KidsChaos.com

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Unplug your phone charger!

How many times have you (or a certain someone in your family) left your phone charger on overnight, buzzing away?
The telly on standby; accidentally leaving the microwave door ajar?

But did you know that you’re losing money (and clearly wasting energy) whilst you sleep?

Leaving your household appliances on standby whilst you’re curled up in bed is burning a hole in your pocket and taking the time to turn off could save you up to a fantabulous £86 per year. So, what are you waiting for? Switch OFF at bed time!

Commissioned by Ovo Energy – the cheaper, greener and simpler energy supplier – lovely bunch, follow them on facebook here.

Oh, by the way, I’m also on twitter.com/MoreKidsChaos too… Erm, and funnily enough on Google+, Facebook and Pinterest! Pop over to say hello x

Ali also writes over on AGreenerLifeforus.com

key stage 2

The Energy Show – Science Museum

What an amazing day at the Museum!

The summer holidays are LONG, unless you are REALLY organised, it's sometimes hard to think of what to do with the kids… lucky for us, we live in the 'burbs of London, so the best Museums in the world are on our doorstep… One of our favourites is the Science Museum, so when we had a look at what is on their this summer, we decided to spend a day there this week.

There is SO much to see, you really could spend all day there – There is an IMax Cinema too, with loads going on – and we 'took in a show' – the amazing Energy Show.

A brilliant cast, this production was funny, entertaining, NOISY (lots of big bangs) AND educational.
Methane bubbles are set alight to make massive fireballs, liquid nitrogen freezes flowers (the boys thought this was hilarious) and hydrogen rockets are fired into the audience.

The boys LOVED it, turning to beam at me, and shouting and clapping loudly to join in – I would highly recommend this to boys and girls from about 7+ – mine are 8 and 10, we took a little friend too, and had the most animated lunch conversation at the Deep Blue cafe!

(Oh and incidentally, the costume design is amazing – I'd so wear Phil and Annabella's outfits when they finish the run please!)

There's so much to see at this amazing museum – we'll definitely be returning before the end of the summer hols!

Oh, by the way, I’m also on twitter.com/MoreKidsChaos too… Erm, and funnily enough on Google+, Facebook and Pinterest! Pop over to say hello x Like it? Pin it!

Ali also writes over on AGreenerLifeforus.com

For more Cooking with Kids recipes, join my community over on Google+ here.

Cookies in a Jar

A great way of diverting your old jam jars or mason jars from the recycling, is to re-use them at least once… we use ours as drinking glasses, which the kids LOVE… encouraging them to make smoothies to share with the family – a great way of using up excess fruit and sneaking in your five a day!

A not-so-healthy option are cookies…Cookies you say? in a jam jar? uh? Well yes!

These make excellent gifts, and are great for keeping in the cupboard, for when the baking urge takes you, and you’re short of time…

You will need (for four jam jars):

265g self raising flour
115g porridge oats
175g granulated sugar
1 and a half teaspoon baking powder
85g organic Fairtrade chocolate (optional, I just think it makes a nice looking layer in the jar!)
150g chopped nuts (we used almonds – again for another layer, visually)
80g demerera sugar
and a handful of raisins, if your child can bear them! (ours got taken out by 8yo…)

So, dividing each ingredient carefully across each jar, layer them up one at a time, so it creates a layered effect (like the coloured sands we used to have as kids!) make sure the jars are packed tight with ingredients.

THEN – when you’re ready to bake, today, or some time in the future, pour the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl, and simply mix in melted 265g butter (that’s 66g if you are just making up one jar of cookies!) and three heaped tablespoons of golden syrup (and that’s a flat tablespoon for just one jar) together, to a consistency which you can spoon in balls onto a greased baking tray…(I have to admit, you may have to add a bit of flour if the mixture looks a bit to sloppy to ‘spoon’).

Give the ‘balls’ space on the baking tray(s) otherwise they all melt into each other in the oven… bake at 180 degrees, for 10 minutes…they should look something like this, enjoy! >>

So, as you know, I’m on a weekly panel of crafty So-and-So-s invited to ‘hang-out’ on Google+ by the every lovely Maggy Woodley at Red Ted Art. This week this was hosted by Maggy AND Netmums.

