Matching/Memory Game - Free Kids Printable

Here I am with another FREE kids printable.

Print 2 copies of the PDF document and laminate it or print it on card stock paper. Cut them to make 18 individual cards and you are done. Now you have a nice colorful memory game for your toddler. 

The images were intentionally made colorful to capture and hold their attention. My daughter loves playing this game and I love it too since it helps stimulates her brain. I hope you too find it as exciting and we do.

Link to PDF document

Some things you should know before downloading:
*The Idea Studio printables are for PERSONAL USE ONLY.
*You may NOT modify, re-sell, redistribute, or claim the design as your own.
*If you post this on the internet, credit must be given to The Idea Studio & linked back to my blog.

Easy Peasy Ras Malai

Want a quick dessert to make with only 4 ingredients that will wow your family/guests. Say hello to RAS MALAI. This is a super quick super easy version which takes only 5 minutes to make.  So here it goes.....

LIST OF INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp mixed nuts (I crushed almonds, cashews and pistachio)

1 can of store bought Rasgulla (You can find them very easily in any Indian Store. Each can has 14 pieces)

1 pint of Half & Half

Few Strands of Saffron

METHOD OF PREPARATION

In a microwave safe bowl add the half and half and the nuts. I usually add 2 tbsp of crushed nuts but you can change the quantity depending on your taste

Microwave for 3 minutes at full power

In the meanwhile, squeeze out the sugar syrup from the rasgullas. You can store the sugar syrup for other recipes 

Add the rasgullas and saffron to the warm milk.

Microwave for 2 mins again

Cool and Refrigerate for a couple of hours preferably overnight

YOUR RASMALAI IS READY

Stuffed Idli - Idli with an Oomph Factor

Idli is a popular savory cake of south indian origin. The cakes are usually two to three inches in diameter and are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented lentils (urad dal) and rice (preferably idli rice) The fermentation process breaks down the starches so that they are more readily metabolized by the body. 

This healthy dish is most often eaten at breakfast or as a snack. Idli is usually paired with chutney, sambhar (lentil stew) or other accompaniments. This recipe takes idli to another level by making it a lot more healthier and a lot more wholesome. I used carrots as my stuffing since it is kid friendly but quite honestly you can use whatever your heart desires.

METHOD OF PREPARATION

Ingredients Needed

1. Idli Batter (See Recipe Below)

2. Grated Carrots (Or stuffing of your choice)

3. Idli Plates and Stand

4. Cooker

5. PAM spray or Oil

STEP 1: Apply PAM Spray on the Idli Plates - I use Organic Olive Oil PAM spray but you can also take a teaspoon of oil and spread it on the plate

STEP 2: Put half the quantity of the Idli batter in the Idli Plate and add the grated carrots on top of it

STEP 3: Add the other half of the batter over the initial batter.

STEP 4: Add water in the cooker and steam for 12 minutes

STEP 5: ENJOY this nutritious dish

Recipe for Idli Batter

Ingredients

3.5 Cups Idli Rice

1 Cup Udad Dal

Method of Preparation

• Soak both the Rice and Udad Dal separately in water for about 8 hours
• First grind the Udad Dal and then add Rice to it later to make a smooth batter
• Ferment overnight for about 8 - 10 hours
• Batter is ready for use

Product Review - Spark Naturals Cold and Flu Bomb Kit

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With my toddler going to pre-school she is always catching something or the other. I wanted to avoid giving her OTC medications. Thus began my quest to finding natural alternatives and I stumbled upon the amazing benefits of essentials oils. I looked into this more and I figured it was definitely worth a try.

 I came across this Cold and Flu Bomb Kit from Spark Naturals which piqued my interest. I already had heard about the benefits of Oregano and Tea Tree Oil and so decided to give this product a try. The shipment arrived promptly and it was also very nicely packaged. I opened the bottles and I was hit with the amazing smells. I mixed equal proportions of oil in the roller bottle that came with it. At night before she went to sleep I applied it to my daughter's feet and put socks. The next morning I saw a drastic improvement in her and repeated the same procedure when she went to school, by that evening, she was fine.

I was amazed by this kit and have recommended it to my friends who have found similar results as well.

Do give this a try and let me know if it worked for you.

**Disclaimer** I am in no way affiliated to these companies and have not been compensated.

All Natural Homemade Sunscreen

My passion for all natural cosmetics took a serious turn as soon as I became a mom. Like every new mom, I wanted to give my daughter the very best and so started exploring all the natural products available on the market. Many of them worked very well for me for about 1.5 years until I saw my daughter use the very same products on her dolls as they too according to her had dry skin. Although, I really appreciated the thought process, I inwardly cringed as those were expensive items. Hence, the quest for cheaper natural alternatives emerged. I was very clear that I only wanted all natural stuff for my kid. In my mind, if it is safe enough to put in your body, it is safe enough to put on your body. Hence my research began and to my surprise I found a myriad of recipes online. With all these recipes in my kitty and amazon to buy many of the raw ingredients, my journey for making homemade cosmetics began. I must say there are some recipes which have come out very nice and some not so nice but at the end of the day, it is all natural, made me and my daughter very happy and was made from the heart.

Homemade sunscreen is one such recipe which I have perfected. I have handed these out as samples to many of my friends and family and each and every one of them have raved about this. In fact, there are some friends who will only use this and nothing else. This recipe is a very easy and forgiving which you can make your own. You can put them in a container, empty deodorant containers, empty chapstick containers or anything you fancy. 

