moments of time to create. There is no prep time to speak of, and best of all your kids can make these on their own!

All you need to make puzzles are:

Clear tape

Classic Washable Markers

Craft Sticks

First, tape the craft sticks together.

Then draw a design on the opposite side.

Color in the background.

Peel the tape off of the back and scatter the sticks. And there you have an Easy Puzzle for toddlers and preschoolers. If you have older children, you might want to check out my idea for an easy DIY photo puzzle. 

These make a great gift idea for anyone wanting to give a sweet gift for a little one on a tight budget.

17 Pies for Thanksgiving

Can there ever be too many pies at Thanksgiving? I think not! This year I am going to prepare several varieties to share with the people I am thankful to have in my life. This list gives me a great starting point in my pie baking. If you are looking for a few great pie recipes, I know you will find a few on this list that you will love!

Pumpkin
Skinny No-Bake Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Pecan Pie
No-Bake Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Double Layer Pumpkin Pie

Chocolate
French Silk Pie
Mud Pie 
Chocolate Fudge Pie

Fruity
Peaches & Cream Pie
Cranberry Sauce Pie
4 Ingredient Berry Pie
Blueberry Banana Cream Pie
Easy Cherry Pie
Caramel Apple Pie
Apple Pie

Nutty
Brown Sugar Pecan Pie
Corn Syrup Free Pecan Pie
Vegan Pecan Chocolate Pie

Apple Tree Window Cling

Fall days are the perfect time to find inspiration from nature and create fun crafts with the kids. This easy DIY window decal comes together within a few moments and adds a colorful touch to your windows. The kids will love displaying their artwork for the world to see!

This is such a simple project you guys! For $2 you can make a dozen or more window decals to add a festive fall touch to your windows! Best of all, this imaginative craft is perfect for the kids!

To make an apple tree window cling you will need:
Transparent contact paper, cut to the size you wish to work with. We used a 6'x4" section.
Tissue Paper Squares in dark green and yellow
One strip of brown construction paper
Scissors

First peel the backing off of the contact paper and lay it sticky side up. Add a strip of brown paper for the tree trunk.

Cut several circles from your yellow tissue paper, place around the tree trunk.

Next lay your squares of green tissue paper over the yellow dots, forming the leaves of the tree. 

Finally, find a window that gets a lot of sun and smooth the sticky side to the window. It will peel off without mess or residue whenever you are ready to take it down.

I love this craft for kids because it introduces them to a sticky texture to work with, and manipulating the paper into the right placements is great for fine motor skill development.

You might also enjoy this Fall Tree Silhouette Placemat Craft for kids.

17 Must Read Thanksgiving Books for the Kids

This post contains affiliate links, but the list was inspired by the reading material I have for my children this month.

Thanksgiving is near and everyone is excited for the time with family, the parades and of course the food! This year, why not build on that excitement while offering your kids a chance to read, learn and be entertained without screentime?

I have compiled a great book list for my kids, Roo and Harp and I think your kids will love these titles too. You can order them via the links below or perhaps look for them at your local library.

Pete the Cat's Thanksgiving

Reading Railroad : Giving Thanks

Little Critter Just a Special Thanksgiving

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Helper

Bright Baby Thanksgiving

I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Pie

Ladybug Gives Thanks

What is Thanksgiving?

The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks

T is for Turkey: A True Thanksgiving Story

Happy Thanksgiving Curious George

Fancy Nancy: Our Thanksgiving Banquet 

Arthur's Thanksgiving

 Five Silly Turkeys

Turkey Trouble

10 Fat Turkeys

Have your kids read any of these books? If you have a favorite I would love to hear about it so we can look for it!

20 Chicken Recipes You won't Want to Miss

I don't know if I ever mentioned to you guys that I stopped eating beef and pork? I mean, it is not that I don't love those two meats, but I am kinda going thru this picky eater stage and I am only consuming chicken and fish these days.

So, chicken or seafood every day takes some skill. I have to prepare it in different ways or I will dread dinner time! I turned to my fellow bloggers and started discovering some amazingly delicious recipes for dinner that I know you won't want to miss.

Here are 20 Chicken Dinners that you will want to try. From chili to wraps, tacos to fajitas, there is a chicken recipe for everyone in this collection!

Cheesy Chicken Taquitos
Peanut Butter Chicken
Dr. Pepper Smoked Chicken
Easy Chicken Marsala
Red Chicken Chili

Hot Chicken Salad Braid
Buffalo Chicken Avocado Ranch Wraps
Chicken with Bleu Cheese and Grapes
20 Minute Skillet Chicken and Spinach Parmesan
Chicken & Cheese Stuffed Shells

Roasted Chicken Fajitas
Chicken and Dumplings
Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Baked Chicken Fajitas
EasyTex Mex Chicken
Chicken Bacon Pizza
Garlic Chicken Pesto with Tomato Cream Sauce
Chicken and Cornbread Casserole

We love Cheesy Chicken Taquitos! This is one of my husbands favorite recipes! I can't wait to make my own Chicken Bacon Pizza and skip carry out pizza! Which of these recipes do you want to try first? Do you have a go to chicken recipe? I would love to hear about it!