Scout Spa Day Test: DIY Nail Soak

What's a spa day without getting your nails done?

Unfortunately our school dress code means no nail polish, but that didn't mean the girls couldn't pamper their hands a bit.

Instead, we turned to the garden for a quick and easy nail soak, taking advantage of the random dill that had sprouted in my garden from seed this summer.

I got many of the ideas for the spa party from an old book I had, "Natural Beauty for All Seasons: More Than 250 Simple Recipes and Gift-Giving Ideas for Year-Round Beauty." In it, we found seasonal ideas for homemade spa products - many of them right from the garden.

DIY Nail Soak from the Garden

1 cup water

1 tablespoon dried dill or one small bunch fresh dill (leaves, flowers and stems)

Boil water and pour over the dill.  Allow to steep until cool. Strain the dill and use as a nail soak. 

The verdict

The girls thought it was fun to soak their nails, though they said it smelled like pickles. (Having the cucumbers there too probably did not help!)

I did notice after soaking that my nails were shinier.

This DIY nail soak  was definitely replicable for the troop!

Scout Spa Day Test: Jello Foot Baths

For our Girl Scout spa party tests, one of the funnest activities but least repeatable with a large group was foot baths and pedicures.

I found this quirky recipe in an old book I had, "Natural Beauty for All Seasons: More Than 250 Simple Recipes and Gift-Giving Ideas for Year-Round Beauty." In it, we found seasonal ideas for homemade spa products - many of them right from the garden. Well, this one wasn't. It was for jiggly foot baths made out of none other than Jello.

How to do make it:

You will need one box of Jello and container per girl. Mix up the Jello with more water than typically called for in the box directions - approximately 4 cups water to a 3 oz. box of Jello - and let set for multiple hours.

Yes, mom dutifully followed the recipe. And we rolled it out to our girls -- outside -- to see what they thought on the hot afternoon.

The verdict:

They loved it. More giggles ensued. They squished and played in the Jello for a long time.

But here's why I wouldn't necessarily do it with a large group:

1. As you can see, it takes 9x13 baking dishes or large tubs. Which means a large organizing effort or buying a lot of unnecessary tubs to pull this off.
2. (Mom answer.) Not the cleanest project to pull off. I foresee Jello all over our meeting space, whether intended or not.
3. The red Jello we bought tinted the girls' feet red for a few days!

Scout Spa Day Test: DIY Kids Facials

What is a girl's spa day without a facial?

If you want to give your girls a facial without putting harsh chemicals on their tender skin, there is a way to do it!

For the facials, I referenced an old book I had, "Natural Beauty for All Seasons: More Than 250 Simple Recipes and Gift-Giving Ideas for Year-Round Beauty." In it, we found seasonal ideas for homemade spa products - many of them right from the garden.

But one of the easiest ways to give a "facial" was to use mashed banana. (Even Dr. Oz is touting it these days.) Many recipes include mixing yogurt, honey or other ingredients to the mashed banana. For our test though, we simply mashed a banana and let the girls put it on their face. (We figured this was a project that wouldn't last long, anyway.) The girls giggled as they wiped banana on their faces, and we let them enjoy their "facials" outdoors a few minutes until they were ready to wash them off.

Count on, in general, one banana for three girls.

We also let the girls use the all-too-common cucumber slices on their eyes. They got a kick out of it, but really wanted to munch on the cukes instead!

Verdict: Girls loved it. Cost-effective (especially if you have cucumbers in your garden). Easy to pull off.

Scout Spa Day Test: Make Your Own Cocoa Lip Gloss

Our Junior Girl Scout troop is kicking off the school year with a Back to School Spa Party. Two reasons for it: I overheard more than one girl stress out already about fourth grade (and it hasn't even begun yet!) and, frankly, pampering yourself is just plain fun.

The key is finding a blend of natural - yet mostly inexpensive - items without busting the budget. So, we have opted for a number of DIY projects and spa pampering ideas.

Luckily I have an in-house tester (and a BFF) who can help me test these projects out before we try them out before a dozen girls. This week, I'm sharing some of the spa successes and failures for you to try, whether for a mom and daughter day, a Girl Scout troop meeting, or a girls spa sleepover party.

