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3 Homemade Playdough Recipes

by Creative Living Network on July 1, 2010

in Art,Column,Crafts,Family Time

3 Homemade Playdough Recipes

Playdough is a favorite artistic medium of kids everywhere. Parents love it because it encourages creativity and provides a fun, quiet indoor activity. Playdough can be used over and over again if kept in its container, or kids can let their creations dry and keep them.

You can find playdough in almost any store that sells toys. But it’s also very cheap and easy to make. You probably have everything you need to make at least one type of playdough in your kitchen cupboard. Some recipes are even edible. Here are three fun and simple ways to make playdough.

1. Authentic Playdough

Ingredients

* 1 cup flour
* 1 cup water
* 1 tbsp. oil
* 1 tbsp. powdered alum
* ½ cup salt
* 2 tbsp. vanilla
* Food coloring

Instructions

1. Mix dry ingredients together thoroughly in saucepan.
2. Add oil and water.
3. Cook at medium heat, stirring constantly. It’s done when it has a consistency similar to that of mashed potatoes.
4. Remove the dough from heat and stir in vanilla and food coloring. Work the color in by kneading the dough.
5. When completely cooled, store in an airtight container. This dough will keep for at least two months.

This home-made playdough has a look and feel very similar to the store-bought kind. It is not intended to be eaten, but is not toxic to humans.

2. Peanut Butter Playdough

Ingredients

* 3 ½ cups creamy peanut butter
* 4 cups powdered sugar
* 4 cups powdered milk
* 3 ½ cups corn syrup

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients in a bowl. Mix thoroughly.
2. Place the dough onto wax paper and model with it. When the kids are through playing, they can eat it.

Tip: For more edible fun, use sprinkles and candies to decorate creations made with peanut butter playdough.

3. Kool Aid Playdough

Ingredients

* 3 cups flour
* ½ cup salt
* 2 packages of unsweetened Kool Aid
* 2 cups water

Instructions

1. Boil water.
2. While the water is heating, combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Add boiling water and stir.
3. Knead the dough on a floured board. Add small amounts of flour until you reach the desired consistency.
4. When completely cool, store in a tightly covered container.

This playdough will last a few months if stored properly, and it has a wonderful scent.

Making playdough with the kids is a fun rainy day project. It’s a great way to get them involved in cooking, and the finished product can provide hours more of fun. And recipes such as the one for peanut butter playdough serve yet another purpose: they make a delicious snack! So when your child runs out of playdough, don’t run to the store. Just head to the kitchen!

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How to Create Beautiful Leaf Prints

by Creative Living Network on July 1, 2010

in Art,Column,Crafts

How to Create Beautiful Leaf Prints
The great outdoors holds many treasures that we can use in crafting. Flowers, pine cones and rocks can be used as the basis for many crafts, and they also make lovely accents. Even simple leaves can add a nice touch to our projects.

Leaf prints can bring a hint of nature to the most sophisticated of crafts. Yet they’re so easy to do, even children can create them expertly. Here are two simple ways to capture the beautiful intricacies of leaves.
Leaf Rubbings

Supplies

* Paper
* Leaves
* Crayons

Instructions

1. Lay a pretty leaf flat on the table, with the veins facing upward.
2. Lay a piece of paper on top of the leaf, positioning it so that the leaf is where you want its impression to be.
3. Peel the wrapper off of a crayon in the desired color. Holding the paper down around the leaf, gently rub the side of the crayon over the paper on top of the leaf.
4. Reposition the leaf, or place another type of leaf under the paper and repeat with a different color. Continue to create a pattern, or just make rubbings at random to complete your work of art.
Painted Leaf Prints

Supplies

* Paper, poster board, card stock or fabric
* Leaves
* Paint (acrylic, tempera or fabric, depending on the material you’re working on)
* Paintbrush or sponge
* Newspaper
* Paper towels

Instructions

1. Lay the leaf on top of the newspaper, with the veins facing upward.
2. Use the paintbrush or sponge to thoroughly apply paint to the leaf. Alternatively, you could simply put some paint on the newspaper and dip the leaf into it.
3. Carefully lift the leaf off of the newspaper, and place it paint side down onto the material you want to make a print on.
4. Place a paper towel over the leaf and press down gently but firmly.
5. Remove the paper towel, and peel the leaf off of the material, taking care not to tear it.
6. Repeat to create prints of the same leaf in the same color. Let dry.
7. Use a new leaf for each different color, and let each new color dry before adding another one.
There are also other ways to create leaf prints. Pressing leaves onto ink pads and then onto paper is a simple way to make them. It’s also possible to make imprints of leaves on clay by gently pressing the leaf into it. These techniques present all sorts of crafting possibilities.

