Fruit Explorations-- Lemon

Have you entered my current giveaway? 

Ok, we did this exploration on Friday, but I did not get the post written, so you get it today. Hazel has been asking for more fruit explorations, and I thought about lemons and making lemonade. Summer officially started today and what is better on a hot day than a cool glass of fresh-squeezed lemonade? So Thursday Hazel and I went to the store and bought some lemons in two sizes--regular or jumbo.

She could not wait to get started, so we did our exploration in our pajamas. She used a new magnifying glass to examine the outside and then I cut one in half for her.

After examining the inside as a half she asked me to cut the half in half so she could see the center better. 

She had fun examining it. She tasted a lick of one piece, but did not like it. Then she started squeezing them for the juice.

When I researched lemon crafts I discovered this neat one at Teach Preschool: Lemon drop painting.The idea is to dissolve lemon drops in a little bit of warm water to make a paint. Since we did not have lemon drops, we tried lemon lifesavers and had no success. Then we found some lemon hard candies and added them, but again no luck. We decided to add some lemon peel, so I made some zest. Hazel of course asked to have some to examine as well.

After our failure with non-lemon drop painting, we pulled out the yellow paint and got creative. Hazel made lemon prints with the half rinds.

Hazel even managed to find one that had a bit of the inside structure left and got some interesting prints. Then she wanted to paint the lemon, so she had fun painting as well.

Now we stopped painting to make the syrup and the rest of the lemonade. She had squeezed about one cup of lemon juice, so we mixed one cup of water with one cup of sugar in a saucepan and Hazel stirred it until the sugar dissolved. Then we heated it to a boil to keep the sugar dissolved.

Then we let it cool for a bit. Finally we mixed the lemon juice, syrup and about three and a half cups of water in a pitcher.

We put it in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes. We did a little more since we went back to painting. I pulled out a small square colored canvas and started painting a lemon on it. Hazel was suppose to paint the inside of it, but got upset since she thought my lemon looked better than hers. She started over and told me to paint the lemon's inside. 

Since my lemon did not fill the canvas enough, I made a lemon print and painted the inside of the lemon. then I added some strawberries to fill the canvas better. I started painting the strawberry seeds white, but was informed they are yellow. While finishing my painting we enjoyed the lemonade. Then while I cleaned up, Hazel drew in her fruit journal.

Since I had not planned ahead enough, I did not get any books on lemons yet, but will share some with you sometime soon. I also have the song Lemon Drops and Gum Drops in my head from searching the library database for lemon. Hazel learned the song and sang it at school in two concerts. I was singing it all Friday morning.  Hazel has also asked to explore all the fruits again. Stay tuned!!

For more fruit ideas check out: 

• My Fruit Pinterest Board
• Pineapple Exploration 
• Raspberry Exploration 
• Blueberry Exploration 
• Strawberry Exploration
• Needle Felted Strawberries with Acorn Tops

Sharing Saturday 14-25

Thank you to everyone who shared with us last week!! I know I am so inspired and have been pinning and commenting all night on so many great ones. I had a very hard time choosing which to feature, so there are three categories this week. The first, with summer officially starting here tomorrow morning, Summer Lists, the second, with Hazel and I becoming obsessed with Disney's Frozen, Frozen Features, and finally a few of my favorites plus one special one. First our special one.

From Danya Banya: Octonauts Party Starring Dashi

The perfect ideas to go with my current giveaway of the soon-to-be-released Octonauts: Calling All Sharks DVD. Have you entered yet?

Summer Lists

1) From From ABCs to ACTs: 10 Fun Camping Games for Kids
2) From Powerful Mothering: Best Summer Activities for Kids Under 5 Years Old
3) From Carrie Elle: 15 Fun and Free Outdoor Activities for Kids
4) From From ABCs to ACTs: 101 Family Friendly Summer Bucket List Ideas
5) From The Jenny Revolution: Free Summer Reading Programs for Kids
6) From The (Reformed) Idealist Mom: 3 Ways to Crush Your Summer Bucket List

Disney's Frozen Features

1) From Some of the Best Things In Life Are Mistakes: Frozen Crafts and Ideas Round-Up
2) From Here Come the Girls: Frozen Birthday Cakes
3) From Here Come the Girls: Olaf Juice Cartons for Kids

Did I mention Hazel is thinking of perhaps a Frozen theme for her next birthday party? I have already started a Pinterest Board to keep ideas for it and have added these.

