Vanilla Wafer Banana Bites

Here's another post using one of our favorite fruits ~ bananas!  I can't remember where I first saw this idea years ago, maybe in some kind of "cooking with kids" book.  Regardless, it's an awesome little treat that kids can totally make themselves (but it's yummy enough that adults will enjoy it too).  

Check it out...

Don't they look like such cute little treats?  Wait till you see how easy they are!

Here's what you need...

Yup, just a banana (you want it pretty ripe, but it doesn't have to be spotted yet like ours) and vanilla wafer cookies.  You'll also want some sprinkles (not pictured).  They're optional, but the addition of just a little bit of sprinkles takes things from a "just a snack" to a "special treat" in our house!

Here's what to do... 

1.  Slice your banana in about 1/4" slices.  Kids should be able to do this pretty easily with just a butter knife or even a plastic knife.  (I told my kids their slices should be about the width of their pinky finger)

2.  Put a slice of banana between two vanilla wafer cookies.  You don't have to press too hard, the stickiness of the banana should hold it together.  (that's why you want to use bananas that are pretty ripe, greenish ones aren't as sticky!)

3.  Shake on some sprinkles for the finishing touch.  (The little ball sprinkles seem to work best!) 

 

That's it!  Takes only a few minutes from start to finish!

Now, these little banana bites are good to eat just as soon as you put them together.  However, if you want a really special treat, put them in the freezer for a little while.  Once frozen, the banana slices taste almost like ice cream!

Sharing this yummy little treat at:

Craft-O-Maniac 
Brassy Apple

Fireworks T-shirts

I can't remember in what magazine or book I originally saw how to make these cute fireworks shirts, but I first made them when my youngest was just a toddler.  Now, nearly 5 years later, we decided to make some more fireworks shirts for the Fourth of July!

Don't they look a lot like real fireworks?

They were really simple to make and the kids had a blast (pun intended).

Here's how we made them...

1.  Gather your supplies ~ plain t-shirts, fabric paint in spray bottles and puffy fabric paint.  (You'll also want a piece of cardboard or several sheets of newspaper to put inside your t-shirt so the paint doesn't bleed through and something to cover your work surface with.)

NOTE: I happened to pick up the Fabric Spray Paint with a coupon at the craft store.  However, last time I just watered down regular fabric paint and put it in my own spray bottle  (about 2 parts paint to 1 part water) and it worked just as well.


2.  Spray several bursts of color on the front of your shirt. This will be the bases for your fireworks.

 3.  Next, use the puffy paint to add the lines of color radiating out from each firework.  In some spots, the puffy paint came out a little too fast, so we just used a toothpick to spread it out a bit.

4.  Next, I used some of the gold glitter puffy paint to add just a little more sparkle to each burst!

5.  We waited a little bit for the paint to dry, then did the same thing on the backs of our shirts.  Let it dry all the way and we were ready to go!

Now, I know this post is a little last minute to get ready for the 4th of July, but as I said before, I'm a last minute kind of girl.  We really had fun with it though, so hopefully you can make a quick run to the craft store for supplies and make some tomorrow before you go to see the fireworks.    Otherwise, just  "pin" it for next year! ;)

Sharing our fireworks at:

Craft-O-Maniac 

Summer Fun with Cousins (thanks to Target!)

Target is my happy place.  "My" Target is less than a mile from our house and I love being able to swing by and pick up whatever we need.  I know that I'll be able to find the necessities as well as a few extra "fun" things for the kids and I to enjoy.  Sometimes when the kids are in school, I'll just stop in, wander around, enjoy the kid-free time and see what kinds of new products are on the shelves.  

Several weeks ago, I started seeing all kinds of fun activity kits and summer toys.  So, imagine how excited I was to find out I'd be able to try out some of  Target's "Big Honkin Summer" line.  Perfect timing too, because we were getting ready for a week at "Camp Cousin" while visiting my parents, nieces and nephews.

Check out the fun times...

My son and nephew had fun 

with the Giant Badminton set.

My son had so much fun playing  

that he called me out to the backyard 

every chance he could.

(My playing skills weren't as good as the boys, 

I blame it on the fact that I was wearing flip flops, 

not because I'm getting older and out of shape! )

We all had fun making Duck Tape bags

with the Kid Made Modern Duck Tape Kit ($17.99).

Even the boys got in on the action

(but were outside playing during photo time)

I'm so glad we were introduced to the fun you can 

have with the new printed tape patterns,

we will definitely making more!

The "big" girls had fun making a super cute board book

for the youngest cousin

using the Kid Made Modern Board Book Kit ($14.99)

The kit was a great way to have fun, be creative,

and throw in a little learning too!

Not only is Target my happy place, but it's also the destination for everything families need to make the most of summer.   Target definitely helped make our recent time with family more memorable.  Check out their kids' catalog for the great products we used as well as many more fun things for your family.  If you're like me and like to wander the store, look for the giant beach balls, sand buckets and sunglasses directing you to the summer merchandise.

Oh, and definitely check out Target on Facebook as well as their awesome "Summerizer" Facebook app! With the app, you can add all sorts of fun summer icons to your photos and then share on Facebook or print at your local Target Photo Center.

Check out our fun, "summer-ized" photo...

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom CentralConsulting on behalf of Target and received products to facilitate my review, and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”