The Slime Book

The Slime Book – more than 30 amazing recipes
Published at DK

About the book

Includes more than 30 borax-free, simple, safe, homemade slime recipes-from basic slime to edible, textured, glow-in-the-dark, and color-changing slime.

Kids will be mesmerized and "slimerized" by the book's gloopy, gooey, colorful slime recipes. The easy-to-follow recipes all use inexpensive, accessible, and safe everyday products.

Create monster slime with googly eyes, prepare for an eruption with volcanic slime, or tuck in to yummy edible chocolate slime. All the projects are shown with clear step-by-step images and a vibrant picture of the final slimy stuff. The science behind each slime creation is explained through fact boxes.

Recipes include cornstarch-and-water slime, fluffy slime made of shaving cream, gloopy slime created from shampoo and toothpaste, stretchy slime containing PVA glue, edible slime made with marshmallows, glitter slime, sand slime, magnetic slime... and more.

Making slime is currently one of the most popular trends for children, with some homemade slime videos reaching 30 million views.
+ With 30 recipes, it includes more variations than any slime book available.
+ All recipes use safe, readily available ingredients.
+ Science information boxes keep an educational element to the book without detracting from the fun.
+ Ideal for children ages 5-9 who are new to the slime trend or who are already obsessed with slime and looking for new, funky recipes.
+ Parents looking for a slime or activity book will like the safe, easily accessible ingredients and knowing that their child can play safely.

My Thoughts

Let take a trip back in time for a second or two.  Remember the 1970s?  That is when I was a child and I remember the time when I got the new toy from Mattel called Slime.   It was gooey and disgustingly green.  It will ooze between your fingers and you could make a blob out of it.  And they came out with a purple one as well as some with trinkets in it.   Ahhhh! My mom totally disliked it but I loved it.   Not sure how much it cost back then but it must have been as pricey as the other stuff that is a rage nowadays.   Anyhow, I remember the Slime vividly and when I saw this book I knew it would be a great one to review just for my daughter.   

This book contains over  30 recipes of slime to do based on either clear craft glue or PVA glue mixed with other ingredients like food coloring, glitter glue, beads, and so on.   There are two main sections in this book – Nonedible Slime and Edible Slime.  Wait! What?  Yes there is such a thing as edible slime believe it or not.  And us parents that keep saying to our kids – do not play with your food!  LOL  Oh well… I guess sometimes it is ok to play with the food.

In the nonedible slime section, you will find the basic recipe to make slime but you will also get recipes to make stretchy slime, fluffy slime, see-through slime, serious putty, starry slime, party slime, crunchy slime, smelly slime, glitter slime, popping slime, slime in all sort of colors, gold slime, unicorn slime, metallic slime, sand slime, monster slime, snow slime, fake snot, pompom slime, alphabet slime, winter wonderland slime, dinosaurs in amber, bubbling swamp slime, bubble slime, glow-in-the-dark slime.  The edible slime section will have recipes like the chocolate goo, the bear necessities made out of gummy bears, the striped slime made out of Starburst chewy candies and the “sticky,icky, tasty” slime made out of marshmallow.

Some of these recipes look more fun to do that other ones.  But each are special in their own way.  I would personally stay away from the fake snot recipe but my daughter is having a Christmas theme at camp this summer and I think the Winter Wonderland Slime would be perfect for it!  I just need to find some snowflake confetti somehow….  

The book would be perfect for this summer to allow you child to have fun in a different kind of way.  And who know…. maybe your child is a budding entrepreneur and will find a way to make this new passion of making slime into a small business.

The Slime Book is available at your favorite bookstore, even on amazon.ca and amazon.com.

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to DK Canada for allowing me to promote their books. I was not monetarily compensated for this post . Please note that the post was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Mason Jar Science

Mason Jar Science – 40, Slimy, Squishy, Super-Cool Experiments
By Jonathan Adolph
Published at Storey Publishing

Summer has arrived and with it school’s out which means your kids are at home.   What can you do to keep them busy and learning at the same time (without them figuring that out…)?   Simple do some cool science experiments when they are bored or the weather is not allowing them to go outdoors.  Today I am presenting you an awesome book which will allow you to do some fun things using the good old Mason jars that are hiding in your cupboards.

The book starts by presenting the scientific method which is followed to solve mysteries and then is separated into five sections.  Through the pages of this book you will be able to do 9 experiments based on Chemistry, 10 experiments based on Earth Science, 8 experiments based on Botany, 8 experiments based on Biology, and 8 experiments based on Physics.

Each experiment lists the materials and the instructions needed to complete it.   It will also guide your “student” for what to watch for and explain what is happening.   Like it or not, this book will help them to visualize some concepts seen at school or concepts that will be presented in the upcoming school year.   Personally, I think it is a great book to help them experiment fun things in science when they desire to learn more about something.  However, I would strongly suggest that they ask an adult before making these experiments and that the child do clean up afterwards.  Nothing is more frustrating for a parent that to clean up after a child has decided to do some science but left the mess behind. 

