Make Your Own Treasure Hunt

When I was younger my mom used to surprise my sister and me with treasure maps.  We would get so excited when she would pull them out and we would have to gallivant all over the yard to find the hidden treasure.  As we got older, my sister and I made maps for each other, our mom, and our friends.  It was just as much fun to make the maps as it was to follow them! 

Obviously this activity with your kids requires some planning ahead on your part.  You'll need to make the map and hide the treasure without your kids knowing. 

As far as the map goes, you can get as simple or as complicated as you want.  It somewhat depends on the age of your kids.  In the above map I made my girls walk, skip, run, or hop during different sections.  You could simply count the steps or combine counting with skipping and hopping...it's totally up to you!  Make it colored or just draw in pen.  It makes no difference.  As an added touch to your map, crinkle up the paper then burn the edges and some holes into it to make it look old.

The treasure you hide can be anything you want too.  I used a few "treasure coins" that my girls had gotten as a party favor.  I will say though, they were a bit disappointed with their "treasure" when they found it.  I think they were expecting some candy or a new toy.  Next time I make a map I'll hide something they will really like!  My mom never hid anything extremely special though.  We enjoyed following the map more than the treasures we found.  Must be the difference between kids these days and kids when I was growing up.

Once you've made a treasure map and hidden a treasure, surprise your kids with the map and watch them have fun running all over the place trying to find their precious treasure!

 Have you ever gone on a treasure hunt with your kids?  What did you hide?

Activities to do with your baby in the fall

Hello Readers! My name is Ann and I blog over at BusyLittleBaby.com. Your [Twin Cities] Guide to Keeping Busy with your Baby.  Not from the Twin Cities? No problem! I often write about things you can do at your home or in any city with your baby. 

Today I want to share 5 activities to do with your baby in the fall.  Some activities are simple, some to get you OUT of the house and some to keep you entertained at home!

[1] Go to Apple Picking or to a Pumpkin Patch

Why not start a fun family fall tradition by going to a local apple orchard or a pumpkin patch.  Babies thrive when they can experience a variety of sensations.  Let them grab at the apples and play on top of the big pumpkins.  A lot of orchards also have family friendly activities like hay rides and petting zoos.  And bonus: there will be ample opportunities for great photos!

[2] Photo Shoot in the Leaves

Turn a boring weekend chore like raking the leaves into another fun photo opportunity for your baby.  Rake a small pile of leaves, sit your baby in the center and snap away…Paparazzi style!  If your baby isn’t sitting yet, put them in the bumbo and cover it with leaves.  Babies love the crinkles and crunchy sounds that leaves make, just make sure they don’t eat them like my little man tried to do!

[3] Paint a Pumpkin

While it’s probably not the best idea to carve a pumpkin with [a large knife] and your baby, you can still have fun with pumpkins.  Let your baby paint a pumpkin!  Spread out newspaper all over the floor, use washable paint, strip your baby down to a diaper and let them have a go.  Babies love to make messes and you’ll get a cute pumpkin in return.  Just make sure you have the tub ready to go to wash your little artist afterwards.

[4] Go for a Hike

Sometimes as new moms and dads it’s hard to find time to exercise. Going for a hike with your baby is the perfect way to give yourself some added energy and enjoy the beautiful fall colors. Point out all the colors on the trees and watch some falling leaves.  Strap your baby in your favorite carrier or if you prefer the stroller that works too. 

[5] Make your own Halloween Cards

Now that you’ve taken pictures at the apple orchard, pumpkin patch or in the leaves, it’s time to use those adorable pictures for something fun like a personalized card.

You can buy blank cards at local craft stores and paste the picture on the front. Or just cut out the picture add some cardstock to the back and you have a postcard! Try using a fun [and FREE] site like Picnik where you can add text or make fun collages.

Time to get creative!

(This post is being entered into the Friends You Love Monday Blog Hop.  Check out all the guest posts!)

Nature's Hand Granola

We are pleased to share with our fabulous readers a little about Nature’s Hand Granola.  Nature’s Hand was founded in 1971 in Burnsville, Minnesota (about half way between our houses!).  They only use premium, all-natural ingredients--no artificial colors or flavors; no preservatives; no sodium and no trans fats.

