What is Day of the Dead? When is Day of the Dead? Day of the Dead or Día de los Muertos is November 1 in America. In Mexico, the holiday takes place over the first two days of November. It is a celebration to honor the dead. Today, we often associate the activities with Halloween, but the two holidays are not related except that they both derived from All Saints Day and All Souls Day. We've got some fun activities and costumes to help celebrate Day of the Dead. Enjoy!
Looking for Books for Tweens Who Don't Like to Read
Struggling to find a book your teen (or you) will like to read? "The Last Kids on Earth" by Max Brailler fits the bill. This is the ideal book for tween boys and girls. All we had to do was read the book blurb and our kids were clamoring to be the first one to read it! Want your own copy? Scroll down to find out how. Enjoy!
Book for Tween Boy: The Last Kids on Earth .
The Last Kids on Earth is a chapter book with lots of awesome
illustrations by Douglas Holgate. The illustrations are a great way to convince your reluctant reader to try it. The book is great as a group read for younger kids and a perfect tween read for kids 10-13 years old.
What's it about? Yeah, the title says it all.
Ever since the monster apocalypse hit town, average thirteen year old Jack Sullivan has been living in his tree house, which he's armed to the teeth with catapults and a moat, not to mention video games and an endless supply of Oreos and Mountain Dew scavenged from abandoned stores. But Jack alone is no match for the hoards of Zombies and Winged Wretches and Vine Thingies, and especially not for the eerily intelligent monster known only as Blarg. So Jack builds a team: his dorky best friend, Quint; the reformed middle school bully, Dirk; Jack's loyal pet monster, Rover; and Jack's crush, June. With their help, Jack is going to slay Blarg, achieve the ultimate Feat of Apocalyptic Success, and be average no longer! Can he do it?
Want more? Here's a FREE PRINTABLE COMIC DOWNLOAD.
The Last Kids on Earth Book Review
Here's what Jake has to say about it:
" I loved this book!" "If they don't make a sequel or a bunch of sequels they are crazy! I can't wait to read more."
Good news Jake; the sequel is coming in 2016!
"I didn't like the idea of having a gigantic monster as the main enemy, but I did like teaming up with your enemies, the apocaplyptic scene, and having to survive as long as you can in a mutated world."
"If I were writing a book like this, I would probably remove the gigantic monsters. Perhaps, add slightly more danger in it- make them basically nomads. I want more characters!"
"To survive in a post apocalytpic world, I would gather up all useful supplies in the house and then be a nomad and collect things as I go along."
Want your own copy? Leave a comment below, and you are automatically entered to win. We'll choose a random winner on Oct. 31, 2015. Good luck!
The Last Kids on Earth* *This book was given to us for review, but it is not a sponsored post. All words and opinions are our own. ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.
*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Chitika, Google Adsense, and Social Spark ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)
When is Dictionary Day? Dictionary Day is October 16. What is Dictionary Day? It is a day designed to honor the creator of our modern dictionary, Noah Webster. Dictionary Day is a great opportunity to teach children about dictionary use and brush up on those skills. It is also a great day to learn a new word! Use this lesson plan for Dictionary Day to celebrate this special holiday. Have a great Dictionary Day. Enjoy!
Dictionary Lesson Plan for Dictionary Day October 16.
Brainpop Subscribers (you can sometimes find passwords online) can watch a fun video on the dictionary. Be sure to do the quiz too!
Who was Noah Webster?
What is a lexicographer? (Write your answer in your journal or in a Google Doc that you share with your teacher.)
Do a search to find the 10 newest dictionary words. (Write your answer in your journal or in a Google Doc that you share with your teacher.)
Webster's is the most well known dictionary. Can you name another dictionary? (Write your answer in your journal or in a Google Doc that you share with your teacher.)
We had fun with Dr Pepper®! While making easy breaded chicken tenders, we had enough batter leftover to make fried zucchinni. The results were awesome, and it required very little effort. Scroll down to see how to make fried zucchinni with flour and Dr Pepper®. Enjoy!