I hung out on Google+ for a bit of a vlog…(click the screengrab to watch!) with some craft buddies to share these holiday fun ideas, hosted by the aforementioned ever lovely Maggy from Red Ted Art who has pulled all of these together in a *Mason Jar* post. Also present were Kath from KnittyMummy, Anthea with her Kids’ art keepsakes and butterflies, Liz and her fab matches in a jar for camping! Pop back later for more links soon.

Oh, by the way, I’m also on twitter.com/MoreKidsChaos too… Erm, and funnily enough on Google+, Facebook and Pinterest! Pop over to say hello x Like it? Pin it!

Ali also writes over on AGreenerLifeforus.com

For more Cooking with Kids recipes, join my community over on Google+ here.

cooking with kids

Easy cook – salmon with ginger and soya sauce recipe

Salmon with ginger and soya sauce recipe – a quick one, once you’ve marinated the salmon, (I did this for about half an hour, whilst washing up, and allowing the oven is heating up to 180 degrees). The kids love the simplicity of this, plus click here for a delicious squid taglietelle our kids love making and eating…

You will need (for four people):

Four salmon fillets
Half a red onion finely chopped
Quarter red pepper finely diced
Two garlic cloves finely chopped
4cm root ginger grated
large tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
80ml soya sauce
Two tablespoons of honey

Mix EVERYTHING together, (except the salmon) – and THEN add the salmon, spooning over the mixture, so all of the salmon steaks are all covered. Once the oven is hot enough, place the salmon fillets onto a baking tray, spoon over the mixture, make sure that each salmon fillet has space around it for even cooking… and cover the tray in a little tin foil tent, sealing in, trying not to actually touch the salmon. Pop in the over for about twelve mins, whilst you are cooking your accompanying new potatoes – and serve!

Oh, and I’m on twitter.com/MoreKidsChaos too… Erm, and funnily enough on Google+, Facebook and Pinterest! Pop over to say hello x Like it? Pin it!

Ali also writes over on AGreenerLifeforus.com

For more Cooking with Kids recipes, join my community over on Google+ here.

baking, cooking with kids, gardening with kids

Lavender Scones

So much lovely lavender about, everyone seems to have some in their front garden around here… and it smells so lovely – I ‘pinched’ some from my neighbour’s garden last week (I blame CountryWives and their lavender biscuit recipe – according to them apparently Kate Middleton has been craving lavender biscuits during her pregnancy!)

So, the neighbour returned from her annual hols, to find a few sprigs missing from her lavender bush… guilt took over, and I popped over there, with a bag of flower and a baking tray and we made THESE lavender scones – so easy, and it’s all I could do to stop the kids from scoffing the lot after school… here’s the recipe >>

100g caster sugar (we used some lavender sugar Maggy made last month)
300g plain flour
25g baking powder
100g cold, diced butter
200ml soured milk (yep, we had that too, her milk had gone off in the fridge)
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F) mark 6.
Sieve the flour and baking powder together into a large bowl. Add the diced butter and rub it into the flour until the mixture looks and feels like breadcrumbs.

Pour the soured milk into a small saucepan and warm it gently. Whisk in the egg and sugar and pour the milk into the flour, mixing it all together. Leave this dough to rest for five minutes, then pop it onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it together to form a ball.
Roll out this dough into a rectangle with a thickness of about 1.5cm. Cut out roughly 12 scones and place them onto a baking sheet. Lightly dust the scones with some more flour, and then leave them to stand for 10 minutes before baking. During this time the baking powder will get the little scones rising.
Cook the scones in the preheated oven until golden brown; they will take about 11 minutes.

Another neighbour had kindly donated a tub of Rodda’s Cream (the clotted cream to die for), so we had a delicious ‘lunch’!

I’m on a weekly panel of crafty So-and-So-s invited to ‘hang-out’ on Google+ by the every lovely Maggy from Red Ted Art who talked about lavender bags and how to make a-lavender wand, and lavender bath sachets and finally how to make no sew lavender bags pillows.. I do enjoy hanging out on Google+ for a bit of a vlog…(click the screengrab to watch) with some craft buddies to share these lavender thoughts, Joined by Anthea talking lavender cookies and Kelly with some beautifully amazing lavender fans, and Lizzie was there in spirit homemade lavender lemonade….

