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Written by KT @ One Organic Mama, Contributing Writer
In Central MA where we live – we are up to 5 snow days… not 2 inches of snow, snow days… but 2 feet of snow, snow days – which means just logistically snowmen are out of the question… the snow is taller than both of my kids.
The roads are narrow, driveways are dangerous, and the kids are getting a little stir crazy! Here are 10 ways to make it through another SNOW DAY with most of your sanity 
10 Ways to Make it Through ANOTHER Snow Day:
First up, 5 inside activities –> use these for before nap time, when the snow is so far up your door you can’t open it…
1. Mess Free Finger Painting
This is fun because it is like finger painting without any of the clean up. Mix up some finger paint (or regular liquid paint) with a little water in a GOOD zip lock bag. Tape it to the table. Add some trucks or other things that you can run through the paint. This will guarantee you about 30-40 minutes of sanity.
2. Sinkers and Floaters
Gather up some random toys and household items (think marbles, paper clips, action figures, blocks, legos, etc). Fill a bowl with water (if you want you can fill another with snow). Sit the kids at the table (or on the floor with a towel) – and check out what sinks… and what floats! This will guarantee you another 30-40 minutes of sanity… keep it up… it’s almost nap time!
3. PIT Playing
Get a pan with a lip (a cookie sheet with edges or even a box you would wrap a shirt in for Christmas). Into the box, dump a bunch of dried beans, small pasta, or dried veggies (like peas for pea soup). Mix them up or just use one. Then go around your house and gather all the matchbox cars, trucks, and a few spoons and cups. Let the kids move the beans like dirt in a pit This is good for another 30 minutes… almost there mamas!
4. Masking Tape MAZE
Grab some masking tape (or washi tape, or any other colored tape). Create roads… all over… the floor, up the couches, across any furniture you allow the kids to play on… make squares for parking lots, and big ovals for race tracks.
Image via Pinterest from Our Scribbled Walls
Then take the matchbox cars from the pit. Knock all the peas and beans out of them – and let the kids at the roads. Organize races, car accident rescues, and traffic jams. It will remind you of summer time when you can drive outside 30 more minutes here moms! I can SEE NAP TIME!
5. Clean up and inspection
For some reason (maybe my kids are just weird) – my kids really take clean up seriously if I write out an inspection sheet. I list out all the rooms and tell them to go at it. When they are finished I say – ARE YOU READY FOR INSPECTION?! They stand at attention (again… I don’t know where this came from) – and we walk the house inspecting each room together… they love it. I think it’s lame… but they love it! After you’re finished – it’s lunch and nap time!
AFTER NAP… by now hopefully you can open the door… so it is time for some outside activities. I find my kids will stay out longer if I go out there and play too… do this at your own risk
6. Sand Play = Snow Play
Grab all your sand toys… you know the ones buried behind all the shovels and salt for the driveway. Dump them in the middle of the driveway and let the kids build snow castles, moats, and anything else they would typically build in the sand.
7. Snow Paint
Use a little bit of that artificial food coloring you keep out of your cooking and put it in squirt and spray bottles with water. Let the kids paint their castles, practice their letters, and spray paint the snow!
8. Animal Exploration
You know who has to stay outside all the time?! Animals. Take a short walk through the yard or up the road. Look for evidence of animals… where do the tracks lead? What do you think they eat? Where do they sleep? Let the kids lead the way as they make some observations about the animals that are active during the winter.
9. Rolling in the Grass Snow
Just like you would in the grass… if you can get to the top of the snow – take a roll down!
10. GET OUT!
If you can, walk or drive to the closest playground. If you can get into the playground (you know if the snow isn’t higher than the fence – it was in 4 out of the 5 in our town) – and let the kids play on the equipment. It was their absolute favorite part of the day!
Good luck… at least you know after all of this they will be EXHAUSTED for bed time… most likely
How do you make it through snow days?
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Written by Jenn D, Contributing Writer
Here in the Midwest, summer took its sweet time in coming. But we are now fully in the midst of it and I am loving the long days, slower pace, spontaneous day trips, and outdoor adventures.
However, all of this frolicking about means that our usual rhythms have been a bit thrown; dinner, which usually began at 5:30 sharp, now happens…whenever. Meal planning has lately amounted to me checking the pantry in the morning and mentally piecing some randomness together for that evening.
