I must have drooled over the idea of play silks for several years. I love the concept and the endless creative play possibilities that they offer. But the standard size silks (35″x35″) sell for $10-12/each, making a small set cost a small fortune. That didn’t even account for my dream of a bigger play silk collection that included multiple sizes.
I began to toy with the idea of dying my own silks after learning that a friend successfully did it, but she used real dye and I was intimidated by that. I like to keep my creative ventures simple….and clean. And then I discovered that you can dye silks with Kool-Aid! Not only was it cheaper, but it sounded fun! I mean, how many people can say that they have hand-dyed toys with Kool-Aid!? So, I ordered my silks and made some for Kaelynn’s Christmas present. It took a little bit of work (it took time more than anything) and mine have some imperfections, but my kids love them and I’m really pleased with the finished product. Here’s how I did it:
1. Order play silks in the sizes you want. I chose a half dozen 35″x35″ silks this time, but I have plans to expand our collection someday with various sizes. I bought mine from Dharma Trading Company for $3.75/each.
2. Bring a pot of water to boiling. Add a cup of vinegar and remove from heat. Soak all the silks for about an hour before dying.
3. Put on a pair of plastic gloves. Mix 3 cups of hot water, 1/2 c vinegar, and 2-3 packets of Kool-Aid (see the note at the bottom of post for a Kool-Aid color guide). Immerse a silk in the colored water and stir slightly until fully immersed. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 3 minutes. Remove and stir again. Cover and microwave for 3 more minutes. Repeat the cycle a third time.
(Note: If you increased the amount of water and vinegar and did the dying on a stove top instead of the microwave, stirring continually, you would probably end up with more solidly colored silks. Mine are slightly blotchy, but I kind of like them that way.)
4. Remove silk from the bowl and rinse with soap and water until the water runs clear.
Keep dyed, wet silks separate until they are dry. They can bleed onto each other (voice of experience speaking).
5. Dry on low in the dryer. Iron.
Kool-Aid Flavor/Color Guide:
Red - Strawberry, Cherry, or Black Cherry (Note: I wanted more of a salmon/dark pink color, so I just used two packages of Strawberry. A combination of Cherry and Black Cherry will get you the truest red.
Orange - Orange
Yellow - Lemonade (Note: I used two packets of Lemonade plus a few drops of yellow food coloring to achieve a slightly darker yellow.)
Green - Lemon-Lime
Blue - Blue Raspberry
Purple - Grape (Note - I only used two packets.)
Pink - Pink Lemonade (not pictured)
I am famous for my laundry ruts. I do several loads of laundry one day and never complete the process. The clothes are cleaned, but they remain in laundry baskets for several days until I need the baskets to run new loads of laundry. The clean laundry then gets carelessly dumped on the bedroom floor. At some point that day, knowing that more loads of laundry are on the way, I might finally work on putting away the clean clothes from several days ago. Consequently, I become sick of folding laundry long before the new loads are dry. The vicious cycle repeats.
In response to my frustration over this major household management weakness, I recently imposed a new rule upon myself. Imagine my surprise when it truly worked!! But would it stand test time of time? Weeks later, there are still no piles of laundry on my bedroom floor.That, my friends, is a victory.
The rule is simple: Do not start a second load of laundry until the first load is washed and put away.
It sounds almost too simplistic to be revolutionary, but it works. I can complete one load of laundry. I might procrastinate on two loads, but one load can be completed quickly. It is manageable! We tend to work on chores and projects that we know we can successfully complete and having that small victory is both motivating and energizing. You will find that you actually accomplish more.
So the next time you find yourself in a laundry rut, try the One Load Rule and kiss those piles of wrinkled laundry goodbye.
When it comes to food, there are sale prices and then there are sale prices. If the item you are buying is less than 10% off, then it is probably a phantom sale and not worth stocking-up on. But when an item really goes on sale, how much should you buy? You don’t want to break your pantry shelves, but you also don’t want to run out before the next good sale. It is hard to make that call when you don’t know when it will be on sale again…or do you?
As it turns out, stores generally run on 12 week sale cycles and coupons follow a similar pattern. Your best deals are going to be found when you save your coupons to match those great, rock-bottom sale prices. But even if you aren’t a coupon clipper, just watch the sales and transition to making the bulk of your purchases based on the 12 week cycle. You will save a ton of money and can make a calculated decision on quantity based on the 12-week rule-of-thumb.
Note - There are always exceptions to rule. Start observing the sales at your store and you will soon see patterns emerge.
