Play Dough Ghost Ornaments

This easy Halloween craft is perfect for anyone who wants to add a little boo to the holiday without having to spend any cash! You already have the ingredients to make the Play Dough Ghost Ornaments in your pantry! 


With the kids being at home this year, it feels like old times, we have time to craft in the afternoons again, and I LOVE it! With Halloween coming up, we decided to add a little boo to our decor with this easy homemade play doh ghost ornament craft. This is such an easy craft to make! It is perfect for all ages, from kids to adults.  You can make about a dozen of these (or more depending on your cookie cutter size) from a batch of dough.




Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 cup salt
2 cup flour



Directions:
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.


Slowly add water, a few spoons at a time, until dough is smooth.
You will know you haven't added to much water if your dough is easy to handle and isn't sticking to your hands messily.


Knead by hand for 5 minutes and let rest for 10 minutes.



Roll out the dough until it is about 1/2 an inch thck.
I used a cookie cutter to cut the shape of ghosts.
Next, poke a hole thru the top of the ghost so you can hang it up.
I used a BBQ skewer.

After cutting my shapes, I used a black crayola marker to make the face of the ghost, on the raw dough.

Place  the dough on a cookie sheet and place it in a cold oven, turning up the temp to 200 degrees. Allow your ornaments to bake for about 90 minutes. Check them frequently to make sure they are not browning (if they are pull them out.)

Allow the ornaments to cool then feed a section of bakers twine or a string into the hole and hang.



Add a variety of faces to your ornaments for a boo-tiful variety of economical and adorable DIY Halloween decorations.


You can find all of my Halloween crafts here.
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Apple Tree Addition Activity

This apple tree addition activity is perfect for kindergarten and first grade students. It gives them a hands on chance to practice their skills and work hands on play into their lessons. This is an all around engaging way to teach addition to kids.

This semester both of my kids are attending virtual school. They have a great curriculum that they follow, and the kids seem to be ok with the change in how we learn.  But, I like to make sure they are learning offline too. This apple tree math activity is perfect for little kids who are just grasping math concepts. Plus it is easy to set up and it is a lot of fun to work with. 

Using play doh is a great way to make this more than a math activity. Play doh is great for sensory play as wee all know. Adding it to math? Thats an equation for fun learning! Adding pony beads gives the activity a fine motor element, so I guess this math lesson has a lot of layers to it!

Supplies:
Green and Brown Play Doh
Pony Beads
Small wooden letters or stamps



Directions:
Encourage your child to roll out a tree trunk with brown play doh.
Instruct your child to flatten out a can of green play doh for the leaves of the tree.



Select two numbers and stamp them into the leaves. Add a +  between them.


Offer your child a few pont beads.
Encourage your child to count out enough for the first number and press them into the doh.
Instruct your child to count out enough beads for the second number and press them into the doh.
Ask your child to count all of the beads to get the sum.


Remover the beads. 
Remover the "leaves"
Smash the green doh into a fresh pile of doh.
Repeat with more numbers.

If you liked this easy math lesson idea you might like these reader favorites:

Play Doh Snakes

Looking for a simple way to engage the kids with supplies you probably already have on hand? This easy play doh snakes idea is the way to go. Kids of all ages will love this sensory play idea that combines fine motor work and creativity for an all around fun time!



Now that my kids are enrolled in virtual school for the semester, I have been finding ways to keep them engaged. They finish their work early in the day and have a few hours to fill in the afternoon. I bought a bunch of blank books, small canvases, coloring books, wooden plaques and so onto keep them creating. But, to keep things entertaining, I give them a daily challenge.

Some days, I challenge them to build something specific with legos. another day, I might challenge them to find pine cones, leaves, or sticks of a certain size. My favorite challenges involve play doh. On this particular day I gave them a pile of buttons and a can of play doh and asked them to make an animal. They put their heads together asked for a touch of red doh and 2 little eyes. This is what they came up with. It is so cute, I knew I wanted to share this idea with you.

This post contains affiliate links.


Supplies:
Play Doh, offer 2 colors
Buttons
Googly Eyes

Directions:
Encourage your child to roll a play doh snake and  decorate it with buttons.
Give the snake eyes and carefully give him a tongue.

If you liked this easy play doh idea check out these reader favorites.

3 Treatments to Help with the Aches and Pains of Motherhood

 Motherhood is one of the most rewarding journeys that you can take. It is also, however, one of the most exhausting and physically overwhelming things that you can do. Aside from the physical effects of carrying and bearing a child, those days spent running after little ones and trying to plan fun activities for the family will very likely leave you feeling sore and aching.




Thankfully, there are a few treatments you can have done that will help you to ease those pains. Here are three such treatments that are minimally invasive and can assist you on your road to better overall physical wellness.


1. SoLa Therapy


One aspect of women’s health that many people don’t like to talk about is that of pelvic pain. Women can suffer from pelvic pain for a variety of reasons. Complications during pregnancy, endometriosis, and fibroids can all cause pelvic pain in women that can verge on the unbearable. Through sola therapy, facilities like David Ghozland Sola provide women relief from their chronic pelvic pain.


The procedure itself uses a gentle laser, called a Photobiomodulation laser, that is targeted at the specific muscles that are the source of your pain. This process is entirely painless and will only take a few minutes. You might need to have a few treatments depending on the source and degree of pain that you are experiencing.