While I usually meal plan for the sake of my sanity and budget, summer seems to bring permission to take a more laid-back approach.
I’m also basking in the flexibility that a backyard garden affords (No dinner plan? Off to the garden to pick a salad!) and the freedom that comes from serving a platter of healthy snacks for dinner.
When summer ends, we’ll get back into more set routines. For now, it feels good to plan less, embrace spontaneity (even if it messes with the dinner hour), and enjoy summer’s bounty of fresh produce.
Here are some simple favorites from my home. Nothing revolutionary, just easy some ideas to make meal prep less daunting on those lazy summer days.
Poolside Picnic Lunch
A staple for days at the pool with the kids, I try to pack easy favorites:
- Peanut Butter and raw honey sandwiches :: Using homemade bread would be great, but lately we’ve been spreading ours on these Ezekiel sprouted tortillas.
- Medley of berries, melons, and/or carrot sticks
- Homemade trail mix :: Raisins, almonds, and chocolate chips
- Smoothies :: I leave these in a small cooler in the car so the kids have a cold drink to enjoy/spill on the ride home. Half of our fam is currently dairy-free, so we’ve been enjoying water kefir, mango, banana, blueberry smoothies with a couple heaping tablespoons of coconut oil. When we’re doing dairy, I’ll make strawberry/banana/orange/yogurt ones or a green smoothie.
Backyard Cookout with Friends
Anything that’s not cooked in the kitchen automatically feels like less work to me. Thank you, grill. Make the potato salad earlier in the day and when dinner rolls around, you won’t have cook inside at all.
- Grilled chicken thighs :: In my pursuit of serving real food on a budget, I’ll often make frugal choices like chicken thighs instead of breasts.
- Less-Dressed Potato Salad*
- Grilled Corn on the Cob :: To grill the corn, pull back the husks and remove the silk. Then, soak it in water for about 15 minutes. Dry and brush with olive oil or butter, rub with salt and pepper. Replace the rusks and grill until the corn is soft, about 15 minutes.
- Homemade Popsicles
*Less-Dressed Potato Salad (adapted from the Vegan Planet cookbook)
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, 1/2 t dried fennel, 1/4 cup olives (the recipe calls for niçoise; I generally end up using Kalamata), 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives, 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, 2 T lemon juice, 1 t Dijon mustard, 1 minced shallot, sea salt and pepper to taste
Directions: Boil potatoes, then chop them into small chunks. Put them in a bowl and add the fennel, chives, and olives. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, shallot, and salt and pepper. Pour this mixture over the potatoes and gently stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary (I often add a little more salt). Serve right away or fridge until ready to serve.
Ode to the Salad
My (yummy!) basic salad recipe is as follows:
- Greens (either spinach or mixed)
- A soft cheese (crumbled goat cheese, blue cheese, feta, etc.)
- Caramelized nuts* (almonds, walnuts, or pecans)
- A fruit (apples, blueberries, strawberries, or oranges work well)
- A meat (grilled chicken is my go-to, but steak sounds wonderful too)
- Tossed in a vinaigrette**
For example: A grilled chicken and apple salad over mixed greens with goat cheese and caramelized almonds in a raspberry vinaigrette.
*To caramelize nuts, melt 3ishT of butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add a couple T of organic sugar (or Sucanat, Rapadura, etc.). Add some chopped nuts and stir continuously until the sugar has melted and the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and continue stirring until cool.
**The simplest homemade vinaigrette ever: extra virgin olive oil + balsamic vinegar + some sea salt and a bit of pepper.
- Or try this easy cilantro-lime dressing!
Snacks for Dinner
In my book, if the snacks are healthy and come from a variety of food groups, they totally count as a meal. Put them on a platter and make it a family movie night.
- Homemade Popcorn :: I get organic popping corn from Azure Standard and pop it in coconut oil, then add some sea salt. When I’m feeling wild, I’ll add rosemary.
- Apple Slices and Peanut Butter
- Cheese :: My current favorite is a smoked cheddar goat cheese I get from Azure.
Breakfast for Dinner
Another lovely deviation from the norm, I just love breakfast for dinner.
- Fried egg sandwiches with cheese and turkey bacon :: These sandwiches have long been a favorite. Toss some sautéed tomato and onion on the egg, cheese, and bacon and you’ve got your veggies covered, too.
- Smoothies
What are your favorite low-maintenance summer meals?
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