A Few of My Favorites

1) From Felt with Love Designs: Ocean Exploration Finger Puppets (Free patterns!)
2) From Like Mama ~ Like Daughter: Enchanted Childhood Preschool - The Letter V
3) From Danya Banya: An Invitaiton to the Fairies: DIY Fairy Door
4) From Lou Lou Girls: I Spy with My Little Eye! Kids' Road Activity

Thank you to everyone who shared last week!! I hope you will join us and share again!! If you are featured here, please feel free to grab a featured button to display proudly on your blog. 

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From Your Hostess: This week we visited my parents at Cape Cod and I did not get all my posts written, but we did share our creative and simple mermaid craft, our exploration of Hungary for Around the World in 12 Dishes, our review and giveaway of Octonauts: Calling All Sharks! dvd, and our seashell art!

Make sure you enter our giveaway!

Now for This Week's Party  
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1)  Please follow Crafty Moms Share via GFC (or one of the other ways that work for you).  

2)  Link any kid-friendly, child-centered post. Please no etsy shops or giveaways, etc.  Remember to link to your actual post. 

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Shell Pictures

 Disclosure: I was sent these craft items to review free of charge from Oriental Trading. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review. I added links to the particular products for your convenience, but not for any compensation. 

Well, Hazel and I went to visit my parents this week and I got lazy on here. Sorry. I started writing a post last night, but never finished it. I'll safe it for next week. Of course visiting my parents always brings beach ideas since they live on Cape Cod. Although we did not go to the beach this trip, we did check out one of our favorite stores that always has fun shell artwork. We are inspired to do even more with these products that Oriental Trading sent us. 

Octonauts: Calling All Sharks! DVD Review & Giveaway

Congratulations to April of April's Homemaking for winning the $30 gift certificate to the Air Plant Shop!

Disclosure: NCircle Entertainment gave me a copy of the DVD free of charge and is supplying the one for the giveaway free of charge. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation.

Now Hazel loves the Octonauts. It is one of her favorite shows to watch and she is so excited they are now making Octonauts DVD's and even more excited that we got a copy of the latest one to review before it is released on June 24th. Its suggested retail price is $12.99.

Octonauts: Calling All Sharks! has six episodes of The Octonauts on it including Cookiecutter Sharks, Giant Jelly, Lost Lemon Shark, Hungry Pilot Fish, Dwarf Lantern Shark, and Porcupine Puffer. Although Hazel has seen all of these episodes on television, she still loves to watch them and loves that she can watch them any time she wants. I love having her watch this DVD since each episode teaches about a sea creature. She loves learning about them. She actually has been telling me and testing me on facts she learns from the show. Plus I actually do not mind watching this show with her and neither does Steve, so needless to say we are all happy to have the DVD to watch with her.

Since so many of these episodes involve sharks, I thought I would share our shark exploration crafts again. We showed the layers of teeth in one craft and the feel of their skin in the second one. 

Now NCircle Entertainment has also been kind enough to give away a copy to one of you. All you have to do to enter is follow the steps of the Rafflecopter and my Giveaway Rules. This contest is open to US and Canada residents!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more on the Octonauts check out:

• Octonauts: To the Gup-X DVD Review 
• Octonauts & The Sea of Shade Book Review 
• My Octonauts Pinterest Board

Around the World in 12 Dishes: Hungary

 This month we are traveling to Hungary with Around the World in 12 Dishes. We have been having a great time exploring Hungary with stories, art and food. Hazel loves the name Hungary and keeps asking if the people there are always hungry. For more information about the country check out my post on the Around the World in 12 Dishes blog.