Tehachapi Sunsets

One of the best things in the high desert are the sunsets. It's too hot and too dry, but the sunsets are amazing here.  My husband went on a bike ride last night and took a few pictures of the last sunset of summer 2012. Enjoy :)

Easy Bilingual Kid Craft - Street Lights Sign

I made this fun little street lights sign craft with Adam this after-noon. The sun was still a little to hot to be outside after lunch, so I opted for craft time inside instead. Since I am trying hard to raise Adam in a bilingual world, I gave a simple twist to the project. Like that, he can learn his color in English and French while having fun. He loves anything related to cars, so I knew a street light sign would be a success.

All I needed was:

• construction paper (red, yellow and green) ripped in small pieces,
• a white (or black) paper, 
• glue ( I used flour and water)
• a red, yellow and green crayons.  

Adam had a great time doing it, while we revised our colors in both languages. Sunday afternoon turned out to be fun and easy :)

Crazy Cat Lady

           If you know me personally, you know I love animals. It also probably why sometimes my house feel like a zoo. Over the years, we rescued many pets and welcomed them into our family. At this moment, we have 2 cats, 1 dog, 1 turtle and a few fishes. One of our cat is indoor only, she was dewclaw very young (her paws are very tiny because of it) and she never been outside her whole life. We think she was about 6 years old, when we got her. Having an indoor cat equal having a litter box right? I also mentioned we have a dog. About 2 years ago, we rescued this full size dachshund name Bam-Bam. Before we rescued him, he was used as a breeder dog in Bakersfield. He was malnourished, lived outside mostly and had fleas and ticks. He had never been trained for anything. When we got him, we had to teach him all of the basics, like "sit" and how to walk on a leash. Still up to today, "sit" is one of the only command he responds to. Some friends of ours told us he is more like a companion dog. But no matter what, we love him very much and are glad he is part of our family.

Most people I talked to who have an inside cat and a dog seem to have the same problem that we have. Our dog loves to go munch in the litter box (I know this is disgusting!!!) Not only we were totally repugnant by Bam-Bam actions, we had cat litter all over the house. My first reaction was to make my cat potty-trained (here's the crazy cat lady) and get rid of the litter box. I researched online the many ways and all of the products to help achieve my new goal. I removed the litter box and put a bowl on my toilet with cat litter in it. I follow all of the steps on how to make your cat potty-trained. Isis was a little bit resilient at first, but she finally got it. But when it was time to remove the bowl, she refused to go on the toilet seat. She was done with my experiment. I guess you can't teach your old cat a new trick, no matter how smart you think your cat is. So there I was, back online doing more research and I couldn't find anything that will work for us. I was starting to be desperate and starting to consider to find a new family for our dog.
Then my husband and I had an idea, we were going to build a cover for the litter box with a hole small enough that our dog will not fit in it. With a few piece of left over wood from the garage, my husband build the box one Saturday afternoon. The wooden box is quite bigger than the litter box, so even if our dog try to fit in, he can't reach the litter. I cover it with some vinyl shelf liner that stick on contact from the dollars store. It was easier, faster and cheaper than having to paint the box. It works perfectly. Not only it looks better than that ugly litter box, we also used the top to put our cat food on. No more cat litter all over the house and Bam-Bam get to stay with us. My son was very happy about that, since he is his dog after all.

FYI: For more than a year now, I used the natural corn fiber cat litter and I like it a lot more. I recommended it, it is way better that the regular clay litter. Well worth the little higher price. I never tried the feline pine litter, if you have let me know, I wonder if it's better than the corn fiber.Thanks

Homemade Fruity Play dough

This fruity play dough is a fun recipe/craft to do with your little ones. I made some with my son a few days ago and he LOVED it. It's a nice way to encourage your kid to help you in the kitchen and what is more fun than fruity play dough for a 3 year old?  

 You will need:

• white flour – 1 cup
• warm water – 1 cup
• salt – 2 tbsp
• cream of tartar – 2 tbsp
• cooking oil – 2 tbsp
• Jello any flavor – 1 3oz pack ( I used a store brand, it was half price)

Add all the ingredients together in a big bowl and mix them together until consistent and with a uniform color. Let your kids helping with the measuring and mixing even if it means a longer process and a lot more clean up. They can learn so much from helping in the kitchen, and it’s very fun for them. Pour into a pan and stir continuously over medium heat. Wait for it to thicken into a big ball and can't stir anymore. Let it cool for at least 20-30 minutes.  let the little ones help knead it and adding  flour until it is no longer sticky (about 1/2 cup total). 

It's time to play.

