DIY Non-toxic Watercolors

I saw these easy DIY watercolors the other day and had to try making some, too.

Oh... it was so much fun! 

And very, very easy, too; using ingredients I already had at home.

Didn't they turn out beautifully?

You'll need:

3 tbsp baking soda

3 tbsp corn starch

3 tbsp white vinegar

1 1/2 tpbsp light corn syrup 

(we used dark, and it was fine, too)

various food colors

Combine the baking soda, corn starch, vinegar and corn syrup. It'll fizz (fun! It's a magic potion!). 

After the fizzing has subsided, mix completely. 

Pour the mix into whatever containers you want to use for the paints 

(I used these very convenient no-spill paint mixing tubs that I brought from Tallinn, 

but you could use anything).

Pour in the food colors, mix and match, and see what colors you get! 

Let them harden for about half a day. After that, pour out excessive liquids.

This was such a wonderful little colorful project for me and the girls. 

The best part is that the colors are non-toxic and they are safe even for little Sisie to use. 

Happy day!

PS A few more pictures of our Tallinn trip here (I am that blur on the couch) and here.

Pretty in Pink

This morning, I forgot that it was Tuesday today, which means we missed kerho (playschool). I simply forgot! Seriously, sometimes I don't know whether I'm coming or going. Fé, who tends to be overly dramatic, was mortified, so I told her she could pick any activity and we'd do it, and of all the things she could have picked, she picked dress-up. Specifically, dress up as princess (of course).

Unlike other girls, Fé a real princess. But Sisie stole her ladyship's sun glasses and court hat. Sometimes it's hard to be a princess. (Also: siblings keep you grounded.) (Also: Sisters are awesome.)

It's Mardi Gras / laskiainen today. I'm always a bit grumpy because they don't have Carnival here, but we decided to follow Finnish tradition and made laskiaispulla (Shrove buns, ie cardamom buns with jam and cream... our jam turned out a bit runny...) People in Finland traditionally also go sledding and eat pea soup. Strange, but fun.

Tallinn through my phone

... I am still so very much in love with it.

:)

Masks and a Rainshower

Inspired by lilla a, once again. Self-portraits on paper plates. What a great idea. Fe spent hours (!) yesterday and today drawing. Which one of these shall we send in for the  exhibition...? I can't decide. They are all so awesome. Fe named each one of them Pikku Pelle (Little Clown), except for the green-yellow one with blue teeth whose name is Sisie. And the all-yellow one is Fe's future son. 

Handsome, isn't he.

Sisie is well again. The two girls have been playing and laughing and joking around all day, and I've watched from the sidelines and enjoyed. The sun has been shining, and it's even been a little over 0 degrees. We took a long walk today and had to cross several huge puddles. Puddles! 

That means the snow is melting, which can only mean spring!

Oh, and there is nothing quite as fun as trying to take a shower without getting wet.

Happy Weekend!

I'm off to Tallinn tomorrow. :)

Tomato Sauce And

Man, evenings are tough for me. That last hour, before the hub comes home from work... I am completely useless. My brain stops functioning or something. And when he finally does come home, all I want to do is shove the kids into his arms and escape somewhere to that private corner in my brain that's still just me. Not mom, not wife, not entertainer, not playmate, not diaper changer, bottom wiper, booger taker-offer. Just me and myself. (What do you do, though, when myself turns out to be not quite herself without all those other selves?)

Phew, but we had a lovely day today, mostly.

Little hands grabbing onto each other.

Big green blankets; playing peek-a-boo.

Hiccups and baby giggles.

Drawing masks and writing letters...

Walking... taps taps... dancing... more giggling.

A train ride in the starry sky.

Spaghetti, tomato sauce, spaghetti, tomato sauce.

Home.

Story cube and a tutu.

The babe is ill, so we have been taking it easy at home. With tutus... (ah, tutus!)... Thai microwave food... and a story dice that I made with the Miss.

She drew some people and some abstract stuff on the dice, so we've been coming up with the craziest stories all day. Pox chicken feeding on the man in the moon, etc. The usual.

:)

(The wonderful story dice idea is from Helen.)