2. Pregnancy Massage


When you are pregnant, there are a lot of things that are off the table in terms of self-care. Unfortunately, pregnancy results in a variety of aches and pains that can make getting around difficult. This can be particularly cumbersome when you already have a little one running around as well. Massages can help with these greatly troubles. Many private label massage oil types are suitable for pregnancy and can play a great role with skin and muscle care during this time. However, be aware of massage oils that use essential oils, as many like aniseed or camphor are not suitable for pregnancy. Thankfully, not all massage techniques are harmful during pregnancy.


There are actually pregnancy-specific massages that a trained therapist can offer you to help ease your aching back and joints. The therapist will either have a table that has a space cut out for your bump or their will give your treatment while you lie on your side. There are many benefits to having a prenatal massage, so if you are suffering from the more common aches and pains of pregnancy, don’t hesitate to book one.


3. Physical Therapy for Hip Pain

Hip pain is a common occurrence in women. Not only does having a child cause a woman’s hips to widen, but that extra width can result in alignment issues with the knees. Moreover, a type of joint pain called rheumatoid arthritis is four times more common in women than it is in men. Such hip pain can make it difficult or even impossible to move around and accomplish what you need to do in a day. You should consult with your doctor about how to deal with arthritis and pain. In addition, sites like RollingPaper offer useful medical guides, including how arthritis is treated, what is chronic pain, and also natural ways to relieve pain. 


One course of treatment that tends to be highly effective for helping with hip pain in women is that of physical therapy. Through the use of targeted strength and mobility building exercises, you can loosen up your hips and take some of the load off of them so that they will ache less.

September Foodie Favorites

Are you looking for some new ways to add flavor to your life? I have rounded up some awesome goodies that you can find on the web that you are going to want to check out. From bags to keep things fresh and smelly proof to crumb cakes that are fork licking good. 

Samples have been provided for inclusion and affiliate links may be included.



Smellyproof bags are a must have for foodies. These are perfect for storing anything from fish to veggies and more. They are reusable so a pack can last for quite a while! Order online starting at $6.


Food Cubby keeps the peace at dinner by putting space between food for fussy eaters. Order from Amazon for the kids for $15.


Anyone who likes to bake is going to want to get some Domino Sugar. They have a variety of sweet products like Light Brown, Dark Brown and Golden Sugar. I love sprinkling golden sugar on pie crusts for a pretty glittery effect. Find it online and in stores, and check out the Domino site for loads of great recipes.


My kids love  to munch on nuts for an afternoon snack, so they were really into these tasty trays of BLUM almonds. You sprinkle on the seasoning and oil that is included and pop the container in the microwave for a few moments and you have a toasty, tasty treat you can feel good about serving to your family because they are delicious and healthy. Order a variety of flavors online for $24 a 3 pack.


Blnd spices are perfect for spicing things up. These globally inspired spices are unique and delicious! Add them to a variety of dishes for a new flavor experience. I really like the Fire n Lime spice on everything!
Order online and get a 2 pack of spices for about $10. 


Shrewd foods makes some healthy and tasty protein puff treats to add flavor to snack time without the guilt. Find a variety of flavors online for about $25 a 12 pack. These have 14 grams of protein per serving! 


Foodies are going to flip for these amazing Charles Chocolate bars. Get an artisan chocolate subscription to satisfy your sweet tooth. The flavors offered are decadent and innovative. Plus, they are beautifully packaged and crafted! Prices start at about $25 for a delivery of out of this world indulgence.


As the name suggests, these jars are not just pasta sauce, they are jars of sauce that is so good you will want to pair it with pasta, chicken, and if you wanted to use this as a dip for tortilla chips, no one would judge you! Packed with 10 veggies and no junk, there are 100's of ways to enjoy. Order a 6 pack online for $54 and prepare your taste buds for delicious dishes.


Any true foodie needs a great grilling kit, like this personalized one from Groovy Groomsman Gifts. The set comes in a gorgeous wood case with a spatula, fork and tongs that are perfect for grilling up a good time. This makes a great gift too! Oder online for a foodie in your life.



I love getting surprises in the mail, but getting a subscription box of treats? Now that makes my day! Laura's Kitchen Table is delivering treats worth writing home about for about $45 a month. This is a fun service for a hard to buy for friend, or anyone who loves trying tasty treats!


It is always a good time for Clarkson Avenue Crumb Cake. This is a really great cake that you can order online and have shipped to your door. As the temperatures are still pretty warm here, I am all for not needing to fire up my oven and having my cake and eating it too! Oder the classic crumb cake, or a variety of other flavors for about $28.




What could go better with beers on an end of summer night than Hall's Beer Cheese? This stuff is awesome to dip, spread, or smear on almost anything. We love the Hot n Snappy Spicy Beer Cheese dip the most. You will be glad to know you can find this tasty as can be beer cheese at Sam's Club in Ohio, or you can order it online for about $6 a tub.




To wash down all these delicious goodies, you need to take note of the Tavour craft beer delivery service. Now, before trying this selection, I was not into craft beer. I would say "Eh," with indifference. But, after looking at these fun cans and super unique offerings, I had to crack open a Lemon Meringue Pie Beer, then an Attention Please. I am converted to a craft beer lover now. I can't wait to see what else this service has to offer! This is going to be a must have for the holidays or the home bar every month!



I hope this list of foodie favorites inspires you to try a few new foodie finds this month!