Posts

Showing posts from March, 2015

Easter Egg Decorating Ideas - Complete with Dye Bath Recipe

Image
by Andrea Mulder-Slater It's easier than you might think to decorate Easter eggs with your kids... This week on The Art of Childhood , I show you how to make old-school Easter Egg dyes using food colouring. Read it here: 3 Kid-Friendly Creative Easter Egg Ideas http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150326/fun-easter-activities-for-kids

Martinis & Motherhood: Are you kidding me?!

Image
by Andrea Mulder-Slater Earlier this year, I submitted an essay to Shannon Day ( Martinis & Motherhood ) and Tara Wilson ( Don't Lick the Deck ) of Tipsy Squirrel Press in hopes of it being selected for an upcoming anthology. Minutes ticked. Days passed. Months disappeared. Hope faded. And then... an email arrived letting me know that my submission had been chosen for inclusion in the WTF section of Martinis & Motherhood: Tales of Wonder, Woe and WTF? ! Needless to say, I'm f&%*#ing  excited beyond belief. And the more I find out about the unbelievable women I am going to be sharing pages with, the more I'm convinced that Shannon and Tara have made a huge mistake by inviting me to be part of the team. Not that I'm about to tell them. No, really.

Get back to nature, with the Easter Bunny (all-natural egg dyes)

Image
by Andrea Mulder-Slater Sometimes you just want to dig into your fridge, pull out some veggies and make some homemade dye, just like the pioneers did back in the olden days.  This week on The Art of Childhood , I show you how to get back to nature, as I share Easter Egg dye recipes that make use of all-natural ingredients. Read it here: DIY Kid Fun: 8 All-Natural Easter Egg Dips and Dyes www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/20150324/all-natural-easter-egg-dyes-for-kids

Think Spring!

Image
by Andrea Mulder-Slater The first day of spring has come and gone, without fanfare. It continues to be cold outside. There is still a giant pile of snow on the ground and if any robins dare return to my part of the world any time soon, they will surely perish from the lack of worms. Still, it's no reason not to stay positive and get growing. (At least that's what I keep telling myself). This week on The Art of Childhood , I share a neat way to decorate flower pots. I also have a few seed-starting tips to pass on. No, really. Read it here: DIY Kid Craft: Spring Garden Mosaics http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150225/DIY-seed-pots-gardening-with-children

5 Awesome Crafts Kids Can Do ALONE

Image
by Andrea Mulder-Slater Would you like a cup of coffee? Of course you would. But, if you've got kids - and those kids are home - there is no way you're going to make it though that coffee before it turns cold. Am I right? Well guess what? I've got some ideas to keep your kids occupied while you sit down and enjoy that hot cup of delightful liquid. Because... This week on The Art of Childhood , I share five cool crafts that kids can do on their own, without adult assistance ! Read it here: 5 Fun Craft Activities to Keep Your Kids Happy and Busy http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150228/5-creative-activities-kids-can-do-themselves

To Catch a Mouse...

Image
by Andrea Mulder-Slater I opened the car door, glanced at the back deck, tossed my purse onto the seat, and pulled the seat-belt loose from the booster. “WAIT!!!” I shouted as the six-year-old began to make her way into the vehicle. “Oh, crap,” I continued, “not again.”  The turds were everywhere. On the floor. On the back seat. In my daughter’s booster chair. On the front dash. In the cup holders. In the door pockets. Everywhere I looked there were tiny little shits. Every. Where. It wasn’t my first time discovering rodent poo in the car and so I went into full-on Fixer mode. I began removing the reusable grocery bags from the back of the automobile. And by removing, I mean I threw those suckers clear across the driveway in case one or more poop machines might be hiding out inside one of our President’s Choice sacks. Meanwhile, Jan – who had been watching from the house – joined me until it looked like the car had thrown up on the gravel. Twice. Unfortu

The luck of the Irish

Image
by Andrea Mulder-Slater Rainbows make me happy. Nature as a whole is pretty magical but rainbows are at (or near) the top of my " holy crap, look what Mother Nature just did " list. They are also a kind and colorful reminder that winter does not last forever. This week on The Art of Childhood , I show you how to bring a little rainbow into your home, in preparation for St. Patrick's Day. Or as I like to call it, Thank-God-It's-Almost-Spring-Again Day. Read it here: DIY Rainbow Shamrock Garlands http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150311/diy-st-patricks-day-party-decor

Get married with Minted

Image
by Andrea Mulder-Slater A criminal court judge married my husband and I. It was his first – and likely his only – wedding. His chambers were large and dark with lots of wood paneling, big leather chairs and an endless array of sports paraphernalia including a number of bobble head baseball dolls. Geoff and I hadn’t planned on being wed this way. Although we did know we wanted a “civil ceremony” rather than a fancy event sprinkled with bells and whistles. We often joked that the two of us shared a fear of microphones, flower girls, and tiny pieces of fruitcake wrapped up in tin foil. However, when we decided to get married, it just so happened that half of the city’s populace was keen to get hitched in city hall. We were faced with a decision; wait 10 months as names were crossed off a list, or, find another way. That’s where the criminal court judge (a family acquaintance) came in. A few weeks after we arrived home from a brief honeymoon in Algonquin Park, Geoff and I host