Stay cool with some summer science!

Summer is the perfect time to start a science journal. Make the most of your child's summer by encouraging them to keep a journal of simple experiments or investigation questions. My little ones enjoyed their first science investigation of the summer with popsicles in hand. They were eager to find out why some popsicles melted faster than others. So we conducted our own little test.

Mother's Day Memories

Each year around this time I've made it a tradition to sit down and reflect on all of the reasons that I love and cherish my mom and the joy she brings to our lives. I write in a journal to her, and it has been passed back and forth for over a decade. The journal has laid on my sorority house bed (the same room my mom lived in 30 years prior), was mailed to me yearly in Washington, D.C. for my additions, traveled back south and saw a wedding under oak trees, and I now write in it each year as a mom myself. I love the idea of journaling about relationships so much that I started a journal the day I found out I was pregnant with Mack. I tear up every time I look back at the funny things he did or said, and the prayers I wrote down in times of complete frustration and absolute bliss. We hope that you will make it a Mother's Day tradition in your house to reflect on your role as a mother. What a wonderful way to capture the happenings of the world around you as your children grow and change throughout the years. If your children are old enough have them reflect back on their year each Mother's Day. Share their smiles, laughs, memories and excitement for the year ahead. Be sure to add pictures to capture your little ones as they grow. Use the images below to start your own journaling tradition with your family.

 It's also a great time of year to give yourself a little pampering. You might not make it out of the house for a day of beauty, but you can bring the spa to you! Here is a simple recipe for some super luxurious sugar scrub. Even your littlest of helpers can help to make a batch.

Materials:
Small glass jars with seal tight lids
24oz of organic cane sugar crystals
7oz of baby oil
a few drops of of an essential oil (we used lemon)

Simply mix sugar crystals, baby oil and essential oil into a large mixing bowl.  Scoop into glass jars and decorate. We trimmed ours with a yellow ribbon and a custom sticker. You can get your custom sticker below.

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Spring Break is full of memories

Source: Martha Stewart

Well it's spring break around these parts, and thank goodness because we are inching toward the 90 degree mark folks. Most teachers, students, and families know it's time for some R & R! Whether your family is packing up for a long distance trip or you are having a stay-cation, make some memories.

Leave it to Martha to show us how beautifully, quaint memories can be displayed. Gather items on your travels and store them in a mason jar for sweet sentiments for years to come. This is a great task for children. Give them a large zipper top bag at the beginning of the trip and challenge them to fill it to the brim with souvenirs. Suggested items to collect:

* natural items like seashells, rocks, dried flowers, leaves, pine cones, sand, and soil, and feathers
* museum tickets, movie stubs, playbills, receipts, maps, and brochures
* souvenirs such as trinkets, small figurines, pressed pennies (a favorite of mine when I was little), and autographs
* photographs and postcards

When you return from your journey, allow your children to arrange their items for display. That will give them the opportunity to reflect on their experiences. If they have collected too many items to be placed in the jar, label the zipper top bag with the vacation destination and date. That way you already have an organized location for all the loose odds and ends. Make sure to put a label or tag on the jar to identify the vacation by. A ribbon trim around the lid is a nice finishing touch.

I am a huge advocate of the significance of journaling for all ages. I suggest it to my students time and time again. A road trip is the perfect opportunity for children to write without rules or expectations. Grab a composition notebook and pencil and you are well on your way. If you have a reluctant writer, you might suggest a few things to help them get over the writer's block.

* Glue a photograph from your trip in your journal. Write about what you see. Remember to describe the sights, sounds, and smells (you might forget them).
* Do a leaf rubbing and write about what surrounded you when you found this piece of nature.
* Interview a family member about their highs and lows of the trip so far.
* Pretend that you are a travel agent and you have to sell a trip to this vacation location. What persuasive words could you use?
* Design your own postcard in your journal. Write a imaginary letter to someone in the future about what this vacation spot was like in 2012.

Time away with family and friends exploring the world, or your backyard, is just as valuable if not more at times than the hours spent within the four walls of a classroom. Make the most of it! Enjoy new things, taste new foods, meet new friends, and make new memories!

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