Oh, and I’m on twitter.com/MoreKidsChaos too… Erm, and funnily enough onGoogle+, Facebook and Pinterest! Pop over to say hello x Like it? Pin it!

Ali also writes over on AGreenerLifeforus.com

competitions

Sandcastles and Sand Sculptures

We all like building sandcastles right? Last summer I was queen of the beach with my crocodile sculptures, which made my most popular Mum and Aunt, as people stopped to look (I went to art college for a reason then, clearly)…

Infographic presented by Woolacombe Bay Holiday Parks. #spon – So this year, I’ll be working even harder to ‘impress’ and might even enter this Sandcastle Photo Competition to win a holiday at one of these UK ‘staycation’ holiday parks… Good Luck!!

Oh, and I’m on twitter.com/MoreKidsChaos too… Erm, and funnily enough onGoogle+, Facebook and Pinterest! Pop over to say hello x Like it? Pin it!

Ali also writes over on AGreenerLifeforus.com

crafts, gardening with kids, google+ hangouts, kids, Uncategorized

Flowers and Leaves and Andy Goldsworthy

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This week my darling boys got busy with some Andy Goldsworthy style flower arranging! Well, they made some gloopy papier mache glue (recipe here: two parts water, one part flour, nuked in the microwave for 50 seconds…stir stir stir the lumps out as best you can).

Then they painted the patio and started building up their pattern of summer leaves and petals. It has to be said, 10yo particularly LIKES working with colour patterns, you only have to look at his gogo crazy bones collection which he has displayed by colour, and he LOVED David T Waller’s amazing Toy Atlas Rainbow – the hundreds of toy cars… oh, click here to see it…

This is a fabulous way to explore the science of plant decomposition too – watching as the petals’ colour changes over a period of days – and the release of carbon dioxide…

If you’d like to see how our own patio art works with Autumn / Winter leaves – take a look at the ‘sculpture’ we made with the neighbour’s children – read more here, taking inspiration again from the fabulous Andy Goldsworthy and RedTedArt of course.

10yo boy was really excited to tell his Dad all about this, and has decided that he will cover the entire patio for his birthday, in November, so watch this space!

Anyway, as you know, I’m on a weekly panel of crafty So-and-So-s invited to ‘hang-out’ on Google+ by the every lovely Maggy Woodley at Red Ted Art.

I’m hanging out on Google+ for a bit of a vlog…(click the screengrab to watch) with some craft buddies to share these flowers and leaves ideas, hosted by the aforementioned ever lovely Maggy from Red Ted Art. who made flower crowns and showed us how to press flowers and cute woodland people. Also present are Anna, Crystal, Anthea’s wild grass seed head art, Kelly‘s amazing helicopter seed thank you cards for teachers, Liz was featured with her diy flower-petal paints, The fairy and the frog’s discovery bottle Pop back later for more links soon.

Oh, and I’m on twitter.com/MoreKidsChaos too… Erm, and funnily enough onGoogle+, Facebook and Pinterest! Pop over to say hello x Like it? Pin it!

Ali also writes over on AGreenerLifeforus.com

crafts

Let’s play Kick the Can

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So, with the school holidays fast approaching, we are all looking for something fun to do, that we haven’t done before…I had a flashback to a game we used to play in the park when we were small, who remembers ‘KICK THE CAN’ or ‘pom-pom-free-all’? (well, that’s we called it back in our day if you didn’t have a can!)

How to play – the basics

Someone is ‘it’, there is a ‘jail’ – and the ‘it’ person has to catch everyone and put them in the jail, and if any one of the players who has not been caught yet, can get to a designated spot (ie, a tree, or in this case a ‘can’) and shout ‘pom-pom-free-all’ as they KICK THE CAN, all of the captors are FREE!!

