Category: Kids

Beauty, Earth Friendly, Healthy Living, Kids, Natural Beauty, Parenting, Reviews

The Pillowcase That Fights Knots and Tangles in Childrens Hair

Erin Sluka

I remember the dreaded hair brushing in mornings. Then I know parents who totally changed their child’s hairstyle just to avoid the rats nest.

With the Easy Mornings pillowcases from Madison & White you get an exclusive blend of fabric that allows hair to gently glide across the surface, reducing hair tangles and knots. Their satin is a blend of 95% polyester and 5% spandex. No harmful chemicals are used in the product or at the OEKO-TEK STANDARD factory.

The Easy Mornings kit comes with (2) pillowcases. I also love that they are wrinkle-resistant and washing is easy-just toss in the washing machine and dryer.

The standard cotton pillowcases always cause tangles in adults and childrens hair. Cotton loves water so it will pull moisture form your child’s hair and then that hair tangles and knots up due to friction and dryness.

With the Madison & White Easy Mornings set, your child’s hair glides across the ultra soft satin. Plus, their hair keeps its natural moisture which is very healthy. My first thought was how much time these pillow cases can save in the mornings, but it truly is more than that. Cotton does not allow your hair to remain healthy when every night it sucks out that moisture, so Madison & White offers pillow cases for everyone in the family that actually helps to keep your hair healthy. Shop Madison & White!

Father's Day, Kids

5 DIY Father’s Day Gift Ideas the Kids Can make

Erin Sluka

Father’s Day is almost here and we all know Dad does not need another tie or a second pair of slippers (he can only wear 1 pair at a time anyway).

I have been searching some of the best (and most adorable) DIY Father’s Day Gift Ideas to share with all of you in one spot.

Handprint Baseball Father’s Day Gift with Free Printable Poem

Photo Source: Sunny Day Family

Seriously, how adorable is this for bay or toddler to Dad?! A trip to Goodwill could even get you a ball and mitt for cheap. Purple Power, magic eraser or a degreaser cleans the ball well.

https://www.sunnydayfamily.com/2015/06/handprint-baseball-diy-fathers-day-gift/

Craft Stick Flower Pots

Photo Source: Typically Sourced

If Dad has a desk he likes to show off his kids work at, this is a fun way to add color to his workspace.

https://typicallysimple.com/craft-stick-flower-pots/

Tackle Box Candy Craft

Photo Source: Crafty Morning

This is a lot of fun to fill with worms and fish treats. I would supervise the kids on this craft so that enough candy is left over for Dad’s gift!

https://www.craftymorning.com/tackle-box-fathers-day-gift/

Superhero DIY LEGO Gift

Photo Source: Celebrating with the Bug

Have a lot of LEGO’s lying around? Have the kids create superheroes while you get this printable ready. You can display in a shadow box frame

www. celebratingwiththebug.com/superhero-diy

Upcycled Nuts and Bolts Heart Craft

Photo Source: Mosswood Connections

This is such a simple project for the kids that requires a bunch of bolts, washers and nuts and glue. I bet you can put an ask out in your community groups an someone may have an old can of these around for you. If you need to polish them up, put them in a plastic bottle with some apple cider vinegar and shake them every once in a while.

https://mosswoodconnections.com/activity/upcycled-nuts-and-bolts-heart-craft/

Education, Kids, Non-seasonal, STEM Learning

Build and Code Your Own Tablet with Kano

Erin Sluka

What projects do you have planned with the kids this summer? We are building and coding a tablet! That’s right, we will build our very own tablet that will be touchscreen and download apps and play on it with or without a keyboard. With Kano, making your own tablet is easier than you think.

The booklet comes with easy-to-follow illustrated instructions and the parts are sturdy and brightly colored to match the illustrations as you move along and build and code your own tablet. My son had his box opened and was connecting pieces in minutes.

The best part is that they get to touch the pieces, connect the board, buttons and bits. They learn how a tablet works because they understood the reasoning to each step.

If you get stuck they have a great help section with solutions to any problem no matter how small or big.

Once the tablet is built there are a few things you can do. You can code your own games, music and art in Playground Mode. You can even hack Minecraft and do more advanced coding with real Javascript or Python.