Use a potato peeler to stripe your zucchinni.
They say all of the nutritional value of a zucchinni is in the peeling (think fiber). We aren't fans of the peeling, so we cut some off and leave some on. It makes an attractive presentation piece.
Slice zucchinni into bite sized pieces.
Slice your zucchinni into small, bite sized pieces.
Place them into a mixture of Dr Pepper® and egg. I know, ew, but it works!
So, that is 1 beaten egg and 1/2 C. Dr Pepper®. We're missing a photo, but the next step is to lightly flour your zucchinni pieces. We mixed 1/2 C. flour with a dash of Sea Salt, a dash of pepper, and a teaspoon of Dr Pepper®. Use a fork to break up the flour mixture. Tongs are great for flipping the zucchinni.
Fry in butter and a splash of Dr Pepper®.
Fry the zucchinni over medium heat in a pan of butter and Dr Pepper® as mentioned above. Flip after 1-2 minutes, flip again if not golden. Be sure not to let the pan grease get too hot. You don't want to burn the breading.
Easy Fried Zucchinni Recipe with Flour. These are so tasty!
Lay on a paper towel to dry and soak off excess butter mixture.
We made these as an after thought when we were making baked chicken tenders, but they are so good, we'll be making them again... and again! Let us know what you think in the comments.
ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products. *We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)
We just discovered Whisker Graphics. They are a cute, online craft store. While we were perusing the "aisles", we found free owl print outs for cupcakes and bag decorating. This creator of Divine Twine™ offers lots of cute, Halloween Paper Crafts on Sale. We picked out some of our favorite items. Scroll down for the FreePrintable Owl Labels and Invitations. Enjoy!
These Chevron Bitty Bags™ come in all colors. What a fun way to customize your Halloween goody bags for trick or treaters. You can add cute tags too. Best of all, these bags are food safe, biodegradable, and recyclable!
Chevron Halloween Trick or Treat Goody Bags.
Don't miss out on this Halloween Special. It includes tags, bags, papers, Divine Twine™, and more. Check here for more details: Halloween Paper Crafts. You can create personalized invitations and adorable wrapped packages with this kit.
Here's the best part, you can get these adorable owl printables for FREE! Just hop over here: Cute Owl Print Outs, and download the PDF. They are fully customizable too! How fun is that?
Owl Food Craft for Preschoolers ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.
*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Blogvertise, The Blogger Network, Chitika, Google Adsense, and Social Spark ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)
Are you looking for an easy pork tenderloin recipe for the slow cooker crock pot? Taking advantage of the crock pot gives you more time to prep side dishes or catch up on chores. We've come up with a tasty, fall slow cooker pork recipe that can serve as a substitute Thanksgiving entree. It will make you think differently about pork. Enjoy!
This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.
Pork Tenderloin Recipes Slow Cooker .
The folks at Smithfield® Marinated Pork invited us to share a recipe with their delicious Pork Tenderloin. So, we headed to our local Kroger to gather up all of the supplies needed for a simple, down home, fall pork tenderloin dinner. Your family will think you are awesome when you serve this up with a side of sweet potato tater tots and a green bean casserole. It is perfect any night, because it cooks in minutes and disappears in seconds.
Smithfield® Marinated Pork Recipes for Slow Cooker Crock Pot.
You can have Thanksgiving dinner every night! For a limited time, (availability may vary) get a discount coupon for Smithfield® Marinated Pork at Kroger.
Substitute pork for your Thanksgiving Dinner.
My family's favorite leftovers are Thanksgiving Turkey turned into a cranberry sandwich with mayo, salt, and pepper. They prefer that to the fancy Thanksgiving feast. So, of course, we decided to make a twist and switch out the turkey for pork. With Smithfield® Marinated Pork, the good news is we don't have to wait for leftovers!
Open Faced Cranberry Pork Sandwiches.
