Whatcha Making Wednesdays.... Sugar Cookies

Welcome to Whatcha Making Wednesdays! This week the kids had their Holiday Parties and both classes made Sugar Cookies with frosting and sprinkles... A perfect way to end our year :-)

The kids had fun choosing which shapes they would make their cookies...Frosting the cookies... the kids used safety knives to frost them...Adding some sprinkles...

Ryleigh's finished cookies...

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
  
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 
  FROSTING:
• 1/3 cup butter (softened)
  
• 3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in milk and vanilla.
• Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until easy to handle.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 7-9 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool.
• Frost cooled cookies..... and decorate!
  

If you have a baking/cooking (etc.) activity that you have done with children and would like to share... please link up!!!! We are always looking for fun...and yummy recipes. If you do link up...please try and visit someone else's entry and share some comment love...

For a Reminder of the Guidelines to Link Up...Please visit here

What we have been up to....Christmas Activities....

So.... it has been a while since I have updated with any school time activities besides baking... apparently working has taken up a bit of my free time.... no worries though.... it takes away from blogging...not teaching... here are some of our Christmas activities that we did during school (or otherwise) over the last month.... over our break I will attempt to get some posts together showing the more academic activities that we have been doing... stay tuned!!!! And... as per usual.... a plethora of pictures are below....

Ryleigh and Braeden decorating our tree after Thanksgiving...

Mosaic Advent Candles:
K4 made these very pretty Advent Candles...

Adding the mosaic tiles...

Working on adding the wreath to the bottom of the candle...

The girls with their advent candles...

Abstract Christmas Trees:
In K4 (plus Braeden...because he didn't nap)... we made Abstract Christmas Trees..... they used fun painting technics...and added different shapes (sponge paint) for ornaments.... and finished with some glitter glue for tinsel...

Painting the tree...

Making sure everyone else is on task....

Finding the decorating process very funny...

The finished abstract Trees....

Button Wreath Ornaments:
Both classes made button wreath ornaments.... stringing white, red and green buttons onto a pipecleaner....and making a circle....

Working very hard on their projects in Tot School....

Inspecting their work...

Working on their ornaments in K4...

Handprint Angels:
The kids made shape/ handprint angels.... it is neat to see Braeden now completing some of the crafts that I have done with Ryleigh in the past...

Gluing on the Triangle (body), Circle (head) and Oval (hal0).....

The finished Angels...

Handprint Christmas Trees:
We also made these Handprint Trees.... I didn't take pictures during this project as it got slightly dice-y at times!

A finished tree...

Gingerbread Ornaments:

Working on their ornaments...

Whatcha Making Wednesdays... Sugar Cookies:
Every week I host a link up for kid friendly cooking/baking/ recipes... this week we made sugar cookies...

Ryleigh decorating her cookies...

Aunt Laura with Andy and the kids.... Ryleigh is tired of posing for pictures at this point....how cute are the matching shirts though? I got them from Missy Prissy Bow Boutique...

Ryleigh and Braeden...hugging it out before the Holiday Party begins...

Santa came to visit our neighborhood with his Firetruck....

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

Some of the Books that we read to go along with our activities:

• The Donkey's Christmas Song by Nancy Tafuri
• Jingle All The Way ~ Interactice Storybook and Story Buddy Jingle Pup
• Corduroy's Christmas (Lift-the-flap Books) by Don Freeman and B. G. Hennessy
  
• Corduroy's Merry Christmas Shaped Board Book by Don Freeman and Lisa McCue
• The Berenstain Bears and the Joy of Giving (Berenstain Bears/Living Lights) by Jan Berenstain and Mike Berenstain
• The Berenstain Bears Meet Santa Bear (First Time Books) by Stan Berenstain and Jan Berenstain
• The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore and Jan Brett

Where I am linking up:

For more great stART posts check out A Mommy's Adventures!
For more fun projects check out ABC and 123... Red Ted Art ... JDaniel4's Mom... and
To see what others did this week check out Tot School at 1+1+1=1; Preschool Corner at Homeschool Creations; Mom 2 lil Posh Divas and the Weekly Wrap-up at Weird Unsocialized Homeschoolers.

Whatcha Making Wednesdays.... pigs in a blanket....chocolate cake

This week the kids made Pigs in a blanket.... so super easy...and yummy!!! Basically we take a Pillsbury croissant dough triangle and a piece of American cheese .... and wrap it around a hot-dog .... bake in the oven at 375 for 15 minutes....

