Play Dough...the good stuff!

As you may have read on a previous post DH and I are trying to be better at budgeting and saving money so we don't go broke before he graduates from school in 3 years. Well, part of that saving money plan involves me not going out and shopping so much with DS. The problem with this is we both get incredibly grouchy when we are stuck in the house all day.

Why are we stuck in the house all day you ask? Well there's this little thing called "fall" which I have been looking forward to for months. It is now October and guess what? Its not here yet. Its still in the upper 90s daily. Which means its still too hot for me to take DS to the park or let him run around outside. Its just too hot and he gets overheated very easily.

Which brings me back to my main point. We were stuck inside the house with no errands to run and DS and I were getting grouchier by the minute. What to do...what to do....Ah hah!! A blast from my past. Homemade Play Dough! I used to love the stuff when I was little. It feels and smells so much better than the store bought stuff too. So I whipped up a batch and within minutes we were squishing, rolling, pounding, and pulling a great big mound of beautiful wonderful play dough. It kept DS entertained all the way up until naptime. He did try to eat it a few times (which is fine because its perfectly safe, just probably not good in large amounts) and soon decided that wasn't such a good idea because playing with it was so much better.

Anyways, this recipe for homemade play dough saved us both that day. Maybe one day it will save you too. Don't doubt the dough.

Homemade Play Dough

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
1-2 pkg. kool aid mix in whatever your preferred color is (the powder stuff)
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 cups boiling water

Bring a pot of 2 cups of water and vegetable oil to a boil. While you are waiting for the water, in a large bowl combine the flour, salt, and kool aid mix (how many packages you use depends on how intense you want the color to be). When the water is boiling add it to the dry ingredients and mix. Allow the mixture to cool a bit and then get in there with your hands to really incorporate the color. Once cooled you're ready to play!

If you store this dough in an air tight container it should last about 3 weeks. Enjoy!!

DIY Hospital Survival Kit

I was recently invited to intend a baby shower for one of the wives of DH's school friends. She already has a little girl and is now having a little boy. I wasn't quite sure what to get her so I did some googling (has this become and official word in the English language yet?) and found the idea to do a Hospital Survival Kit. How cute!! Here's what I decided to put together:

Fuzzy Socks: To keep your feet comfy and warm while waiting for baby to arrive in labor and delivery

Burt's Bees Chap-stick: Your lips tend to get chapped when all you're allowed to eat or drink is ice cubes! Plus Burt's Bees happens to be the best chapstick brand ever...in my professional opinion :)

Playing Cards: To pass the time if you're there for a while

Lotion: Does this need explanation? 

Headbands: To hold your hair back in L&D

Hair ties: Likewise ^

Junior Mints: To sneak when the nurses aren't looking, to share with DH, or to save as a treat after the baby is born

Hand Sanitizer: For guests to wash up before they touch your precious new little one. It is cold and flu season after all!

Makeup Removing Towelettes: It can be very refreshing to just have a clean face during labor if nothing else. 

Package them up in something cute (I used a cute bag I had on hand, but you could also make a cute little gift basket or even a bucket), label, and give to the mother to be!

Some other ideas I had for the bag but didn't have room for: mints, back scratcher, a little notebook to write thoughts and impressions in, more snacks, headphones to listen to an iPod, etc. There are many possibilities and this is a gift that you can really personalize to the mom.