Easy Slow Cooker Pork Tenderloin Recipe
Ingredients:
Smithfield® Marinated Pork, Garlic
2 Boxes Corn Muffin Mix
2 Eggs (We use Duck Eggs)
Milk or Almond Milk
Green Beans
Sweet Potato Tater Tots (found at Kroger)
Canned Cranberry Sauce
Almonds or Walnuts
Open Faced Cranberry Pork Sandwiches
Spray your slow cooker with Canola Oil, add 1/2 C. water, a pinch of ground cloves, and a pinch of nutmeg. If you want, you can also add a dash of cinnamon. Place the pork in the slow cooker on high heat, turning occassionally. Cook until browned and 150 degrees in the center. Time varies with each slow cooker's settings.
While the pork tenderloin is cooking, prep corn muffin mix, and bake according to package instructions. We added 1/4 C. ground flax to our batter and then placed it in a loaf pan. You'll need 2 boxes to fill the loaf pan.
The Sweet Potato Tater Tots only take about 20 minutes to cook, and cook nicely in a toaster oven.
While everything is cooking, you'e got some time for yourself. Ha! You can do the dishes and sweep the kitchen floor. When everything is done cooking you can sit down and enjoy the meal with your family.
When the Pork is done, remove from crock pot and allow to rest on a cutting board for 5-8 minutes before cutting it into 1/2" slices.
While the pork is cooling, remove the corn muffin "bread" from the pan and slice it into 1/2" slices.
Open the can of Cranberry Sauce and slice it thinly (up to 1/2").
Lay the pork slice atop the corn muffin, and place the cranberry slice on top to form an open faced cranberry pork sandwich. Yum!
ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products. *We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)
Though these field trips are in Indiana, they make great ideas for field trips in your home state or great ideas for places to visit while on a vacation. If you are looking for Indiana Field Trips, leave a note in the comments, and we'll share more fun ideas. Tried and true. Enjoy!
Field Trips in Indiana.
Field trips are an excellent way to connect student learning to the world outside of school. Gaining knowledge is the goal of the educational process. However, when gaining that knowledge mainly takes place in the classroom and from books, it can seem disconnected from the purpose of that knowledge. The purpose, of course, is to prepare the student for success as a grown-up. Part of that preparation should be helping the students understand why and how gaining knowledge is going to aid them in their future when they are grown and on their own. The better they understand why their education matters, the more likely they are to be engaged in the learning process. What kind of field trips are out there? Where can you take students that will help them grasp how what they are learning in class is going to be integral to their success as an adult? The following is a list of fun trips that are in or nearby Indianapolis. The links provided take you to the website where you can find information about the educational opportunities that are offered.
Exotic Feline Rescue Center – Located in Center Point, IN, it is located just over an hour away from Indianapolis. It offers classroom presentations at grade level, with fun and interactive materials. Field trips include a walking tour of the facility, which covers around 20 acres. Phone: 812-835-1130.
Trader’s Point Creamery – On the northwest side of Indianapolis, Trader’s Point Creamery is a working farm which specializes in grass fed cattle. They offer tours year round which include viewing the milking process. Phone: 317-733-1700
Waterman’s Farm, Raymond St. Location - A great fall destination for pumpkin picking and other Halloween activities. In June, they offer strawberry picking field trips. During summer, field trips are customized to your group’s specific interests. Phone 317-357-2989
Kelsay Farms – Located 30 minutes south of Indianapolis, in New Whiteland, IN. Kelsay Farms is a working dairy farm that offers tours that last about 2 hours. Children learn about milking, feeding, and caring for dairy cows. Phone: 317-535-4136
United States District Court – A trip to a courthouse offers kids a chance to learn about history, law, civics and government. The Southern District Court offers and opportunity for kids to interact with a judge, provided the tour is booked early enough in advance. Phone: 317-229-3792
McCloud Nature Park – This Hendricks County Park offers field trip opportunities on a variety of topics. Rocks, Insects, Birds, Maple Syrup and Geomorphology are just some of the subject matter from which to choose. Phone: 765-676-5437
Fire Station Tour, Town of Plainfield – Since most kids love fire trucks Fire Station fieldtrips are a big hit. The Town of Plainfield offers Fire House Tours where kids can learn about the day to day routines of fire fighters and the equipment that they operate. Phone: 317-839-6939 x18
West Central Conservancy – Learn how waste water is treated at Avon’s West Central Conservancy. This fieldtrip shows how science is used to make the world a cleaner place. Phone: 317-272-3944
Are there any great field trips that you and your children have experienced? I would love to hear about them! Post about the tours you enjoyed in the comments.