The Story Mode app brings an in-depth look at how his computer works with challenges to complete and level up. The apps have hundreds of hours’ worth of coding challenges and games. Also, you can also download apps from the Kano app store like you would with any tablet.

To really turn their tablet into something spectacular, try the Harry Potter Coding Kit where you can build a wand, learn to code and make magic in the Harry Potter app. Available in the Kano store.

The Pixel Kit is fun as well because you get to make and code dazzling lights as well as build art and animation on a pixel box using a Kano app for help.

Get your Kano Computer Kit Touch today
Deals, Kids, Non-seasonal, Seattle Area Attractions, Travel

Great Wolf Lodge Birthday Experience with Friends

Erin Sluka

The birthday party! It comes around every year for your child and is such an exciting time for them. Anthony is our youngest so for over 2 decades planning birthdays are a Sluka event! They get presents, hand us wish lists and even have friends over to celebrate.

For the first time ever with all 3 boys, Anthony came to me with a special request, “Mom? I really want to take friends to Great Wolf Lodge for my (11th) birthday in May!” Wow, son that can add up! “But, Mom I am asking for an experience and I want this instead of a big party AND instead of presents”. I actually thought this was a fantastic idea!

An experience instead of gifts and party….

We stayed in a Family Suite with an outdoor balcony which is considered a standard room at Great Wolf Lodge, They also have premium and themes rooms too. This is not our first time staying in their Family Suite and every time we go, this little nook between the beds and the couch area is a favorite spot for the boys.

We arrive about 4 and our room is ready so we unload, fuel up with snacks before heading to the water park. Anthony brought 3 friends with him on this trip. Going to Great Wolf Lodge with a buddy or sibling is a must! The Family Suite fits 6 with the sofa pull out. So, one room gets 6 people into the Water Park.

2 of the boys have never rode the Tornado Waterslide before so Anthony made sure to take them there first. All of these boys have been to Great Wolf Lodge before, but not been on some of the larger waterslides. One of them never went on it again-lol!

The fun part is waiting at the bottom to catch some fun shots as they exit the tunnels. Below is the other larger waterslide called Carbon River. Most attractions have names native to the area and we live 1 1/2 hours away from Great Wold Lodge on the (real) Carbon River.

Once they rode the waterslides several times, they head to the Chinook Cove for some water basketball and Big Foot Pass pads.

Notice my son used the ropes on the Big Foot Pass and his friend did a fast crawl across the pads!

Once they were swim(ed) out and we ate some dinner, it was time for a game of Shadow Quest. I bought all 4 boys Paw Passes and that allowed them several indoor activities at a bundled price. They got to choose a wand and for the boys who already owned and brought a wand (they are reusable for next visit) those boys got to choose fun toppers.

Choose your topper carefully, each one does different perks to up your Shadow Quest game. The game and wand/topper come with the Wolf/Paw Pass package. They wear their Paw Passes around their neck so they can have access to their activities.

Anthony’s topper he chose gives him game hints, so he stopped at one of the kiosks for a hint…..

Once you successfully find the next stop on your hunt, your symbol lights up as you point your wand. The wand activates several stations and fun animations around the hotel. This is a great game before bed because it has them running all over for several floors!

As the kids run around playing Shadow Quest, my husband and I hear music and find a dance party in the lobby and a Mai Tai station! Our Mai Tai was delicious and comes in a light up souvenier cup.

What I love about Great Wolf Lodge is that for birthdays there are a lot of fun options you can add to your stay. There is a birthday package that includes a door poster and balloons with extras as well as other packages that can include cupcakes and even pizza.

When you check out you don’t have to leave. You do need to vacate your room by 11am and get your bags in your car, but your entrance into the waterpark and other attractions lasts until closing.

2 days of swimming and Paw Pass completed! Time to go home!

We are home now, the friends are dropped off and my son is still beaming. By far, the best present he asked for in his 11 years was a Great Wolf Lodge birthday experience with friends and the memories will last a lifetime!

For tips and hacks you will want to use when visiting Great Wolf Lodge, visit this recent post.

Visit your local Great Wolf Lodge this summer