Lindsi and her family are granola freaks and Jamie is a granola newbie.  We were excited when we were contacted to write a review for Nature’s Hand.  We each received two flavors of our choice along with a surprise money saving coupon for Greek yogurt and a super cool glass bowl with a lid.  Both Lindsi and Jamie chose Maple Pecan (great minds think alike) while our second choices were Cinnamon Apple and Vanilla Almond respectively.

Initial thoughts:

• The boldly colored packaging for this granola are great! Each bag is resealable (which is good for granola because if left to air it will get “soggy”) and has a see through window to give you a sneak peek of what is inside. 
• Jamie thought the bags were a bit small but was quickly corrected by Lindsi who said that they are normal size for granola because a little goes a long way. 
• Nature’s Hand states their calories, fat, sodium and sugars right on the front of the bag when most companies hide it on the back under nutritional facts.  It goes to show that they are proud to be health conscious.  

Taste/Texture thoughts:

• Nature’s Hand is the first granola that Jamie has tried and liked straight out of the bag.  It didn’t taste like cardboard and it wasn’t dry.  She couldn’t put the bag down after her initial taste! 
• Lindsi is more of a “granola pro” and really liked that Nature’s Hand offered a variety of flavors and wasn’t bland a lot of other brands. She also really liked that it didn’t instantly get soggy with milk and stayed crunchy though out. 
• Both thought Nature’s Hand was great straight out of the bag, in milk, or in tasty treats (see below).  It is hands down one of the better tasting and textured granola out there!   

One really cool thing about Nature’s Hand granola’s website is that it features a few recipes on it.  You can spend time searching the internet for ideas, but they provide great suggestions for using granola in everyday treats and snacks.  Jamie made the Peanut Butter Bars from the website using the Maple Pecan granola and they were a HUGE hit with the whole family (and a few of Hubby’s co-workers)!  Lindsi searched the internet and made a great home-made granola bar using the Cinnamon Apple and packed them in the kids lunch boxes.

Nature’s Hand granola uses whole grains unlike a lot of other brands who bake and process the grains to the point where they do not even look natural anymore.  Both Jamie and Lindsi were impressed with how tasty and natural their product really was. They really are what they claim to be!  Nature’s Hand granola is stocked in major food and health retailers across the United States or it can be ordered online at natureshand.com.  We highly suggest you try them out whether you are a newbie like Jamie or a granola freak like Lindsi.

P.S. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter too!

Friends You Love Bestie Photo Contest

What's so special about this picture of me and Lindsi?

Well, it's one of only four photos we have together!  

In the almost seven years we've known each other, we've only gotten FOUR photos together (one of which is our header photo).  We have multiple photos of each other, our kids together, and each other with our kids, but only four photos together.  Why?  We have no clue.  It's just the way life has gone so far but we're working on making a change.

There's also something more behind the photo above.  It reminds us that we are not just moms, we are women.  It was taken after our second (well, my second and Lindsi's second/third) were born.  It was the first time we had gone out on the town without the hubbies and kids since we were pregnant with our firsts.

We went to dinner, had drinks, got tipsy, were hit on my a couple younger guys (talk about a confidence boost!), and took a cab to a shop downtown that we normally wouldn't walk into sober (not gonna say any more about that).  It was a much needed night out for both of us and we have the photo above to remind us that we need to do it again more often!  

We entered this photo into the Friends You Love Bestie Photo Contest.   We would appreciate if you click on the link to vote for our photo between October 16 and October 20.  Thanks!

Edible acorns

Looking for a fun and easy snack idea for the fall? Look no further- Edible Acorns! I wanted to share both versions with you and let you decide which one you liked better. Be sure to vote at the bottom of the post.

Option A-                                                                              Option B-
Items needed:                                                                        Items needed:
doughnut holes                                                                      chocolate kisses
pretzels                                                                                 mini wafer cookies
chocolate frosting                                                                   melted white chocolate

crushed toffee                                                                        pretzels

Add frosting to the top of the hole                                  Add white chocolate to the kiss

Cover frosting with crushed toffee                                  Place mini wafer cookie on top

Stick pretzel into the top of the doughnut hole                  Attach pretzel to the top

The last step is the same for both......ENJOY!

Now is the time to vote:

Which acorns do you like better?
	option A- with doughnuts
	option B- with kisses
	option C- I prefer to eat acorns from the tree
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