Recommended:
Eagle Creek Park Magic School Bus Electric Field Trip*
Conner Prairie Interactive History Park
Spring Mill State Park Field Trip to Niagara Falls
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum
For more ideas see our Homeschool Projects page. ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.
*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Chitika, Google Adsense, and Social Spark ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)
Halloween is our favorite time of year! We love carving pumpkins and creating fun, edible art or Bento lunches with a Halloween, holiday theme. So, when Pillsbury Grands!® asked us to come up with a Halloween recipe, we were happy to oblige. Enjoy!
Hooty owl biscuits for Halloween.
The Hooty Owls are our favorite Halloween biscuits. Before baking, we made a slice in each side of the biscuit and pulled them out to look like wings. Then, we cut a sausage triangle for a nose. Snack pepperoni makes perfect owl eyes. Bake according to package directions.
Grands!® Halloween Recipe Easy Edible Art Bento.
This easy Grands!® Bisuit Halloween recipe is fun for toddlers or preschoolers to make, and it makes a great after school snack for elementary age students. They can choose their favorite Halloween character. We made Jack-o-lanterns, Jack the Pumpkin King, creepy monsters, and little hooty owls!
Creepy monster Halloween biscuit with pepperoni and sausage.
For this creepy monster, we sliced the pepperonis in half. Then, we sliced the sausage lengthwise cutting out pieces for a long nose and two eyes. Just push into the raw dough. They will bake in place.
Below, we made Jack the Pumpkin King with just sliced sausages. As you can see, these are easy for little ones to make. Just pre-cut the meats for them, and let them stick into the biscuit for some sensory, fine motor skill practice.
Skeleton biscuit is easy edible art for Halloween.
Easy Jack-o-lantern pumpkin biscuit is fun to make for Halloween.
Owl edible art craft for preschoolers or toddlers.
Cute, baby owl edible craft for Halloween.
Grands!® Halloween Recipe Easy Edible Art Bento ideas.
You can share our photos with the kids to inspire them, but let them make their own edible creations.
Set out several small cups, each with a different ingredient.
Remember, pepperoni, sausage, hotdogs, Zucchinni, Summer Squash, and peppers work best.
Give each child a paper plate with a raw biscuit.
Let them create!
Bake according to package directions.
Enjoy with milk or apple juice for a fun snack.
Grands!® Biscuits Easy Recipe for Halloween.
Be sure to share your creations with us! We love to see your creative ideas.
*This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Pillsbury. The opinions and text are all mine.
ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products. *We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Chitika, Google Adsense, and Social Spark ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)
With a Baby Monitor like the Keera, you can do more knowing your child is safe. The thing we'd do more of is get some sleep! Our babies were into co-sleeping. We never felt safe with them in the other room- if only we had this monitor! Keep reading this review to learn how you can WIN your own. Enjoy!
Keera, Levana's Touch Panel Video Baby Monitor.
We really wanted a video monitor. Not only does everyone here at Kids Creative Chaos have babies and small children, some of us have GRAND babies! Our little granddaughter often spends the night at our house. We wanted to feel secure knowing that she is safe and sound, not climbing out of her bed, and not getting squished by a big, fat cat.
But... there were other reasons we wanted a baby monitor...