However, this book is fun to explore whether you desire to cover all the experiments in one specific section or if you prefer to go randomly.   There is something fun to learn for each of the experiments.   As a plus side, the child can explain back to the parents and siblings what he/she has learned while doing the experiment during supper time. 

This book is definitively great to keep your kids busy this summer and to explore fun activities that involve science.

Mason Jar Science is available for purchase at your favorite bookstore as well as Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.

 

Disclaimer: Thanks to Thomas Allen for sending me the above mentioned book for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Pumpkin muffins

The fall season has finally arrived and last week it was time for me to make our first batch of Pumpkin Muffins (not the last one either!).  The recipe comes from a small cookbook I got when a bunch of women from Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, Tennessee came to uplift us – women – from Sequoia.   I still have the cookbook and so far it’s the only recipe I have ever made from it.  But boy are those muffins are delicious.  That recipe is the main reason why I still have the cookbook!

When I make these muffins, I have to be particularly careful to put some in the freezer because they would be gone quite rapidly.  If I would sell them in front of the house, they will probably sell within minutes.  LOL

Seriously, my kids just love them and they kept asking if they could get one when they are cooked.   I made one batch with chocolate chips and one batch with dried cranberries.

So I thought of sharing the recipe here… because they are simply mouth-watering.

 

Pumpkin Chip Muffins

Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 (16 oz) can pumpkin
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 c. all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (or dried cranberries)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil until smooth.
2. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well.
3. Add the pumpkin mixture and mix well.
4. Fold in the chocolate chips (or dried cranberries).
5. Pour into muffin cups.
6. Bake at 400 for 16-20 minutes.

Makes 24 muffins.

 

ENJOY!

What’s for Lunch before Halloween…

Today I decided to do something I saw on Pinterest.   Mummy dogs.

But I didn’t have the Pillsbury package instead I had a box Tenderflake puff pastry in the freezer that I decided to use for our lunch.

Take the puff pastry out of the box and cut the square in sections.

Slowly wrap the hotdog (we had chicken ones) as though you are making a mummy!

The older boys helped me making them.

Align the mummy dog on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Cook 350 for about 25 minutes or so.

While the mummy dogs were cooking, I decided to make some spider web dip with ketchup and mustard.

Then Alexandre put the eyes on the mummies with mustard.

And voilà mummy dogs waiting to be eaten by my four kids…

A close up of one of the mummy dogs…    Don’t you think he looks scared to death?  Mmmmuuuaaaaahaahahahahaah!

The kids had a wonderful lunch.  I think they liked the idea…  This could also be a wonderful lunch ideas when studying Egypt and the pyramids….  

Next time, I am planning to use the Pillsbury package.   The dough won’t be as flaky as this one.  Still it was YummY for our tummies!

Tomato Crazyness!

Last Sunday after church, we went to the market and got 2 1/2 bushels of field tomatoes.  (One bushel for 10$ – we got screwed with the 1/2 bushel at the market downtown…. but that’s another story!)

We wanted to make tomato juice and diced tomatoes for the upcoming winter time.  We decided to do these first and in a few days do some salsa.   The cheapest price we had found for a bushel of Roma tomato was 15$.  So we were planning to get some after a much needed break…

The tomatoes were big and tasty.   The kids embarked in an afternoon of cutting tomatoes.

Dominic already had experience with Alexandre from last year.

Jasmine was too small to use a sharp knife so her job was to give the tomatoes to her big brothers.

Here you can see Jasmine bringing tomatoes and Rob explaining to Jérémy how to be careful with the knife and cut the tomatoes.

The three kids were sitting at the breakfast table to cut the tomatoes.

Jérémy was a pro in no time and spend the afternoon cutting tomatoes.

At about 5pm my husband send me to an errand to get much needed lids as we had to throw older ones.   I drove to the local Wal-Mart and grabbed some much needed things like milk for example.   While turning the corner I saw that there was a bushel 1/9 for 9.99$.   WHAT?   Could it be?   I called hubby which couldn’t believe it either.   He told me to get two bushels… guess we won’t take a break to make the salsa.   I grabbed some corn, onions (even drove to Sobey’s for more onions) and drove back home.   The cashier at Wal-Mart thought I had lots of tomatoes – no kidding…

Well on Monday we started doing our salsa.   After a few with corn, we decided to include peaches/nectarines or pineapple that we had already.    That’s gives us a more fruity salsa which we tend to prefer.  By the end of the day, we had gone through about a bushel and a half.   But we had no more mason jars and no more onions…   Since it is Labour Day nothing is open… We have to wait until tomorrow…  

On Tuesday, we bought what we needed to finish our salsa and here’s the result of our days of canning this year!