Today's test: Make your own lip gloss.

I've seen dozens of ideas on Pinterest on "DIY lip gloss." Often it involves two products: Vaseline and Kool-aid packets. Sometimes, they get a little more involved, like edible glitter, etc. 

If you are just going for the basics and don't want the sticky sweet fruit punch flavor, you can also try a brown tinted cocoa flavor. Here's how to do it:

You will need
Vaseline
Cocoa

Empty clear plastic cosmetic containers (I just bought them in bulk on Amazon, these directions are for 5 gram containers like these)

Directions
For each container: Melt 1 teaspoon Vaseline in the microwave. (This will take a 1-2 minutes, stir occasionally.) Add 1/4 teaspoon cocoa, adjusting for color/taste. Stir until dissolved. Cool slightly, then pour into cosmetic container and use.

The verdict: Easy to pull off. Easy to use. Girls liked.

Pinning the perfect party

My daughter is known for her birthday parties. It is the one day of decadence we have in our kids' lives.

Let it be known there are no outlandish locations, no bounce houses in our backyard. Instead, our at home parties are themed out, low-budged and planned with fun details we make ourselvess.

We've had luaus, 80s parties, dance parties, Fancy Nancy tea parties. It is to the point that last year the neighbor girl, when she got the invitation, asked her mother what she should wear.

My daughter picks her themes usually by the day after her last party. So imagine my surprise when, just a few months away, she still hadn't decided.

She toyed with an American Girl spa party, which I happily found pins for ideas for making fun thing like sparkle lip gloss and accessories for their dolls. (Truth be told: It was a great distraction from a harried project deadline at work.)

And then we realized one of her best friends does not play with dolls. Not wanting to have her feel left out, we went back to ideas.

My daughter considered a "Goddess Girls" themed birthday party as well. For those not in the know, "Goddess Girls" is a series about the Greek goddesses when they were in school. Sort of true to the mythology, except for little details like Artemis is boy crazy.

We realized we could make several of our ideas fit the theme too. For Aphrodite, who likes beauty, clothes and cheerleading (according to the stories), we could make the lip gloss and paint out nails. For Athena, who is wise, we could do a "wisdom challenge" (games). For Artemis, who likes sports and art, we could do outdoor games of some sort. For Persephone, who loves plants, we could add flower embellishments to jewelry or headbands. The only Goddess Girl we weren't going to embrace was Phoeme, who is into gossip.

But it still didn't fit right.

And then, on a car ride home, my daughter said: "Why can't we just have a water party?" She asked for a splash party in the backyard, lunch and ice cream cake.

Why not?

The perfect party may not be able to be pinned. It may just come from a child's imagination.

Let I learn that lesson....

No electronics for now

My dearest daughter,

I'm saddened to learn that you're distressed about your digital life. That you're "the only one in the entire third grade who doesn't have an electronic."

I'm sad because when I pick you up at extended care, I see groups of you huddled around a hand-held device. I'm sad because you think that somehow you're missing out because you don't have an iPhone 5 or a iPad or other digital tool.

Yes, mommy has an Android. And yes, she's stuck using it a lot. For work. This is what happens when mom runs social media. But most times I resent having that device. I resent the fact that it interferes with my life, that I need to run to the phone when I get an alert to make sure it's not a complaint or burgeoning crisis.

I miss the days when I was unplugged. When I wondered aloud "Why do I need to have a cell phone?" When 30 channels had nothing on, and then I moved on.

But it's not about me. This letter is about you.

If I have the news on, I can happily work on laundry or dishes and listen in the background. But even a commercial is cause for you to stop whatever you're doing. And yes, I realize some of your homework is now computerized but I don't like you fighting with your brother for game after game on abcya.

There's an awesome world to explore. In nature, in books, in relationships. And when you're hiding behind a device - whether a TV, a computer or a game player - you're hiding from the world. You're hiding from conversations, from craft, from life.

