Andrea Mulder-Slater

by Andrea Mulder-Slater The hour-long drive home from the hospital where my daughter was born was fraught with danger. First, there was my perineum (if you have to ask, you just don’t get it). Then, there was the night sky, which meant that for the first time since her birth, I was unable to keep constant watch over my infant. The bumpy road and unfamiliar sounds and smells led to the overwhelming realization that I was in need of another painkiller and had exactly zero experience keeping a miniature human being alive.

by Andrea Mulder-Slater I'm a Dutch girl. And so, when my editor at The Yummy Mummy Club recently asked if I would share my feelings on a Washington Post article suggesting that my people (specifically Dutch moms) are the most relaxed in the world. I did, and here's how it went... I’m five years-old and I’m in a small a town in northeastern Netherlands, visiting family with my parents.  It’s late afternoon and some neighbourhood kids are riding bicycles on the paths that run beside my aunt’s house. I ask my uncle if he has any spare fietsen (bikes) in the schuur (shed) behind his garden. He does, but they are all too large, except for one that – if modified – should do the trick. He and my father make some adjustments while my mother and her sister enjoy a relaxing cup of tea. Moments later, I pedal past the house, sitting on a bed pillow strapped to the seat post of a too-large Dutch bike. You can read the rest (and I hope you do) at:  http://www.yummymummyclub...

by Andrea Mulder-Slater There was a time when a few pretty baskets and a couple of coffee cans were enough to contain my kid's craft supplies. That was then. Now, I’ve become an unwilling expert in a new, bewildering math process known as multipladdition . It works like this. If x is the child’s age, and y is said child’s genetic tendency to add glue to all the things, then the answer is four hundred and eleventy billion craft supplies in my office. This is not an exaggeration. It’s just how math works. Read the rest at the Yummy Mummy Club... http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20151112/10-minutes-to-an-organized-craft-space

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Paige didn’t go to my school, but we rode on the same school bus and we shared a bus stop. Paige didn’t have a home-haircut. She went to a salon and smelled of hairspray. Paige didn’t wear t-shirts and jeans. She wore blouses and slacks. Paige didn’t have a pool that had to be deflated and dismantled at the end of the summer. She had an in-ground, indoor swimming spa. But most of all, Paige had pierced ears. Read the rest at the Yummy Mummy Club... http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150901/i-wont-pierce-my-daughters-ears

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Do you like flowers?  Of course you do.  Do you like it when flowers start to wither and die, leaving cupfuls of thick, stinky water in their wake? Of course you don't. To bridge the gap, I've come up with five blossoms that won't drop their petals in your cereal bowl. This week on The Art of Childhood , find flower-making ideas that are super-easy, even for non-crafty types. Read it here: 5 Stunning Paper Flowers Kids Can Make http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150429/5-flowers-that-will-live-forever

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Children and art DO NOT go together. Yes, you read that right. This week on The Art of Childhood , find out why I am banning my kid from making art, and why you should too. End the madness before it's too late. Trust me, I'm an artist. Read it here: Kids Crafts: Just Say NO http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150421/im-banning-my-kid-from-making-art-and-so

by Andrea Mulder-Slater When I say glitter, what images come to mind? Yes, it’s dark and it’s disturbing, but whenever I see glitter, I want to take it home and craft the hell out of it. This week on The Art of Childhood , you can read all about my love affair with glitter. Ryan Gosling is (sort of) involved. Read it here: A Love Letter to Glitter, the Herpes of Craft Supplies www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150405/glitter-craft-projects-for-kids

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

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

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

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

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

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Did you know that by letting your kids get dirty, you're actually helping them work on their creativity skills? This week on The Art of Childhood , I share twenty ways to nurture your child's creativity.  Guess what? It's easier than you think! And yes, there's more involved than just mud. Read it here: 20 Ways to Nurture Your Kid's Creativity http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150219/nurture-kids-creativity

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Remember making doily Valentines when you were a kid? They were fun, easy and looked so sweet with all that paste - which never, ever dried - hanging off of the edges because you used waaaaay too much. Every. Single. Time. This week on The Art of Childhood , I take you back in time as I show you how to make some groovy Valentines with very little effort. And even less glue. Read it here: Groovy Vintage Valentines Your Kids Can Craft Themselves http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150211/the-easiest-valentines-youll-never-make

by Andrea Mulder-Slater What do you see when you look at an empty paper towel roll? Do you see hearts? Of course you do. This week on The Art of Childhood , I show you how to make little hearts perfect for holding sweet Valentine's Day messages. And you can make them using recycled items from around the house. Read it here: Be My (Green) Valentine: DIY Love Notes Your Kids Can Make http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150202/love-notes

by Andrea Mulder-Slater Apparently I live in a snow globe belonging to an overzealous child because there is no other explanation for the amount of frozen precipitation that's fallen on my home. In fact, somewhere in the neighbourhood of two hundred centimetres of snow have hit the ground in my part of the world over the past few weeks. I really can't build any more snowman. I can't. And as much as I just want to huddle in a corner and cry, I thought something more productive might be in order. This week on The Art of Childhood , find out how to get crafty with the snow. Read it here: 10 Super-Fun Activities for Kids to Do with Snow http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150204/get-crafty-with-the-snow

by Andrea Mulder-Slater 1) Do you love art? 2) Do you love your kids? If you answered yes to both questions ( and by the way, if you didn't, you might be reading the wrong blog) then you'll love what I've been working on at YMC . This week on The Art of Childhood , find out how to make really cool mixed media works of art inspired by hearts and stuff. Read it here: Make Beautiful Watercolour Valentine Cards With Your Kids http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150125/black-and-white-and-red-all-over

by Andrea Mulder-Slater This week on The Art of Childhood at YMC , I shared a lovely little art project you can do together with your kids. Awwww... Read it here: Art from the Heart: Paint Collaboratively with Your Kids http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150114/making-art-with-heart

By Andrea Mulder-Slater Now that I have your attention, did you know that by repeatedly exposing yourself (and your kids) to art, you can actually become smart enough to solve even the most difficult mental math problems? Actually, that's not true. But what is true is that spending time with art is important for more than your child's creative development. This week on The Art of Childhood at YMC , I talk about why... Read it here: 12 Ways to Expose Yourself (and Your Kids)... to Art! http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150110/expose-yourself-and-your-kids-to-art

by Andrea Mulder-Slater If you've got kids, you've likely heard the phrase "I'm bored". This week on The Art of Childhood at YMC , I talk about something that's worked well at our house... Read it here:  Kids with Nothing to Do? Build a Boredom Bucket http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/andrea-mulder-slater-the-art-of-childhood/20150102/make-a-boredom-bucket