We stopped counting after 139 jars…..  I think we added another 24 or so.  

Anyone want to come and feast on salsa and chips?

Geocaching with your family

Well it is official, our camping season has started.  This past week-end many campsites have opened in Ontario including where our RV is parked.   So we packed and drove to Logos Land to open up our “cottage” like my mother-in-law says.   And once there, we realized we forgot some things…   But we were able to open it, spend two days there and enjoy the nature.   The Ontario provincial flower, the trilliums were in full bloom and we even found the loon’s nest.

So has the camping season opens in our area, we also pondered on what we could do while we are at the RV (and not on the road with it) this summer.   What are fun activites that our family could suggest to the you.   We are blessed to have a variety of things we could do around Cobden, Ontario.   To get the most out of your summer in the Ottawa Valley, you need to be open to try new things too!

You could rent a pontoon on White Lake and go fishing with your family.   It is a wonderful way to spend time in the outdoors, swim in a lake, make memories together and observe the nature around a lake.   We did that last year and plan to do it again this year.  The kids enjoyed their time on the boat and we were able to see some bald eagles in the area too!    It was a wonderful time with the whole family.

You could grab you binoculars and observe the birds as a fun way to discover nature around you.  This past week-end we were blessed to observe for the first time for us a Baltimore Oriole which is very colorful in the shades of orange.   It was such a pleasure to see it.

You can study the forestry development from the early years at Chutes Coulonge on the Quebec side at the historical park.  Not only will you have the opportunity of learning more about how timber travelled the river, but you will also have the opportunity to walk in nature.   They also have an aerial park where you can zip above the falls and be challenge with an obstacle course.

But the activity we discovered last year is about discovering nature and using your scouting skills to find something.  I’m talking about geocaching.   What is geocaching?  Simply put it is a treasure hunt anywhere in the world.   There are tons of geocaches around the world – literally.   All you need to have is to get a gps device, grab good shoes and be ready to search a while.

We decided last year to try geocaching.   We had my husband iPhone with the geocache app on it.  So one morning while we were camping we grabbed a lunch and went on a discovery adventure.    The first cache we were looking for was on a dirt road close to our campsite.    A long dirt road that was going straight from the highway 17 to another parallel road further down. Somewhere along that road there was a cache and our objective was to find it...    With the app you get the location of the cache using some positioning codes.   So we stopped where the GPS was telling us the cache would be. And we proceeded to look for it.   We walked through tall grasses, turned around a big tree, put our hands in holes on the ground to try to find it without success.   This was our first attempt to find a cache.    And the kids were looking as much as they could.    My husband decided to go down the road to see if we could have missed something.  The kids went with him.   I stayed close to the truck and thought... "If I were a cache where would I be?"    There a bit down the road there were some rocks.    Could it be?    So I went and looked around and I found it.    So I turned around and yelled at the rest of my family which was way down the road by now...    The kids ran to me and proceeded to search for the cache.    Dominic found it at the base of the rock - it was well hidden.

Each cache can be hidden in different ways.  You can find little trinkets in the caches and usually if  you take something you should leave something else for the next family or group of person searching for it.

Our next stop was in a cemetery.    A bit weird we found but we walking around, trying to figure out where it was.  This one was hard too.   When using the app, you can look at cheater pictures to figure out where the cache can be.    We gave up.   We looked... and even though the cheater pictures are not clearly indicating where the cache is, you can figure out the background and then look around there.   The cache was inside the hole of a tree...  No way our kids could have grab it.    This time the cache was a plastic container with army print duck tape around it.  This type of cache is easier to include little trinkets in it.  You could find toonies or loonies (2$ and 1$ in Canada), little toys, a piece of paper and a pencil to write your name and day you found the cache, and so on...

We did a third cache that day.  But it was located in between very passing roads and having little ones (my daughter was two and my third son four at that time), we decided that I would be the one looking for it.    I went and followed the footsteps of a previous group of people looking for it.   It's easy when there is tall grasses that have been walked on...   I looked and looked and was going to give up when I spotted it.    A small birdhouse was hanged on the fence.  Could it be it?   So I went and discovered the cache in the hole - an old film container.    A small cache that gave a lot of trouble.

I prefer finding bigger caches but there is different ones all over the place.   When we were back home we even found some close to our house.   All we have to do is pack a snack and bring water.    Geocaching is definitively a good way to create wonderful memories with your family during the summer.   If you don’t have a smart phone on which you can download a geocaching app, you can purchase a handheld gps device for about 150$.    I am looking forward to do more geocaching with the family this summer.

This year I think I would also like to visit the Bonnechere Caves.   It would be a good way to study geology with the kids and discover something else around our campsite.

So what are you planning to do this summer?   Which fun activity are you going to do with your kids?  What are your Summer Success Secrets?   Please take the time to give us some ideas.