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34 Lunch Solutions For A Nut Free School

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Hey parents, will your child be attending a nut-free school? Do not despair. There are lots of delicious snack and lunch possibilities your children will love that are all 100% nut-free!

34 healthy lunch options that are perfect for your kids to bring with them to their nut-free school #healthyeating

Nut allergies are so prevalent that, in my opinion, it is better to select non-nut and non-treenut foods for public settings rather than taking a chance of sending someone into an allergic reaction. Here are 34 great healthy ideas that you can include in your child’s school lunch every day!

  1. apple slices
  2. applesauce
  3. baby carrots
  4. bagel – with cream cheese inside
  5. berries – strawberries, raspberries, blueberries
  6. brown rice
  7. cereal – non-sugary, dry
  8. cheese slices or cheese cubes
  9. cheese sticks
  10. cherry tomatoes
  11. chips
  12. crackers
  13. cucumber slices
  14. dip – send veggie slices or apple slices with it
  15. eggs – hard boiled
  16. fruit cups
  17. graham crackers
  18. grapes
  19. guacamole  
  20. hummus
  21. lunchmeat – rolled up
  22. non-nut butters – sunflower butter etc.
  23. olives, pitted
  24. pepperoni slices
  25. peppers -green or red bell peppers- slices
  26. pickles
  27. pizza slice
  28. popcorn
  29. pretzels
  30. raisins
  31. rice cakes
  32. tangerines
  33. veggie sticks
  34. yogurt

 

Over the years I have witnessed two severe food-based allergic reactions and would never want to be responsible for triggering it for anyone else. In each case, without aid the person could have suffocated as their throats swelled up. It happened so quickly and in each case they did NOT ingest nuts. They were just in the vicinity of them. It is scary.

34 Nut-Free School Lunch Ideas #kids #allergies #food Click To Tweet

Another option is to make some homemade snacks – like these Nut Free Banana Oat Protein Energy Balls by Laura of Petite Allergy Treats or Nut-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Energy Bites from Running With Spoons – to send in your little one’s lunch.

nut free snacks

 

nut free energy balls

Ever wonder how you would tell if someone is having an allergic reaction to food? This article from the Mayo Clinic clearly defines a variety of possible symptoms, the causes and what to do if you need to act on their behalf: Food Allergies Symptoms & Causes

Do you or someone you love have food allergies? What additional non-nut foods should we add to our list?

Enjoy!

Note: this author is an Amazon affiliate. What does that mean? Well, anything that you buy from Amazon by first clicking on an ad, link or using an Amazon search window on Ducks ‘n a Row will, at no extra cost to you, result in a small commission for me. In advance “thank you!” … Sinea

 


10 Easy To Make Hair Accessories For Girls

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Back To School
Back to School time is here! Give your girls a new look by making cute, stylish hair accessories for them. They will love having something new to wear every day and you can have the fun of making them together!
back to school
DIY Melted Beads Accessories – The 36th Avenue
Ever had a melted bead set? Well, your  girls will love making these adorable handmade hair accessories and  jewelry using melted beads!
back to school
1 Minute Flower Hair Barrette – Domestically Speaking
This sweet little barrette takes just a minute to make!
back to school
 
Big girls, little girls, ALL girls love the look of these hanging bead hair decorations!
craft buttons, back to school
DIY Button Hair Clips – Bead and Cord

Pretty buttons make excellent hair bling!
hair dos, head bands
Hanging Chains DIY Headband  – Love Maegan

You won’t believe how easy this hanging chains headband is to make!




 
back to school
back to school

Love it! This pretty headband is made from a t-shirt!

crafts, back to school
back to school
back to school
Ponytail Streamer Tutorial – Mama Momtourage
Enjoy!
Note: this author is an Amazon Affiliate!



Have a Fun Kids Parade This Summer!