Our Raspberry Playdough

Skateboard tricks

My husband and I love to film our neighbor Kyle Huddleston doing tricks on his skateboard. If you like that kind of stuff enjoy watching him.

The Smile Project :)

I made this video last year, after a lot of people around me experienced very sad time in their life. I decided to create "The Smile Project :)" to help everybody who needs a smile in their life.

Enjoy

(sorry for the bad image quality, I am in the process of buying a higher quality camcorder)

Downhill @ Mountain Park

This is my husband going down Mountain Park, Tehachapi, on his 20" bike.

Is this the terrible two? (article for Thelocalshopper.com)

Is this the terrible two?

by Stephanie Hayes

Are the terrible two a myth or not? Some parents swear their kids never had it and some others say their children had it until they enter kindergarten. Toddlers love to explore new things and they do not have our knowledge of what is wrong and what is right. They also are learning their limits and occasionally they like to push it as far as they can. The result? A big meltdown and they usually do not mind if it’s at home or in public where it happens. Every parent has their own technique to deal with this situation, sometimes with great results and some other times it just gets worse. So what is the best way to deal with their little (or big) moment without losing your mind? I observed some parents ignoring their children behavior until they stopped. It looked so easy and simple, I tried that with my child and it made it worse. Getting irritated at him always made things worse. It also did not work very well just leave the store in the middle of my shopping. When we go back immediately after he calmed down outside (or in the car), he would do it again and again. I started to surf the Internet to find the best kept secret about toddler’s meltdown. The first answer I found is, before you go out make sure your children ate and are not tired. In a perfect world, of course my child will never be tired, but the reality is, like adults, children also have bad nights when they do not sleep well and we cannot always withdraw our day because of it. Second solution is to bring something for them like food, a toy, or a game to make them stop. Like many parents, I always try to bring something to do for my kid when we go out, unfortunately it does not always prevent a meltdown. Nevertheless, it made me think, what if I bring a distraction that he rarely gets the chance to eat or play with as a persuasion if a meltdown occurs. Then again, we cannot just bribe our toddlers every time they are getting mad in public. This is when I decided to be more vigilant on how my son is acting right before a meltdown is about to happen. He usually shows some signs that he is tired, like changing position in is little sitting area in the shopping cart every five seconds or yawning. So now, when I see these signs starting, I take out of my purse the “special treat” I have for him. He has no clue why I’m actually doing this and it does stop him from having a sudden meltdown. I like to give him a toy that is more advanced for him, or a toy he hasn’t seen in a while for those moments. Snacks are also a good way to prevent a crisis, but I want him to be happy with a healthy snack. I love to mix cut fruits with granola or a few chocolate chips. If you like to bake, healthy homemade muffins or loaf of bread are great. I like to add fruits (fresh, frozen or dry) to my baking. They make the treat healthier and you can cut on the sugar in the recipe since fruits are already sweet. Also adding to the usual cheese and crackers some fruits can be very good, like some sliced pears or apples. Finally, if after all these tricks your child is still having a big meltdown, the solution is be very patient and compassionate to indicate them the right way to act. I hope these tricks will help you next time you go out or you just want moment peacefulness in your home. If you have some questions or suggestions email me at stephbhayes@gmail.com

SUN FUN! ( article for Thelocalshopper.com)

SUN FUN!

By Stephanie B. Hayes

Adam & I in hot and sunny Las Vegas

When I was a kid, the sun was not considered as a dangerous thing for you.  Sunscreen was optional and I remember the coconut scent oil to help you having a better and darker tan. Times have change and now we know that a too long exposure in the sun is dangerous for your skin. I have pictures of myself when I was baby at the beach with a very dark tan. I already a have a fairly dark olive skin, but every summer I used to turned very dark brown. Today with my son, I never let him go outside on a hot sunny day without a good layer of SPF 70 sunscreen, a big hat and one of these UPF shirts, the complete opposite of me at his age. Since doctors and researchers have proven than the sun can give you skin cancer if you don't protect yourself and especially children, because their skin is more sensitive. A lot of companies have created a lot a fun and very useful products to help protect your kids while playing outside in the sun. We all know it can be very hard, even impossible to keep your children inside all day, all summer, because of the sun. Well, I know I can’t.  I am personally a big fan of the UPF/SPF protection shirt and the swimwear.  Not only you don’t have to apply a big amount of oily lotion on your kid’s body, the UPF reduce the amount of UV radiation that can reach the skin. If you can’t get this type of clothing, I recommend a dark, preferably long sleeve shirt. The easiest way to test if a fabric can protect your kid’s skin (and yours) is to hold it up to the light. If you can see through it, then UV radiation can penetrate it and your skin. Choose a hat that offers a wide-brimmed to help protect your child face, neck, scalp and ears. When it comes to sunscreen, the higher the number of SPF protection, the greater the protection is. For a child, use a sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 30. Also try to use one that has broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection. Don’t forget to check the expiration date on you bottle and discard if expired. You should not use the same bottle for more than 2 summers. I know, it’s not always possible, but it is very important to apply the sunscreen 30 minutes before going out in the sun. Reapply it every 2 hours of sun exposure and after bathing, even if you use waterproof sunscreen.