Our 9 yr. old is very in to detective work. It has been her dream for the last 5 or so years to catch Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy in the act. Mommy wants to know what the cats do when we're gone. I mean, do they sleep all day or do they terrorize the house? AND, what do the cats do when they see the Tooth Fairy?
You need special software to view your baby monitor videos on your computer. This helps keep them safer from hackers. We wanted to share the soothing music, so we took a video of our video! :) The pictures and videos are high quality, and make great family keepsakes when you download the software.
Full Disclosure: We'd also planned to use the camera to monitor the chicken coop at night, but after receiving this one for review, we quickly decided against that. This is a very NICE camera. Far too good for placement in the chicken coop!
Keera, Levana's Touch Panel Video Baby Monitor.
The Keera, Levana's 3.5" touch panel baby monitor has pan, tilt, and zoom. It can record video and take pictures while viewing the live performance on your monitor. The battery lasts up to 24 hrs. The monitor has a touch panel with simple icons that make selecting the features easy. You can do more knowing your child is safe. Imagine using it as a Nanny Cam while you have an older sibling babysit as you make a run to the store for bread and milk.
All Levana monitors are cordless, eliminating the risk of strangulation. You can keep the charging cords in another room or out of your babies reach.
They know their stuff! Levana launched the first-ever wireless handheld baby monitor in 2002.
The monitors are state of the art with invisible LED's and ClearVu Digital Wireless Technology (to protect from hackers).
They are one of the first movement monitors ever introduced.
Smart LED Indicator Ring
Sound indicator ring changes color with the sound of your baby’s voice alerting you if she is crying out when you have the volume turned down and features adjustable sensitivity.
Pink - Disconnected
Blue – Whispers
Green – Murmurs
Yellow – Cooing
Orange – Chatter
Red – Yelling
Blah, blah... you want to know how we liked it? More importantly, you want to know how to score your own, right? Loved it.
These free printable monthly calendar (s) with holidays and special days are updated every month. Check back for the latest version. Once you have the link, you can save a copy, and edit it to add your own special days or birthdays. Enjoy!
Free Printable Monthly Calendar with Holidays 2017.
Mac and Cheese is easiest in the microwave, but it isn't the best tasting. If you want the BEST easy macaroni and cheese, we've found the perfect pasta for you! This recipe is simple, and it tastes good. Enjoy!
Barilla® Pronto™ is an amazing time saver.
Barilla® Pronto™ will save you time without sacrificing the flavor or texture you have come to expect from Barilla® Pasta. You can find it at Kroger in the canned and packaged goods section- right next to the regular pasta. Kroger offers Elbows, Rotini, Penne, Spaghetti, and Linguine.
Make your mac and cheese gourmet by mixing in frozen peas and pepperoni.
You can customize Barilla® Pronto™ to your liking. We boiled up a pan of penne and tossed in our favorite ingredients. See the simple mac and cheese recipe below. It is so fast, you won't believe how much time it saves!
Barilla® Pronto™ Penne.
Easy PEAS-y Mac and Cheese Recipe
#OnePanPronto Frozen Peas Pepperoni Black Pepper Your Favorite Cheese Sauce in a Jar Here's the tricky part: Sit pan on stove. Add water according to package directions. No need to turn on stove and preboil water! Pour in your favorite Barilla® Pronto™ Pasta variety- we chose Penne. Turn on High heat to boil. Stir to keep from sticking.
Boil until most of water is gone (about 10 minutes).
No need to rinse and drain!
Add your favorite cheese sauce from a jar, sprinkle in pepper, and frozen peas.
Optional: Toss in Pepperoni. We served it on the side due to our picky eaters.
You can customize Pronto™ to your liking by adding sauce, seasoning, vegetables or proteins for unlimited meal options!
Find Barilla® Pronto™ at your local Kroger in the pasta aisle
50+ Easy Circle Time Games for Three, Four, and Five Years Group Time for preschoolers often happens several times a day, you need fres...
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