When you grow to the ripe old age of 39, you'll realize that you don't recall the shows you watched on TV or the games you played online. You'll remember the fights you had with your brother playing Sorry, the worms you dug for with your neighbor in the garden, the friendships you made at soccer.

So baby, let's stay unplugged, for just a little bit longer.

Love, Mom.



Linked to Motivation Mondays at alifeinbalance.net.

American Girl Stocking Stuffer: Make Your Own Sleep Mask

Last Christmas Eve, my daughter threw me for a loop. As we were setting out our stockings that night, suddenly a tiny stocking from the tree appeared for Sophie, her "American Girl" doll. 

I looked confused. Santa only brings for kids, I said. 

But, she argued, the doll was good. 

Fortunately I had a small accessory I had picked up that I quietly switched to Sophie's stocking that night. And I thought that was the end of it.

This year, though, she's already informed her brother that Santa will bring toys for his stuffed animals if he finds a stocking for him!

While I'm still shaking my head about that one, I did come up with a quick stocking stuffer idea for her doll this year. For the craftily challenged, it only takes about 5 minutes and can be done with minimal supplies at home. My daughter loves the sleep mask we had purchased for her for road trips, so why not make one for her doll, too?

Here's what you need for your a sleep mask for your doll.

Felt, craft foam or fabric scrap - approximately business card size or slightly larger.

Ribbon or yarn

Fold the felt in half horizonally and round the corners. Unfold.

Cut the ribbon or yarn in half and thread each half into one end of the sleep mask. Knot it so it doesn't loosen. 

To use, place sleep mask over face and tie around the back of the head. Sweet dreams!

Linked to Motivation Mondays, Titi's Crafty Party, The Mommy Club.

A house of dreams

My first-grade friend Ashley Miller had the Barbie dream house. A three-story mansion. For a little girl living in a ranch, it was incredible. And I had to have it.
I asked for it for Christmas. I asked for it for my birthday.

My baby sister got one years later.

Instead, my homeless Barbies got to improvise. The cardboard cases of Girl Scout cookie boxes became the building blocks of some serious square footage. Our Barbie's homes would stretch in custom communes that covered my bed and bedroom floor. And each time it had a new look.

Flash forward 30 years, and my daughter tells me she wants Barbie dream house for her birthday.


But you already have a Barbie house your uncle bought you at Christmas, I remind her.


But it's not a dream house. It's small.


I sigh. The "starter home" tucked away in the corner truly hasn't seen much play time, and she's asking for an expansion.

So I tell her the story of a little girl, whose imagination, a little brother and a lot of cookies made for great memories of building Barbie mansions. Her eyes light up. "That's a great idea!" she says.

Here's hoping that her dreams create that "dream house" of her imagination. I can't wait to see what they bring.

Not your mama's Gardening badge

I realize many kids don't realize that a carrot comes from anything but a plastic baggie, and that many others have never had the thrill of playing with those "helicopter" leaves. But I had to admit, for our soon to be second-grade girls, the Plants badge for Brownies was just too rudimentary. (Particularly since they did the gardening journey series in kindergarten.)

The great thing about our Girl Scout council is that they encourage adaptation of badge requirements to fit the girls' needs. So we took advantage of the idea, and tossed the whole Plants Try-It on its side. (I should note: This badge was being retired and nothing remotely was taking its place, a miss I think for the Girl Scouts!)

Instead of seed starting and plant rubbings, here's what our Brownies are doing this month:

Planting a vegetable garden for the sisters who live at our church's convent. The girls got a huge kick out of starting their seeds last year and planting the garden, which fed the nuns all summer. So much so that we're having another planting night later this month, after the risk of frost has passed.

Growing their own mushrooms. Thanks to a very kind donation of mushroom kits from Back to the Roots, the girls are growing their very own oyster mushrooms. The kits themselves are being divided into sections of 4 to 6 mini-mushroom kits.

Experimenting with seed paper. After getting a cute wildflower seed paper from the University of Kansas during a fundraising campaign last month, I contacted the alumni association about getting seed papers from envelopes with bad mailing addresses for the girls to try out. (If that fails, I'll make my own homemade seed paper to share with the girls. Making homemade paper during a Brownie meeting can be the epitome of mess!)

