Things to Make - Firework Painting

The 4th of July seemed to sneak up on us this year. Last week we were still celebrating days without school, when I suddenly realized our nation's birthday was right around the corner. So, in order to generate some holiday spirit, we painted fireworks (idea via my pinterest summer files).

Here's the scoop: (materials - pipe cleaners, paint, dark colored construction paper, glitter (optional), and oil pastels or crayons)

1. Ask the kids to draw a night skyline onto a piece of dark construction paper (we used oil pastels, but crayons would also work).

2. Take four pipe cleaners, fold them in half, twist the bottom portion to create a handle, and then fan the ends to make a star shape (click this awesome blog for more detailed instructions).

3. Add paint (and/or glitter).

4. Create.

(Note - If you don't have any pipe cleaners, you can also use cut toilet paper rolls for a similar effect).

T absolutely LOVED this project, he painted and painted and painted. The girls created a few fireworks and then decided they'd rather avoid the mess and just draw their explosions, which was fine too. I just wanted some seasonal art to decorate the kitchen.

Places to Go - Smithsonian Folklife Festival (Washington DC)

This weekend, we made our first trip ever to the FREE!! Smithosonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall. And I have to say, I was REALLY IMPRESSED. Immediately upon arriving (after a super hot walk in the glaring sun), we stumbled into the family activities tent, on one side of which a man taught people how to speak Celtic ("cool!" I exclaimed, "not cool!" exclaimed my children), on the other side, multiple stamps allowed children to create words in lost languages. Coloring sheets of endangered alphabets and blank postcards for decorating were also available. My kids quickly got to work, while I explored the tent's banners and signs. A huge map on the wall asked people to contribute (through post it notes) stories of words and phrases from other languages that do not translate well into English. I loved reading all the quirky/sad/funny stories. After A LOT of coloring, I finally convinced my children to leave the tent and explore further.

So we: checked out yurts, listened to some live music (the festival has 8 DIFFERENT TENTS set up for music, dancing, and discussions, all of which host back to back events from 11am - 5pm, so at any given time, it's practically impossible to not find something interesting to watch), watched a man and women carve from wood and stone, and played various different instruments in the Garifuna tent.

Eventually, we made our way into the Hungarian section of the festival, where several sets of stilts and lawn games awaited us. P spent about thirty minutes attempting to master the stilts (she could have stayed there all day), while F painted a wall and learned about weaving. Then we checked out two different sets of Hungarian dancers (one in the barn and one in the Heritage House). We could have stayed all day, but, unfortunately, a storm was moving in (does anyone else feel as if it's ALWAYS raining in DC this summer?). So we headed back to the car, without having time to check out the Will to Adorn Section. Though hopefully we'll be back soon, because there's still SO MUCH to see and do.

The Folklife Festival runs from 10 am to 6 pm, Wednesday July 3rd - Sunday, July 7th. Admission is FREE!! Click here for a schedule of events and more information (there's also an app).



The yurts fascinated my kids.



Hungarians know how to throw a party.



No trip to the National Mall would be complete without a carousel ride and some-sort of bright-colored (probably awful for you) frozen treat from a street vendor.

Things to Do - Random Links

* For your summer reading - Female Perspectives: Five Novels That Bring Outsiders In. Further, Indie Booksellers Pick Summer's Best Reads. How to choose? Seriously, how to choose?

* It's hard to believe they're fake.

* NPR's 50 Best Songs of 2013 (so far). I can't get Tegan and Sara's Closer out of my head. And yes, Blurred Lines is sort of addictive to listen to.

* An apartment covered in blue crystals.

* 12 Kids Moms Hate Having Over For Playdates. Yup. Though I'm pretty sure my kids are the hungry kids.

* I can't stop perusing the National Geographic Found Tumblr (Celebrating 125 Years). So much wonderful randomness.

* My imaginary well-dressed daughter. Funny. Really funny (thank you, Carolyn!).

* 15 Homemade Hair and Bodymasks (and don't forget my posts on pumpkin yogurt facemask (so wonderful) and rosemary sage body scrub).

* The pollinator project and children's books about bees (love this idea).

* What the night sky would look like if other planets were as close as the moon.

* Oh the 1980s, even people with incredible bodies looked ridiculous. Trust me, this has to make you laugh.

* Figuring It Out (Olivia Bee is only 19 years old and she's a working photographer, employed by brands including: Hermes, Adidas, New York Magazine, Converse, etc. I've been following her for a few years now and her photos always manage to blow me away).

Places to Go - Cherry Picking at Great Country Farms (Bluemont, VA)

I write about Great Country Farms a lot on this blog (click here for past posts), mainly because it is one of my favorite places to take the kids in the summer and fall (we also have a CSA membership through them). Throughout both seasons, the farm tries to make sure that something is always available for you-pick (ranging from fruits in the summer to swiss chard and pumpkins in the fall). My kids love both the hayride to the fields and participating in the acquisition of the food we eat.

Last week we spent the morning withe friends - bouncing on the huge "pillow", driving life-sized car/slides, fighting bad guys on a pirate ship, swinging on rope swings, tunneling down humungous slides, and petting all of the baby goats as they wandered the property. And, in the afternoon, we picked (tart) cherries. Now I just have to figure out how to cook them, any EASY suggestions (I don't have enough for a pie)?

I love this place.



Every kindergartner receives an "award" at the end of the schoolyear. P was given a certificate as "Little Miss Monkeybars", which pretty much summarizes the last year. Memories of her broken arm never held P back, she continues to bounce/hop/swing/cartwheel her way through the world.

Things to Make - Gwyneth's NY Street Vendor Salad

I have to admit, I sort of like Gwyneth Paltrow. Yes, sometimes she does seem a teensy bit full of herself (don't we all?), but she's also a sharer (loved the story about the see through dress, the razor, and rocking a seventies vibe) and, as you've probably noticed, I am also somewhat of an oversharer, so I like this about her. Plus, she's a fellow blogger. Thus I spent two months on the library waiting list to finally check out her new cookbook - It's All Good: Delicious, Easy Recipes That Will Make You Look Good and Feel Great. And, seriously, the food is fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. Granted, I'm not sure Gwyneth needed to include a picture of herself on nearly every page (I get it Gwyneth you're gorgeous, we all GET IT), but still I've made four of the recipes thus far and they're incredible (though I did have to scavenger hunt myself through Whole Foods to find some of the ingredients). I'm even considering trying her elimination diet.

In particular, I can't stop eating this relatively easy salad. If you like hummus, you'll love the dressing (which keeps for about a week). It's addictive, trust me. So thank you, Gwyneth, thank you!

Salad:
4 servings -

1 large head of romaine , chopped
A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 an English cucumber, chopped and diced
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced
(I also added 1 cup of canned chickpeas)

*Place the lettuce in a large bowl and combine with 1/4 cup of the dressing. Add the rest of the ingredients to the lettuce. Drizzle remaining dressing on top.

Yogurt-Tahini Dressing (so so yummy)
Makes 1 cup -

2 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup boiling water
1/2 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup plain sheep's or goat's milk yogurt or Vegenaise (all of which are available at Whole Foods) (Gwyneth is anti-cow's-milk-dairy, but you can also use plain yogurt).
3 tablespoons lemon juice (preferably freshly squeezed)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

*Whisk the tahini and water together until completely smooth. Whisk in the remaining ingredients. Keeps in the fridge in a jar for up to a week.