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The 4th of July brought back a lot of memories from my childhood this year. When we were kids, we had so much fun. There was a neighborhood parade. We planned for weeks ahead. After that? Swimming with friends in the pool, a cookout with bonnfire and then going to the fireworks. It was always such a great day!
famly fun, 4th of the July
Not long ago I was going through some of the family photos and came across this newspaper clipping.
parades, kids activities, summer, familyfun

It holds one of those sweet family memories. July 3rd 1958 was a big deal for my brother and me, though we had no idea at all at the time.  You see, our mom was one creative lady. She made George and Martha Washington outfits for us to wear in the kids’ parade.
Our neighborhood had a strong group of families who organized events for their children year round. We had picnics and other get-togethers. It was an annual tradition to have the 4th of July children’s parade. Everyone participated. 
July 4th
Kids decorated their bikes by weaving crepe paper streamers through the spokes of the wheels and attaching cards* with clothespins to them so that they’d make a clicking sound as the bikes moved. *Some used baseball cards others used celebrity cards like the Beatles or Paul Revere and the Raiders – I try not to think about how valuable they could be today if we hadn’t done that. Who knew? They came in packs of gum and it was fun!

family fun
Now, this is funny: Mom put together these Colonial costumes. I was 5 years old and Seth was 3. She used nylon stockings as a base for the white wigs and glued (yes GLUE!) cotton to them while they were on our heads. And then the hats went over them.  Getting them offback  our heads later on was a trip! Ouch! Plus, I had a hoop under my skirt. You can’t sit down in a hoop skirt. So, I had to stand with a wig glued to my hair and I couldn’t sit down.
Seth was even less comfortable. It was a very hot July. You could hear the grass growing, it was so hot. A neighbor had called the newspaper because she thought what mom did was so creative that someone ought to know. They must have agreed because a photographer and reporter showed up. 
Little three year old Seth was beside himself with displeasure. He wanted that costume OFF NOW!. So, to get him to be still for a few more minutes, mom grabbed a popcycle from the freezer. They thought it was so cute that they took photos of him licking it and told me to stick out my tongue like I wanted some. The caption “Real Cool George” was born. 
Independence Day, USA holidays, family celebrations, summertime, parades
The newspaper headline along with this photo was in both the morning and evening papers. It got syndicated and showed up in various papers throughout the nation including Los Angeles and Pittsburgh. My grandparents lived in Pennsylvania and when they opened up their morning paper and saw us there, well, it caused quite a stir. 
So, it doesn’t have to be the 4th of July to have a parade does it? Just do it!
Putting together a kids’ parade is fun. Let the children do a lot of the work. Kids come up with great ideas. 
kids activities, 4th of July
Some of the things they can do:
Decorate bikes to ride in the parade
Make toy wagons into floats
Carry American flags
Dress in costumes
Dress up the dog and walk him in the parade
Push a baby doll or stuffed animal in a toy stroller
Play an instrument
March to the sound of a drum
March with pom poms
Walk blowing bubbles
Face paint the participants before it starts
Give prizes*
Definitley, have refreshments for everyone at the end of the parade.
*If you do give out prizes, I urge you to keep prize-giving light hearted and low-key. This is family fun time, not a sporting event. Participating in a parade is the prize! 



Have your kids ever had a parade? What fun things did they do?
Enjoy!
Note: this author is am Amazon Affiliate. Anything that you purchase from Amazon by first clicking on an Amazon ad, link or using the Amazon search window on Ducks ‘n a Row will, at NO extra cost to you, result in a small commisson for me. Thank you for shopping Amazon through Ducks ‘n a Row!  … Sinea

15 Creative Valentine’s Day Crafts & Recipes For Family Fun

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holidays, kids crafts, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day desserts, recipes, family fun
Looking for some fun new ideas for your family [or classroom] to celebrate Valentine’s Day in style? Here are 15 fun crafts, recipes, party favors to make that will make  Valentine’s Day memorable!
holidays, kids crafts, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day desserts, recipes, family fun
Paper Plate Love Birds – Arty Crafty Kids
holidays, kids crafts, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day desserts, recipes, family fun
 
 
 
 
 
 
holidays, kids crafts, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day desserts, recipes, family fun
holidays, kids crafts, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day desserts, recipes, family fun
Love Dipped Wafers – Sparkles To Sprinkles
 
 
 
 
 
 
holidays, kids crafts, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day desserts, recipes, family fun
 
