Time for THANKS

Thanksgiving is a week away and we have been spending a lot of time talking about who and what we are thankful for.  I have been modeling various ways to give thanks.  My son and I love to bake so we decided to make a few loaves of zucchini bread and create simple cards to deliver to some people we appreciate.  When the bread cooled, we divided and wrapped up the bread. (Fall paper plate and foil, nothing fancy!)  We handed out our homemade treats throughout the week to the puppet show ladies, our trashman, preschool teachers, and the fire station.  Shay loved handing out his gifts and the recipients were thrilled and surprised to receive this gift of thanks.   
*Remember to keep it simple, fun and a positive experience.  If you see your child getting frustrated or bored when making the cards, put it away and come back to it when they are ready.  No need to complete it at one time. Practice what to say before delivering the packages. 

Here are our favorite recipes and healthy too:
Zucchini bread that uses apple sauce and chocolate chips - YUM!
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2011/07/low-fat-chocolate-chip-zucchini-bread.html
Pumpkin Muffins: http://www.achildgrows.com/2007/11/30/pumpkin-muffins-recipe-healthy-but-good/

A great article on teaching children how to be grateful: http://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/development/behavioral/teaching-children-to-be-grateful/

For more Thanksgiving Ideas: turkey time http://mrsodaniels.blogspot.com/2010/11/turkey-time.html
tree of thanks http://mrsodaniels.blogspot.com/2010/11/thankful-tree.html
nuts about you http://mrsodaniels.blogspot.com/2010/11/nuts-about-you.html

Sweet Dilemmas: Halloween Candy - Now What!

All year long we talk about the bad "sugar bugs" on our teeth and making good, healthy food choices.   Then comes Halloween!  I enjoyed researching various options on what to do with all the Halloween candy collected.  This is the first year I am actually concerned about how to deal with all the treats that will be brought home.  In the past, my son played with the candy without realizing it could be eaten!  A day or two after Halloween, the candy just disappeared and it wasn't a problem.  This year, may be a different story. He now knows that there are very delicious treats underneath the bright colored, crinkly wrappers.
Here are some fun and creative ideas I found.  I hope you will find them useful with your family.
* Immediately throw away all choking hazards.  Hard candy is the worst!*
1.  The Great Pumpkin or Sugar Fairy or The Switch Witch:  The kids pick a few pieces of candy (your discretion) and place the remaining candy on their doorstep before they go to bed and when they wake up the candy has been replaced with a present for the child and a thank you note.  Keep the gift small, Christmas is right around the corner!  This can be done a day or two after Halloween.
2.  Pick out and save candy to decorate a gingerbread house at Christmas time. (Use glue when attaching the candy so it won't be edible.)
3.  This can be a good opportunity to read the ingredients together and look for the really bad stuff: high-fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, artificial coloring, etc...  Go to a natural food store with your child and have them pick "healthier" alternatives instead.
4.  Use it as a learning tool: counting, matching, sorting, graphing, weighing, estimating, patterning
5.  Candy Science Experiments: http://www.candyexperiments.com/
6.  Operation Shoe Box will send it to over to our troops http://www.operationshoebox.com/
7.  Local dentists will buy back candy, enter zip code to find one near you: http://www.halloweencandybuyback.com/index.html
8.  Movie Stash: Save some money at the movie theater by bringing your own candy.
I want to set a good example for my son, so the sooner the candy is out of the house, the sooner we can get back to living a healthy lifestyle. 
Do you and your family have any special traditions or ways to limit candy intake?

Boo-tiful Ghosts Again!

I had to re-post this project because this is one that you can do year after year, especially if you've had any new additions to the family.  This year I will be doing this activity with my son's preschool class.  The kids will be painting these ghosts on trick-or-treat bags.  On another day, the parents will be passing out non-sweet treats to the kids at the end of class so the kids can practice saying "trick-or-treat" and "thank you!"
http://mrsodaniels.blogspot.com/2010/10/adorable-ghosts.html  or you can read more at http://www.lamorindaweb.com/articles/family-parenting/1673-boo-tiful-ghosts-worth-treasuring