SUPPLIES NEEDED

Your ingredients (See below list)

Your containers (I use a variety of containers – I keep the container at home to apply at home before leaving. I keep the tubes in my car and the chaptick version in my purse.  I buy my containers from Elements Bath and Body

Hand Blender - If you plan on making these often I would consider buying one just for this purpose. You can either buy it at a local garage sale or pick a cheap one from amazon or any store. I have this blender and it has been working well for me so far. (Hand Blender)

Medicine Dropper (Optional depending on the container you are using)

Glass container 

Double Broiler set up

Measuring scale or Measuring Cups/Spoons

INGREDIENTS

2 oz or 1/4 cup Organic Coconut Oil – I buy mine from Costco. 

2 oz or 1/4 cup Organic Shea Butter -  I buy this from amazon (Shea Butter)

1/2 oz or 1/8 cup Organic Beeswax - I buy this from amazon (Beeswax) - Trust me, it is much much easier to work with pastilles rather than Beeswax blocks. 

1 oz or 2 tbsp of Zinc Oxide- I buy this from amazon (Zinc Oxide)

1 tbsp of Organic Aloe Vera Oil (Optional)- I buy this from amazon (Aloe Vera Oil) - Although you don't have to use this, I like the fact that aloe vera is very moisturizing and adds an additional layer of protection from the sun. 

METHOD

Measure your ingredients and keep adding them to your glass bowl

                                               Adding Beeswax to Shea Buttter

                                           Adding Coconut Oil to Shea Butter and Beeswax                     

Melt the Organic Coconut Oil, Shea Butter and Organic Beeswax in the double boiler. 

One the oils are nicely melted add the Zinc Oxide and then aloe Vera Gel

Blend it well

Put then in your containers

Let it rest

You have the perfect sunscreen enjoy - The above measurement makes the below amount of sunscreen. 

Try These Awesome Green Skincare Sample Kits

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Are you considering incorporating natural and organic skin care products or looking to try more? Here are some companies that have sample kits available for you to try:

One Love Organics
This is truly an amazing brand that seems to have got it right from the product packaging to visible results. I have used their sample kit and full sized products as well. Their trial packs are insanely cheap and ship free and they do run out of them quickly.

Spirit Beauty Lounge
This is an all-green beauty product website. They provide a great selection and their shipping is really fast. I have tried them twice and have no complaints so far. Their sample kit  program is awesome, it allows you to choose up to six sample sized products or $25 including a $5 credit to use later. And almost all products on their website are available for sampling, this is great as many of these brands do not offer sample sizes at all. For the prize, it is well worth it as many of them are pretty pricey so why not try them out first, right?

Blissoma
To be honest I have not tried this brand as yet but they are next on my list. I am excited to try the rice cleanser when I run out of my current one. Their philosophy seems right and the reviews are good too. You get to choose samples of specific products that may interest you which are about $3.5 for most of them.

S.W. Basics
I have heard nothing but great things about this brand and hope to try them in the future.Their philosophy is to have very few ingredients in their products but be effective and potent at the same time. They have individual mini sizes available for trial and as well as kits.

Tata Harper
This luxury brands has a variety of trial kits available. The 1-2 use kit that includes many of their products retails for $20. I have tried some of the samples as well full-sized products. I personally love this brand and I wish I could afford them all.

Hope y'all fun trying them all out!


**Disclaimer** I am in no way affiliated to these companies and have not been compensated.

FREE KIDS BOOK PRINTABLE- The 3 tailed Squeaky Mouse

I wanted my first post to be something close to my heart and something unique and what could be better than posting a story printable which is loved by one and all. My friend and I worked on this story together and came up with this idea which is simple but profound in the message it delivers. 

Squeaky Mouse is unique as he has three tails. Children at the playground keep teasing him for his tails and he responds by getting his tails cut off. Even after he loses all the tails, the children continue to tease him since now he us a tailless mouse! The once happy Squeaky is now sad and his mother helps him out. The purpose of our story is to show toddlers and young children that it is important to believe in themselves and not get affected by bullying or teasing. 

This story is extremely relevant in today's day and age since chidden are exposed to bullying and being made to feel inferior by other classmates or playmates on a regular basis. This story was written with an intention to giving children the tools of self-love and self-confidence while making the narrative one for the whole family to enjoy

My daughter who is 4 (and might I add is fabulous!) loves this story. It is very easy to read to your kids or better yet for the kids to read by themselves.  I printed the story and laminated it (well… because I have a laminator…but you don’t have to) and used a 3 hole punch and put in a folder and voila you have a story book.  

For those who don’t want to use the color ink in your printer (trust me I have been there) you can print the black and white version and have your kid color it and you now not only have an activity for your kid to do but have their own custom book. 

See pictures of both versions of the book and below you can download the story. 

Hope you like this as much as we do and let me know if you would like a series of Squeaky Mouse and I will try to convince my very good friend Kruti Lehenbauer to begin work on it

The 3 tailed Squeaky Mouse Printable

Some things you should know before downloading:
*The Idea Studio printables are for PERSONAL USE ONLY.
*You may NOT modify, re-sell, redistribute, or claim the design as your own.
*If you post this on the internet, credit must be given to The Idea Studio & linked back to my blog.