So, you see, you can play it WITHOUT the bean tin, or can, but I know you like to extend the fun so I’ve made you some FREE printables with a TARGET to kick, which you can, ummm, print off, and glue to your can! Oh, word of advice, the sharp edges of the cans, are, errr, sharp, (I won’t show you the photo of my cut finger) so using my trusty hot-glue gun, I whizzed round the edges to make them a bit more kid-friendly… You could also spray paint the tin, and cover with stickers for smaller children to join in the decoration fun, this ‘spins it out’ a bit, so that you have an inside activity you can do together, before you take it outside to play!

For more FREE Printables, try our Monster Truck card and Jigsaw Puzzle Cards.

And other uses for bean tins, and soup cans can be seen over on A Greener Life For Us, using up old paint to make plant and pencil pots click here.

So, as you know, I’m on a weekly panel of crafty So-and-So-s invited to ‘hang-out’ on Google+ by the every lovely Maggy Woodley at Red Ted Art. This week this was hosted by Maggy AND Netmums.

I hung out on Google+ for a bit of a vlog…with some craft buddies to share these holiday fun ideas, hosted by the aforementioned ever lovely Maggy from Red Ted Art who has pulled all of these together in a *Boredom Buster* post. Also present were Anthea with her Kids’ storage shelves and fabulous bird masks, Kelly‘s amazing paper plate dreamcatcher, Liz and her corks, and newbie to crafting, Rosie! Pop back later for more links soon.

Oh, and I’m on twitter.com/MoreKidsChaos too… Erm, and funnily enough on Google+, Facebook and Pinterest! Pop over to say hello x Like it? Pin it!

Ali also writes over on AGreenerLifeforus.com

crafts, create, google+ hangouts, kids, monster

How to make a Despicable Me Minion keyring or badge

You can’t miss the posters – Despicable Me is back (and I can’t help amusing myself by calling it ‘This Pic about me’ – as that’s what my small children thought it was called….)

So, as you know, I’m on a weekly panel of crafty So-and-So-s invited to ‘hang-out’ on Google+ by the every lovely Maggy Woodley at Red Ted Art.

Like Maggy, Hama Beads (or Perler Beads as I’ve heard them referred to) were always a bit of a mystery to me when my kids were really small, and them I realised what a great thing they were – appealing to both genders on play-dates, and across a wide age range too… When 10yo was sitting down making his Despicable Me Minion (the larger of the two in the photo) Maggy’s 5yo son was working away with a furrowed brow (glancing occasionally over at my 10yo’s) – great team work, delight all round as they were revealed from the greaseproof paper and hot iron – love them!

Ours were meant to be made into badges, however, it now transpires that they are destined to adorn their book-bags!

I hung out on Google+ for a bit of a vlog… with some craft buddies to share these melty beads crafts, hosted by the aforementioned ever lovely Maggy from Red Ted Art who showed us several ideas for the Hama Beads, some fab little bowls and sweet greetings cards. Kelly made some EPIC jewellery! and pop back later for more links to Anthea, Kelly, Liz, Aly’s Tardis and Rebecca.

Oh, and I’m on twitter.com/MoreKidsChaos too… Erm, and funnily enough on Google+, Facebook and Pinterest! Pop over to say hello x Like it? Pin it!

Ali also writes over on AGreenerLifeforus.com

crafts, kids

Yarn Bombing in Wargrave

Well, imagine my delight, receiving these images on an email last week… Usually emails from the OH over at Wargrave Auto Centre are quite ‘dry’ to say the least… reminding me to artwork up some new business cards, or design an Ad for the Carnival brochure.

So I was beside myself that he clearly knows me so well that he went on a walk around the village taking photos of the amazing #yarnbombing which appears to have popped up on every street corner, bench, and lamp post in Wargrave, near Henley – how delightful are these?

Both me and the children are positively enchanted by this wonderful Yarn Bombing! It made our afternoon, so thank you to the locals of Wargrave for all of their hard work and creativity!

(We particularly love the shot of the bench, and the ‘lost cat, reward’ poster sellotaped to the lamp post, we hope this helps to find him!)

Oh, and I’m on twitter.com/MoreKidsChaos too… Erm, and funnily enough on Facebook and Pinterest! Pop over to say hello x Like it? Pin it!
Ali also writes over on AGreenerLifeforus.com