Taking vitamins and supplements on a routine basis is a challenge to keep up with, especially when you are orchestrating it for the entire family. The key is to keep the process as intuitive as possible. Simple decluttering and organization is the first step. Spend a few minutes this week cleaning out your medicine cabinet. Here are a few tips to get you started:
1. Get rid of expired medications and supplements.
2. Discard items that you no longer use.
3. Separate medications from nutritional supplements.
4. Further divide into adults’ and children’s groups.
5. Store your regularly used supplements at the front of the cabinet where they can be easily accessed.
A super hero’s cape. A play tent. A doll sling/doll carrier. A picnic blanket for a tea party. A wedding veil. A sling for a (pretend) broken arm.
What do all of these things have in common? They can be created out of a play silk: a lightweight and silky soft square of fabric dyed in vibrant colors of the rainbow. If you have not yet discovered this classic childhood toy with infinite imaginative possibilities, a quick Google search will open a new world to you.
Truly timeless, classic toys are toys that do not have a predetermined identity; the child has to create the identity. Legos, blocks and Play-doh are all great examples of classic toys that allow a child to develop a concept or vision in their mind and then watch it come to life by their own hand. This is an invaluable lesson for them to learn.
Play silks are a classic toy that hold endless possibilities for a child’s active mind. Who will they be? What adventures will they embark on? What will they create? Possibility is a beautiful thing.
Note: I will be posting later this week about a simple way to dye your own play silks…with Kool-Aid!
Brothers and sisters can sometimes be overzealous in their demonstration of affection toward their siblings. It can provide the parent with a difficult dilemma when they watch their child protest their sibling’s well-intended hug or the playful tackle. We know that it does no good to tell the recipient to just deal and it is important for the kids to learn to look for and respect the other child’s boundaries. However, when there is a positive attempt towards affection from one of the siblings, it can also be damaging to shut the giver down. Relationships grow through giving and receiving and interacting and that must be encouraged.
Alternative solutions are sometimes more obvious than others, but when you witness one of these interactions between your kids, do your best to rechannel the affection. Suggest an activity that they can participate in together, give them a common cause, or simply suggest another way that physical affection might be demonstrated. If the recipient is old enough, they could also be a part of the conversation.
Another important key in these tricky parenting situations is to keep your parenting positive. You correcting them with frustration or irritation in your voice or by using punishment will only succeed in growing resentment between the kids. Not only will their attempt at affection or interaction have been rejected by the desired recipient (their sibling), but they will have been punished by you for even attempting it. Affirm them for their desire to interact with their sibling and help them to learn how to interact in ways that they will both enjoy.
Warm up your spouse inside and out by surprising him with a steaming cup of coffee or hot chocolate. Drop it off to him at work or pick up a cup for him on your way home from the store.
Large tokens of affection make for lifelong memories, but those little tokens of affection breathe life into our relationships during the day-to-day.
This is one of my family’s favorite enchilada recipes. It is quick, easy, and packed with rich Mexican flavors without being too spicy. I have made it with ground meats and also with chicken before - both are delicious!
Enchiladas
1 lb ground beef, ground turkey, or shredded chicken
1 onion, chopped
1 t minced garlic
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 t paprika
2 t chili powder
1/2 t cumin
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
3 c shredded Mexican cheese blend
1 10oz can enchilada sauce
Tortillas, flour or corn (if making gluten free) (quantity will vary between 6-12 depending on tortilla size)
1. Cook onion in a little bit of oil until tender. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add cooked meat, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, black pepper, chili powder, and cumin. Simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Pour 1/3 of the enchilada sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
3. Fill each tortilla with a scoop of the meat mixture (amount depends on size of the tortilla) and cheese. Roll up tortilla and place it into the baking dish seam side down. Repeat with all tortillas. Top enchiladas with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until bubbling.
Garnish with sour cream and cilantro.
Sometimes you have one of those weeks. It can be due to a buildup of stress, family issues, a core event (or sequence of events), or even just a teething baby. The cause matters little. What does matter is being aware of your limits. When you’ve reached it, no amount of pushing or “fixing” or analyzing will remedy it. You have simply reached your limit and true productivity ceases.
When that happens, give yourself a mental health day. No expectations, ideals or analyzing. Just be. Relax, do minimal chores, rent a movie, answer only the phone calls that you want to answer and lay to rest whatever you have been thinking about. It will all still be there tomorrow. Today is for you. Your sanity.
When you acknowledge your limits and let yourself rest, you will be stronger tomorrow as a result.
Relationships are built on conversations, whether they are big or small.
Over dinner, have each person give their high point and low point of the day. This gets conversation rolling and it also gives you a unique insight into each person. You learn about the things that are important to them and how they are affected by various situations and they learn the same things about you.
*Tip - Remember that the more transparent you are with your kids, the more transparent they will be with you.