Egg heads!
6:58 AM - Posted by Karrie - 0 comments
At a toy store this weekend, I saw those little hair-growing toys that are basically grass seed sprouting out of a $10 wad of dirt. As usual I thought to myself, "I can do that. I can do that and not spend $20 to grow a square inch of grass for each kid."

And so... EGG HEADS.
Easy activity.

You'll need to chop off the skinny end of the egg. I used a pair of scissors and poked in at the top and then snipped around to create the hole. Once the insides were dumped out and I washed and dried the eggs, the kids carefully drew on their faces. (Toby's is a "masked super hero" if you're wondering...)
Once that is done, it's a matter of filling it with some potting soil and sprinkling in some grass seed. We water carefully and have them sitting in a sunny place.


After they've grown their full head of grass hair, you can actually style their 'do. Add a ribbon or two, give a buzz cut. I think at least one of ours will end up with a mohawk this year.


Have fun!


Bird "Seeders"
10:11 AM - Posted by Karrie - 0 comments
My grandfather seems to have his own language. One of his famous words is "bird seeder" which the rest of the world calls a "bird feeder."
But he's really not wrong...is he...

Anyway, here's a tidbit of information for all of us novice birders out there, one of the few that I know.

When you buy mixed bird seed, a lot of the time the birds pick through it and half of it ends up on the ground. Don't be discouraged! There are birds that only feed on the ground, so by sharing the seed, you are sharing the love.

Ohio readers-- are your hummingbird feeders -- I meed "seeders" up yet?


Twig dolls
9:42 AM - Posted by Karrie - 1 comments
Here's something we did a few weeks ago, and it was too cute not to share. Twig dolls! The photo kind of explains how to make them -- just find appropriately shaped twigs, tie them together with pipe cleaners, and add accessories depending on what you find outdoors. we made these fairly early in the spring, but I can imagine wildflower skirts, acorn hats, dandilion heads, etc.

A great nature/creativity craft!



Sunflower House...take one
9:38 AM - Posted by Karrie - 0 comments
I've always wanted to try this. It just sounds too neat to be true.

To make your own sunflower house, plant giant sunflowers in a large circle. When they grow tall, you can "go inside" your very own house made of sunflowers!

There are some neat children's books that tell the story, including "Sunflower House" by Eve Bunting. The original book, "Sunflower Houses: Inspiration from the Garden -- A Book for Children and Their Grown Ups" is by Sharon Lovejoy (who I've recently come to know as a very nice person!!!

Here are some photos from our attempt this year. Anyone ever try this and have success?



Bring on the butterflies
7:37 PM - Posted by Karrie - 5 comments
Once the load of dirt comes in, we are going to plant a patch of habitat in our backyard, in a little spot near the woodsline where the sunlight sneaks between the woods and the house. I have a few packs of seeds from the Ohio Department of Nature Resources that I received at last year's Becoming an Ohio Outdoors Woman. If they actually grow, I will have a small plot of flowers that will provide nectar for hummingbirds and butterflies, and I've got my fingers crossed.
There is something special about watching a hummingbird and the way it hovers, or the erratic flight of the butterfly. When these amazing creatures cross your path, you can't help but consider yourself lucky. They're not a common sight.
But just think if more people planted a small patch of habitiat -- maybe it would be a common sight, and how wonderful that would be!
So plant your habitat, folks! Here are some seed ideas that are included in my pack, but you can easily pick them up individually:
Cosmos
Zinnia (3' tall)
Mexican Sunflower (6')
Purple Coneflower


More-els
9:10 AM - Posted by Karrie - 0 comments

I shouldn't be posting this in a public place. I might have crazed mushroom hunters sneaking around my backyard despite the No Tresspassing signs...




We found a TON of morel mushrooms in our backyard this year! They are popping up everywhere! For those who don't know what it is, it's a funky mushroom that looks like this:


They are unmistakable, and when fried up in butter taste like you're eating sauteed mushrooms on a steak...without the steak.


We found so many this year that I passed them around the neighborhood. Amazing! I can only hope they come back next year. I'll be ready and waiting, fork in hand.


Always an exciting catch
10:48 AM - Posted by Karrie - 0 comments
We did a little fishing this past weekend in the farm pond. Yes, it's stocked and catching a fish is just a matter of tossing in a line. (The fish have been known to bite on just a hook -- no bait required.)
But seeing the excitement in Toby's face was a good reminder that kids love fishing. He was extremely proud of himself for casting and reeling in his very own fish, as you can see by this shot. There's just something about bringing a fish to the surface, like you are witnessing a visiting alien. And what little boy doesn't like aliens?
I think we've got a little fisherman on our hands...