I unfortunately did not get any good pictures of this activity... so... I thought I would share pictures of Ryleigh baking a cake two years ago.... when she was Braeden's age... It is a little strange for me to look back at them and see all the stuff that I let her bake... and be so hesitant to let Braeden do it now.... here she made a Chocolate Cake (dairy free...as I was nursing Braeden and he couldn't have dairy)...

Ryleigh stirring some Flour...

Pouring in some oil and water...

The finished cake...I let Ryleigh pick out which cake pan she wanted to put it in :)

If you have a baking/cooking (etc.) activity that you have done with children and would like to share... please link up!!!! We are always looking for fun...and yummy recipes. If you do link up...please try and visit someone else's entry and share some comment love...

For a Reminder of the Guidelines to Link Up...Please visit here

Whatcha Making Wednesdays ..... Cupcakes!

Welcome back to Whatcha Making Wednesdays! This week in K4 we actually made plain ole' cupcakes...from... a ... box... gasp! There was frosting involved...but still... not too terribly exciting from a blogging perspective... The girls still had fun and enjoyed frosting the cupcakes themselves...

The girls stirring in their ingredients... Baking Wednesdays always sparks lively chatter from the girls in K4... ;-)

If you have a baking/cooking (etc.) activity that you have done with children and would like to share... please link up!!!! We are always looking for fun...and yummy recipes. If you do link up...please try and visit someone else's entry and share some comment love...

For a Reminder of the Guidelines to Link Up...Please visit here

TOS CREW Review: ARTistic Pursuits..... The Way They See It

"The Artistic Pursuits program presents both the expressive and the technical aspects of art in an age-appropriate manner. Children are curious and expressive from the start. We work with those interests to teach them to observe more closely. Skills develop as each child observes nature and enjoys the process of creating. Using ARTistic Pursuits, a child carries art tools to locations which both inspire and are chosen by the child." ~from the website

I was given Artistic Pursuits- The Way They See it... a book for every parent about the art children make... it is for Preschool children ages 3,4 and 5....

This book was directed toward understanding your child's art, helping them gain skills without drawing for them, and lots of informative parent pages designed to show to encourage creativity. It has 29 Projects allowing your child to explore art.... (so fun!!!)

We already had all the supplies needed for this book (markers, watercolor, finger paint, crayons, etc.)... and chances are you do too!!! The target age range for this book was 3-5...but I found that it worked really well with the 2 year olds as well... We really liked that they had so many project ideas for the different kinds of media... it was very helpful!

After researching more about this curriculum, I am very excited to purchase the K-3 Books...for Ryleigh (and Braeden)... the way the information is given to you is amazing!

Artistic Pursuits offers books for every grade level....

You can purchase the curriculum by PayPal, Credit Card, Check or Money Order. And they have a No Risk Satisfaction Guarantee For Individual Orders. Each book is $42.95 and the art supply kits range from $45-$92.

To contact them:

Artistic Pursuits Inc.
2626 East 109th Avenue
Northglenn, Colorado 80233

Phone: (303) 467-0504

alltheanswers@artisticpursuits.com

I really liked their customer service... before I even received the book in the mail... an intro letter was sent to me with a list of supplies that I would need for this book... (the list is also on the webpage)... this way we were able to start right away!

*As a member of the TOS Crew review program I was given a free copy of this product to review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. To see what other members of the Crew thought click below:

Whatcha Making Wednesdays... Pumpkin Pie

Welcome Back to Whatch Making Wednesday... Last week Ryleigh and Braeden made Pumpkin Pie for Thanksgiving... Braeden Loves to help his sister bake!Ryleigh stirring... Braeden waiting patiently for his turn...

Ryleigh directing the project...

Braeden has gotten much neater while baking/ cooking...
and concentrates a lot on the project...

The finished pie....

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
  
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
• 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
• Whipped cream (optional)

Directions

MIX sugar and pumpkin pie spice in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

If you have a baking/cooking (etc.) activity that you have done with children and would like to share... please link up!!!! We are always looking for fun...and yummy recipes. If you do link up...please try and visit someone else's entry and share some comment love...

For a Reminder of the Guidelines to Link Up...Please visit here

My favorite places for Black Friday.... Small Business Saturday...

So here we are... Black Friday....one of my favorite activities of the year... I spend a lot of time mapping out exactly what I want so that I save the most amount of money...I usually like to stock up not only for Christmas but for Children's Birthdays for the next 5 months.... Birthday Party gifts can totally add up!