Making pressed flower and leaf cards. I found this great activity on education.com that we'll be sure to try!

What other great ways have you found to teach children about plants and gardening?

Daisy Girl Scout Memories

Every child's activity comes with memorabilia, and scouting is no exception.

So when my daughter joined Daisy Scouts this fall, I knew this scrapbooker was in trouble. After all, I'm behind on my photos, can't justify buying large album after album and can't always spring for supplies.

And then I found my answer lying on my ledge. There, in my stack of things that should have been put away, was a small 6-inch green polka-dot photo album that I have no idea how it made its way into my home.

It was pretty drab, to be honest:

But add in a few Daisy Girl Scout stickers from a package my mom had bought and drab turned into fab:

After each Girl Scout activity, my daughter can complete a page and include pictures, drawings or other memorabilia from an event. Her first page included a cut-out trefoil that had the Girl Scout promise on it, which they made at the first official meeting, as well as a humorous drawing of her and a friend - where she's twice the poor girl's height. (I'd post, but my computer keeps crashing as I'm trying to photoshop out names.)

Is it the kind of scrapbooking I would do? No. But then, I'm also not 5.

The best part? We would have never used the items if doing traditional scrapbooking, where I'd likely cram a year's worth of things into one page.

Greening your little girl: 9 ways for less waste

Bows, jewelry, doll accessories and more. Usually strewn over the house. It's the sign of a little girl in the midst.

Today, I'd thought I'd share nine simple ways to "green" your little girl, saving you money and from cleaning headaches and hopefully helping reinforce a little creativity as well.

Early on:

Watch the excess! It's easy, particularly when they're tiny, to load up on adorable dresses and more. Instead, dress for comfort - and practicality. Trying to button up the back of a dress on a little one who can barely hold her head up is not the easiest way to go.

Save small items. Those tiny newborn or 0-3 clothes are so adorable, but are worn for such a short period of time. Consider holding a few outfits back for doll clothes. They fit perfectly on Cabbage Patch dolls, many other baby dolls and lots of stuffed animals, we've found.

Go neutral. I know, it's easy to fall into pink excess. Instead, invest in neutral colors and styles (I swore by onesies and pants for both kids) and even consider dressing your darling in (gasp!) boy colors and clothing. I swear she won't recall wearing blue doggy pajamas.

Be nostalgic. If you've saved a few favorite toys from childhood, you can't get much greener than that! (Though I will say, today's Barbies have had an "adjustment" or two since our childhoods.)

For preschoolers and older:
Buy big. Conisder buying a size up for summer nightgowns. The long, flowy dresses are great for dress-up and can last you two summers instead of one this way! Likewise, buy larger t-shirts which can be baggy one year, "regular fit" the next.

Encourage creativity. It's tempting to buy a lot of accessories for baby dolls, Barbies and American Girl, but it takes up space, costs unnecessary dollars and robs your child of an opportunity to use her imagination. One of the things I remember from my childhood was sprawling Girl Scout cookie boxes creating a mammoth mansion in my bedroom for my Barbie dolls. Let their imagination take them wherever it needs to go - from laundry basket "boats" to tents or castles.

Don't discount second hand. Cheap princess dresses? Who needs them? While I know many people who swear by stocking up on the Halloween clearance, I'd rather let my daughter wear something that will hold up better. We've gotten so many Sunday or Easter dresses, likely worn two or three times and given to us for free, that my daughter uses them to play dress up or go to church. It's an economical way to indulge yet be practical.

Encourage sharing. It's tough to pass up a toy (even if you haven't played with it for months) or a treasured piece of clothing. What's worked for us is giving to another kid in need or sharing an outfit with a younger friend.

Teach priorities. I've been blessed that my kids don't realize they have a choice in suggesting gift ideas, but we also don't let them watch a lot of commercials or go down the toy aisles. Instead, we focus on what we can do for other people. We also reinforce that each family has different rules, and that it's great we can enjoy other toys at our friends' houses. It's a hard lesson (one good for me to recall on many occasions!) but I hope well worth it.