Leaf prints are simple enough for toddlers to create with little assistance. They make wonderful rainy day projects on their own, or they can be used to enhance all kinds of crafts. So if you’re looking for some inspiration from nature, look no further than that tree in your back yard.

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Letting Go of a Relationship: How to End a Relationship, Move On, and Be Happy Again

One of the hardest things to do in life is to let go of a relationship. No matter what the cause of a breakup, learning to let go just often isn’t easy to do. It could be the one that got away, a first love, a spouse, a boyfriend or girlfriend, or unrequited love. Regardless of the situation, learning to let go of what’s over is often a very difficult thing to do and the hurt can often last for years if a person simply won’t break the hold.

Recovering from the horrible pain and hurt of a broken relationship is no easy task. When love is found, one naturally wants to believe it will last forever. And it’s great when it does. But when it doesn’t, the hurt and pain can be devastating. But even more devastating can be the pain and suffering the person experiences from not letting go of what’s gone and moving on with living.

Read the article here

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How to Forgive Ourselves

by Creative Living Network on July 1, 2010

in Column,Me Time

How to Forgive Ourselves 

Learning to Let Go of the Guilt

Forgiving ourselves isn’t always an easy thing to do. We have regrets, feelings of guilt, wishing or thinking we should have done this or that differently. Sometimes we think that if we had acted differently or made another choice, that somehow situations might have turned out better. Sometimes that’s true, but nothing can change the past. We have to learn to forgive ourselves for things we can’t change or undo, whether it’s for intentional actions or otherwise.

One of the hardest things to forgive ourselves for is the feelings of guilt over what might have been or could have been. Often we think that if we had done so and so differently, that perhaps the outcome would be different. And while often it’s possible there could have been another outcome, more often than not the outcome would have been the same. But even if it wouldn’t have been the same, we can’t change the past. So why do we beat ourselves up over things that can’t be undone? Why do we allow ourselves to experience such guilt over things? And most of all, how do we forgive ourselves for what our minds perceive as unforgivable?

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How to Write Your Own Wedding Vows from the Heart

by Creative Living Network on July 1, 2010

in Column,Me Time

How to Write Your Own Wedding Vows from the Heart 

Writing Your Own Wedding Vows Can Be Romantic

You’ve found that one special person that you want to spend the rest of your life with. He’s your best friend, the one that makes your heart pound with excitement when you see him, the one that understands you like no one else does, the person who loves you for you and doesn’t try to change you, the one who longs to be near you doing anything and everything or absolutely nothing. He makes the sun shine through in the darkest storms with just a smile. You finish one another’s sentences, you know how the other feels even when few words are spoken, and you feel like no other couple could possibly feel about each other the way you and your love feel about each other.

The two of you set the big date and start planning the wedding. But you don’t want to use the same traditional wedding vows that are generally used. In your heart, they can’t possibly describe the love you feel for the one you are about to marry. Writing your own vows is romantic and gives the wedding ceremony a much more personal touch.

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Building Your Self Esteem and Learning to Love Yourself

by Creative Living Network on July 1, 2010

in Column,Me Time

Building Your Self Esteem and Learning to Love Yourself 

Low self esteem isn’t a rare thing among the human population. A surprisingly high number of people suffer from low self esteem. Often a person who has a low self esteem doesn’t love themselves, making the feelings even worse.

Low self esteem stems from a variety of issues. A person might have been ridiculed often as a child by their parents. Perhaps the person has felt that no one really understands them. Maybe the person was made fun of by other children over something like a speech problem. Whatever the cause, low self esteem can cause the person suffering from it to not only not love themselves but to feel like they aren’t good enough, that they don’t count, or that no one really loves them.

Read the article here

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How to Get Organized Guide: Home Organization Guide

by Creative Living Network on July 1, 2010

in Column,Get Organized

How to Get Organized Guide: Home Organization Guide 

Is your home a disorganized mess? Is it getting harder and harder to keep your home clean and organized? Are things piling up, so much so that you are overwhelmed at the idea of cleaning and straightening things? Are things getting messy again almost as fast as you get things picked up?

Face it… you need help! Sometimes all a person needs is help… help in getting motivated, help in knowing where to start, help in knowing how to get organized and stay organized, help in getting the rest of the family to pitch in and do their part.

Your help is here! Our home organization guide will show you how to get organized, declutter, clean up the mess, and how to stay organized.

If you are tired of your life being so hectic, so unorganized, and so messy, then you owe it to yourself to get the guide that will show you how to get your home and life back on track.

Get the details here

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