That being said... I really try and support Small Businesses/ My friends Businesses as well... I am listing below some of my favorites that I have ordered from this year... Also... I have not been given free items to promote these places... I just really like them!!!

If you get a chance, go check them out.... and if you find them on facebook let them know that The Ramblings and Adventures of a SAHM says hello!

My friend Abbie from Missy Prissy Bow Boutique (Find her on facebook!)Makes these beautiful bows and shirts...and she also can do tutus...and skirts....

Ryleigh LOVED her shirt... and so did all of our guests!

My Friend Jen from Jenuine deSigns (Also on Facebook!) makes the best wooden signs.... she does Established Signs, Signs with Sayings, Blocks, etc. .... go check out her selection... you can order specialty signs or choose from her available stock....

How Cute is this Sign I just ordered for Above our Stockings?

I have ordered file folder games for Tot School and K4 from Teenas Teacher Bits and LOVE them!!! She has a great selection.... with a huge age range!!! You can order both down-loadable games.... so you can assemble them yourself... or finished games... that are beautifully put together! (You can find her at the above Link and on Facebook!)

For the Home:
I have enjoyed hosting parties for Pampered Chef, Scentsy and Thirty-One this year... These make awesome holiday gifts!!!!

Pampered Chef- Check out my Friend Alexandra's Site... I have just discovered Pampered Chef this summer... and I'm in LOVE!!!

Thirty-One- Check out my Friend Kara's Page....

Scentsy- If anybody orders from midnight on 11/24 until midnight on 11/25 under "jen's party" she will send you a small free gift in the mail!

TOS CREW Review: The Reading Game.... Fun times!!!

I recently got the chance to review The Reading Game created by “Wordly Wise” author, Kenneth Hodkinson.

The Reading Game is a fun sight word memory game....it consists of six decks of cards used to introduce new words in intervals of 30 words per deck... the game starts of small with just ten words....after every ten new words, there are test sentences so that the parent can tell if the child truly knows the words. After learning all thirty words in a deck, the child is ready to read the corresponding book....The decks and books move in a progressive manner from easiest to harder.

In our K4 class we have been averaging 4 new sight words every two weeks... we have also been working on learning to read by phonics blending... so far I really like the mixture of the two methods... I find that by learning the sight words the kids gain confidence in reading... and enjoy putting the sight words together to make sentences... for us... this game was a perfect fit!!!

We like The Reading Game because although it is basically flashcard memory.... the kids find it entertaining... and enjoy being able to read the stories once they complete the different levels. You may not enjoy this game if your approach to teaching reading is primarily or only Phonics.... for the simple fact that it is completely opposite of what you are doing. Although we have not made it through all the levels yet... we are definitely excited to!!!

From the website:

"The Reading Game is a fast-action memory card game. It includes a series of six beautifully illustrated storybooks. The Cards & Books work together to make learning to read exciting and enjoyable. Game sessions are fun-filled with a winner every few seconds. After completing the first memory card game, the student has thirty words “hardwired” into memory. The Skunk story, Book One in the series, is told using only those thirty words. On completing the series, the student has a reading vocabulary of 180 words. Almost half of them are among the one hundred most commonly used words in the English language."

You can purchase The reading Game here for $24.95. You can get a $15 discount on orders of 8 or more. (This would TOTALLY make a great gift this holiday season...)


*As a member of the TOS Crew review program I was given a free copy of this product to review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. To see what other members of the Crew thought click below:

Whatcha Making Wednesdays... Chocolate Lava Cake

Welcome back to Whatcha Making Wednesdays... this week we made Chocolate Lava Cake...and it took about 15 Minutes...seriously!!!

Some of the girls mixing the cake mix....

Ryleigh...waiting for her turn to add ingredients...

Ingredients:
Cake Mix (we used Devils Food)
Eggs
Vegetable Oil
Water
Can of Frosting- NOT WHIPPED (We used Chocolate)

**Stone Covered Baker is recommended (Pampered Chef)... I don't have one... so I use my stone deep dish Pie Plate.... **

Directions:
Prepare the cake mix as directed on the box.... then pour into the stone wear.... glob frosting in spoonfuls right on-top of the mixture.... put in microwave for 12 minutes... the end... and so very ooey gooey and yummy!!! You can top it with powered sugar, whipped cream... or just eat it plain....

If you have a baking/cooking (etc.) activity that you have done with children and would like to share... please link up!!!! We are always looking for fun...and yummy recipes. If you do link up...please try and visit someone else's entry and share some comment love...

For a Reminder of the Guidelines to Link Up...Please visit here