Yesterday the girls and I spent our morning making play dough. Jonny and the big boys were snowboarding, and with the big kids gone it’s always a little hard for the littlest ones and I to find a rhythm. I try to plan projects that involve simple mixing and making. Play dough is not something that we keep on hand at all times, so it doesn’t lose it’s fun factor. As the girls kneaded their first batch I overheard Larkspur tell Beatrix, “It’s the making part that’s the most fun.” To which Beatrix responded with an emphatic, “Yeah.”
Beatrix and I also mixed up a batch of sugar scrub this week. It was oh so easy, and a great little project for the two of us to do together. I found that there are an overwhelming number of recipes on the internet so I took a general formula and then improvised with what I had on hand. Many of the recipes I saw called for an oil to sugar ratio of about 1:2. I combined 1 cup of olive oil with enough sweet almond oil, shea butter, and kokum butter to equal 2 cups (I placed the oils in a glass measuring cup in a warm water bath on the stove to melt the shea and kokum.) Once all my oils were thoroughly melted, I added essential oil for fragrance and then poured the oil into a big bowl. Finally we added about 4 1/2 cups of sugar and mixed with a spoon. Beatrix spooned some of our final product into a small tin for the bathroom and the rest into a quart sized ball jar which I will keep in the refrigerator.
Once we were finished Beatrix asked to taste the sugar. I said “sure, just a little.” She tasted it and with chastisement in her tone, told me, “It’s pretty good. You should’ve made food with it.”
Speaking of making, I realized today that I don’t have any easy knitting projects to work on while I am giving lessons, so I am going to remedy that with a skein of this, and this shawl pattern (it starts out nice and easy and stays that way until close to the end.)
This evening, Beatrix called me to the window to show me the “pink sky.” She was sitting on the back of the couch watching the sun set with a smile on her face. That last photo is for her, my little lover of life.
p.s. I received a gift this week with no way to give a proper thank you. So, Bronwyn, I hope you are reading (because I don’t have your email address!) Thank you. You made my week.
p.p.s. The toy that Silas is holding in the photo above is from this shop. Hands down, my favorite baby toys. Silas agrees.
p.p.p.s. Play dough recipes abound but I love this book (I’ve been referring to it since Seth was a baby!) and often use the play dough recipe it contains but add glitter and essential oils.
Bronwyn says
You are very welcome! Glad you liked it.
Rosina {Rosy ~ Posy} says
haha, I just LOVE the photos of the kids playing with the playdough. It could have been my kitchen tables with all of the toes and elbows being smooshed into the dough cuz there is a lot of that going on around here to *grin*. So much fun!
Kristen@TheFrugalGirl says
We have those skies outside our kitchen slider a lot, and my kids often point them out too. “Mommy! Get your camera!”
Love Bea’s thoughts on the sugar. 😉
astoria says
Thank you for this post. I’ve always been intimidated about making personal care products myself, but after reading this post I decided this recipe was the best thing to do with my getting-over-a-fever three year old this morning. I had olive oil, almond oil and beeswax on hand, and sugar of course, so we just went for it with that using your proportions. We added a drop of red food coloring (cause she insisted it had to be pink) and a drop of the only essential oil we had on hand (eucalyptus) which actually smells better than you’d expect with the sugar, olive, and beeswax scents. My hands are super soft now and we got through a good 45 minutes in peace! Thanks for sharing.
Ellen says
Larkspur is wise beyond her years! Yes, the making part is the most fun…most times. I think I would smile at that lovely pink sky as well. Sometimes, it’s easy to get so busy you forget to slow down and simply enjoy the paintbrush strokes of color of an evening sky. Of course, I love your how your pink yarn coordinates with the sky – clever!
Jen says
That Bea looks like she’s a firecracker. I love the pictures of her reading to Silas. So sweet.
Emily T. says
I love that Bea is an all-hands, and feet!, creator. And that she wears her princess dress while creating.
teresa c says
Oh, making dough seems a great project indeed! And thank your for the book reference, I think it’s just what I need for providing a creative environment for my kid! He likes to draw, and we do it a lot. I hope he isn’t too young for the projects, though, with just 16 months…
caitlin says
hiya ginny, oh my, silas’ eyes! and that yarn is sweet!
p.s. i did a little feature post on my blog about you as part of a set http://thepheasantandi.blogspot.com.au/2012/02/gratitude-day-3.html
enjoy x
Sarah says
Those blue eyes on Silas! My heart!
Corey says
Little toes sure do love to squish around in the play-dough – my daughter had the exact same idea as your dear Beatrix!
http://lessandmorewithfour.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/i-am-grateful/img_9354/
Heather says
I have that pattern in my favorites. Very pretty and that yarn I just need to try soon. Bea knows a good sunset – so beautiful. I think play doh will be on the agenda for tomorrow. I have sick kiddos.
molly says
1. those TOES!
2. i fear we are aging out of playdough. but not before i make another few rounds. we love it so with glitter, and peppermint, also.
3. yes, absolutely. the making’s the best part.
4. goodnight, and peace to you, miss g.
Wendy says
My 3 year old notice the pink clouds just the other morning. I made some scrub similar to your’s up around Christmas time for some gifts, and it’s getting good reviews. Love the toes in that first picture. 🙂
Meg says
I noticed the pink sky tonight also (I live in VA). Playdough is my favorite thing to make with little ones. Thanks for the beautiful photos!
Brit says
Beatrix’s pink sky is beautiful. 🙂 I think it’s about time the boys and I made some play dough; it has been a while and they have fun playing with it. And my skin is asking me to make a sugar scrub, like tonight, so thank you for the idea and recipe.
Kim says
What a lovely post and I have to agree, it is the making part that’s the most fun 🙂
Love the last pic, beautiful.
heathermama says
funny that you made play dough… we were going to make it tomorrow.
and bea and the sugar. oh my, that is just too funny and sweet. what a nice morning. 🙂
Maria says
I don’t think a child who watches television with any regularity would notice a pink sky.
Renee Anne says
I love the photo of small children feet in yellow dough…it makes me giggle 🙂
When I worked in daycare, I brought in all the supplies to make play dough and divided my kids up and made small batches with groups of about four kids. It worked out really well and when we were done, we had two ice cream pails of play dough for the class to use. As long as they put it back in the container and sealed it, it lasted quite awhile. Eventually, it started to smell funny and we had to throw it out. They begged me to make it again right away but we waited a couple weeks before we made it again. I didn’t want it to lose it’s “fun” factor.
Joy says
It sounds like a lovely morning, even without a rhythm. I love the foot on the playdoh. 🙂