 According to one US study, 54 percent of children are burned or tanned in their second summer and 22 percent are burned in their first. Did you know that just one blistering sunburn in childhood more than doubles your chances of developing melanoma later in life? Find a play area that provides a lot of shade, like under a tree or use an umbrella. Don’t forget, babies less than 6 months old should not be exposed to direct sunlight. After you follow these tips, it’s time to go play outside. The park is always a fun place to go and explore with your little ones. For the most adventurous, I recommend Mountain Park, where you can hike on the Nuooah Nature Trail that loops around the mountain. The farmer’s market downtown is another great place to bring your kids at the end of the after-noon, when the sun UV rays are less dangerous. The new bike path around the town is also a great way to enjoy the outside and exercise at the same time for the whole family. If you would like to know more about what type of sunscreen to use for your child skin and more tips on how to let them play outside with a free conscience, you should visit these 2 web sites www.my-skincheck.com and www.skincancer.org. Have a great sunburn free summer! 

Spring fun with your kids (article for Thelocalshopper.com)

Spring fun with your kids                                                                                                                                                                                   By Stephanie B Hayes

Adam, 2 year old, on a scavenger hunt in the backyard.

Do your kids need to be continuously entertained and fast? They are jumping off the wall and if you do not find them some serious entertainment soon, there will be a meltdown… for all of you.  You need fun and you need it quick. Luckily, there is a ton of amusing and cheap do-together kid friendly activities you can do at home.  Since spring weather might not always allow your kids to play outside every day, here is an activity you can do with them in the house. Craft projects are always good to do on a rainy day.  If your house is like mine, you probably have to buy crayons almost every month because soon after you get a new box, all of the crayons break in just a few days. It doesn’t matter the brand or the size of the crayons, my son will easily break them. So why not recycle all of the broken pieces by creating new crayons. You only need a large Ziploc bag, a hammer (a toy hammer works fine), a few old cups, and muffin tin and baking cups. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.  Gather all broken crayons and peel off the paper. Put the pieces in the Ziploc bag and with the hammer smash them into smaller pieces. If you want uniform colors, use the cups to sort colors.  Line muffin tin with baking cups and fill each section about 2/3 full of crayons. Put it in the oven for 10 minutes and let it cool. You now have new awesome crayons! The good thing is that your kids can pretty much help you on all the steps besides putting it in and out of the oven. Kids love to play outside, at least mine does and with spring here, backyard activities are needed. Your yard is a very good class room for activities and games that help teach skills and concepts and are fun at the same time.  The backyard offer amazing possibilities you will not find anywhere inside the house, fresh air, sunshine and, if your kid is like mine, a big open area where they can run as much as they want.  There are plenty of games to do outside, like organize a scavenger hunt. With a little bit of organization on your part, you can have your kid hunting for natural treasures all over your yard.  Make a list of a few items in your yard. Give a bag or a basket to your kids and watch them search for the objects and putting them in their bags. You just have to tell them what to look for or give them the list if they can read. You can also make a kite with a small paper bag. You will need three pieces of string the same length and a small rope. Cut a hole at the bottom of the bag and attach one end of the 3 pieces of strings at 3 different areas at the edge of the hole. Attach the 3 other ends together. Attach the rope at the end of the 3 strings and you have an easy and quick kite. To start the activity inside, you can have your kids decorate the paper bag. If you plan on having a garden this summer, have your kids involve in the project from the beginning. Toddlers love to help and they will not mind helping removing all the weeds from the garden area. They can also help to plant the seeds and water the garden through the entire summer. It can also help if you have picky eater, since he might be more open to eat veggies that he helps and watch grow over the summer. If you do not have a space for a garden, you can always have your kids planting a few things in a big pot, like lettuce or green onions.  Finally, here’s an interesting fact about babies. Did you know children born in May are on average seven ounces (200g) heavier at birth than children born in any other month of the year? Happy mothers, day to all the mothers in the world!