Inside Activities for a Busy Toddler

I hate the month of January. I'm all for winter, snow and cold until December 26th, then I want summer. January drags on and on. There is nothing to look forward to, nothing to do and all the holiday stuff is over. This little boy and his momma have been going stir crazy. Thank goodness for my "mom" degree because it taught me a lot of fun things to do with little kids and a lot of them focus on motor skills. I might be that annoying mom that's always pushing education down my kids throat but guess what, he's 2 1/2 and knows his ABCs, can count to 15, learning to draw his shapes, and writing his letters and numbers so I must be doing something right.. Right?!
So here's some easy, and cheap activities to do to keep you and your toddler from going completely crazy during the winter.

1. Paint is awesome. Yeah I get that it's messy and people don't like to deal with it but it keeps kids occupied forever!  Kayden is always asking to paint.  I found this little train for like 2 dollars at hobby lobby.  Also, Walmart's craft section has a lot of little wood things that can be painted for under a dollar.

2.  Pom poms are the best!  So cheap, and you can do so many things with them.  I get out a muffin tin and have him organize them into colors, we do pictures (like making rainbows..), we count them, you can even get a straw out and blow them around through it.

3.  More paint, but this time you put it in a gallon size bag and tape it down so it doesn't move.  Bam non-messy fingerprint! Kayden is getting good with his numbers and letters with this one.

4.  A bag of marshmallows and toothpicks can sure keep this kid busy. Make shapes, snowmen, anything you want.

5.  Like I said, we like paint.  Buy watercolor paint for like a dollar at any store.  I just tear out pictures from his coloring books to give him. No need to buy "special" paint paper.  Just put newspaper or a mat under it.

6.  Our new favorite thing to do- go on a treasure hunt!  Kayden thinks this is the most coolest thing ever. A wipe container works great for a treasure box. Make a list of random stuff to read off to him. I put something random from each room in the house that he would have to think about before running and finding it.  Things like; a comb, a train, a sock.. and ended it in the kitchen with a treat for him.

8.  There is a lot that can be done with pipe cleaners.  I just get out a strainer and let Kayden do his thing.  It's fun to watch him figure out how to put them through the holes.

9.  Playdough  is always good.  No need to go into detail, we've all played with it.

10. Bathtub crayons.  Don't be hesitant about these, they wash off!  I let Kayden use them the first day we moved into our house on a brand new bathtub. It's a good activity during the winter when it's cold.  He draws pictures forever and is also learning his numbers, shapes and letters this way too.

BBQ Ranch Chicken Salad

You know you have a problem (or just really pregnant) when you dream up new dessert recipes in your dreams. But then I wake up and get depressed that they're not waiting for me down in my kitchen.. I seriously have such a baking bug lately, but I'm in the biggest cooking rut! I don't feel like cooking, trying new things or even eating dinners. I just make the same old things, my poor family. Can't a pregnant girl just eat cookies and chocolate without being judged?! I mean I am taking my prenatals.. So the baby's fine right??  Anyways.. In my non wanting to cook stage these days, I've come up with some really easy, simple and light recipes that I'll be sharing this week. Hope you enjoy! And stay tuned for the dessert recipes I've been dreaming up!

I know this the worst picture, but it gives you the idea.

What you need:

Shredded chicken

Lettuce

Corn

Black beans

Carrots

Tomatoes

Chrused tortilla chips

Bbq sauce

Ranch

All these are optional, you can also add whatever you want. Just throw it all together, mix in bbq sauce and top it with ranch. Such an easy dinner to throw together.

Banana chocolate chip cookies

This just might be my new favorite cookie. Made these for a bedtime snack and me, my husband and little boy couldn't stop eating them. These taste like banana bread but the best part about them is that they are easy! Every time I make banana bread, it takes forever and something always turns out wrong like a gooey middle or burnt ends. These cookies were fast, haf little ingredients and taste just as good. They came out so fluffy and light. I could keep going on and on about how good here at, but you all should just go try them yourselves!

Also- I'm so excited to wake up and have these for breakfast! It has bananas so it's fine right?

What you need: 

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups flour

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

- preheat oven to 350 degrees

- with a mixer, cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs, vanilla and bananas and mix well

- mix in flour, baking soda and salt. Add chocolate chips. 

*mixture will be wet and sticky and will not form into balls. Take a spoon and drop by the spoonful onto a cookie sheet covered with wax paper or a silicon mat.

- bake for 12 minutes, until the edges turn golden

Let the cookies cool before storing them

Store in airtight container 

Makes 3 dozen