Buttermilk Heart Shaped Cookies – The Baking Chocolatess
 
holidays, kids crafts, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day desserts, recipes, family fun
Rollo Valentine Arrow – Made To Be A Momma
holidays, kids crafts, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day desserts, recipes, family fun
holidays, kids crafts, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day desserts, recipes, family fun
Valentine’s Day Valentine Mailbox – The Keeper Of The Cheerios
holidays, kids crafts, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day desserts, recipes, family fun
holidays, kids crafts, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day desserts, recipes, family fun
holidays, kids crafts, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day desserts, recipes, family fun
Heart Shaped Craft Stick Puppets – Pint Sized Treasures
holidays, kids crafts, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day desserts, recipes, family fun
holidays, kids crafts, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day desserts, recipes, family fun
holidays, kids crafts, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day desserts, recipes, family fun
holidays, kids crafts, Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day desserts, recipes, family fun
Do you have any fun family traditions or craft ideas for Valentine’s Day?
Enjoy!
      


Note: this author is an Amazon affiliate. Anything you purchase from Amazon through Ducks ‘n a Row may result in a small commission for me. In advance, “thank you!” …Sinea
 
 

Homemade Play Dough Is Now Easier Than Ever

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DIY play dough, play dough recipe, play doh
Making playdough is better than ever using the microwave. It is faster and easier, too.
I love making play dough. There is something fun about developing this colorful toy by yourself,  knowing that a child  you love will have hours of play ahead of him.
The classic playdough recipe, cooked on the stove, works great but it takes a lot of elbow-grease stirring and stirring. So, when I came across a recipe for MICROWAVE play dough, I had to give it a try.
Oh my goodness, is this so easy and the play dough turns out just as pliable and deeply colorful as ever. I won’t be making the old recipe again!

How To Make Play Dough In The Microwave

preschool, DIY play dough, play doh

Ingredients

1 cup water
1 generous T cooking oil
10-20 drops food coloring
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/3 cup salt
1 cup bleached flour*
*Bleached flour is whiter and gives you a truer color.

Directions

Use a microwave-safe mixing bowl. This process takes about 5 minutes including prep.
Combine water, oil, food coloring and stir.
Add cream of tartar, and stir again.
Add salt, stir.
Gradually add flour and stir as you go along to prevent lumps.
Microwave on high for 30 seconds.
Stir.
Another 30 seconds.
Stir.
A third time, 30 seconds.
Stir.
A fourth time, 30 seconds.
Stir.
It will now be in a ball.
Let sit for 2 minutes.
Remove from bowl and put the play dough ball on a dinner plate to cool.*
Wrap cooled play dough in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
*I spray the plate with cooking spray to make it easily removable from the plate.


Enjoy!

Note: This author is an Amazon affiliate. 
Anything you purchase from Amazon through Ducks ‘n a Row may result in a small commission for me. In advance, “thank you!” … Sinea 


Preschool Colored Rice Activities

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By Sinea Pies

Colored rice preschool sensory activities #preschool Ducks 'n a Row

 

One of the things I love about preschool is all the bright colors. Kids love color and so do I. We introduced colored rice in our classroom with our R is for Rainbows unit. I tinted some rice — blue, purple, red, orange, yellow and green — and we made layers of color in clear plastic cups. Rainbows!  

Rice rainbows in cups.

Later on I re-introduced our colored rice for sensory play in a large plastic bin. Truly, I believed that four children could play easily about it but no more. I was wrong. Six and even seven youngsters gathered around with little cups, lids, cars, bottle caps, other toys and their imaginations for nearly an hour of fun.  The rice, of course, became a carousel of color, as it quickly mixed in. Still pretty but now inseparably combined–and much was lost on the floor. Oh well–no biggie! That’s what vacuums were made for.

Colored rice preschool activities #preschool #sensoryplay

How To Color Rice

Supplies
1 cup of long-grain white rice
1/2 tsp white vinegar
several drops of food coloring
Plastic 2 cup container with lid
Zip lock bags for storage

Directions

Put food coloring and vinegar in a plastic container.
Add rice.
Cover tightly with lid and shake until all of the rice is covered.
Put rice in a plastic bag and seal.

Tip:  Wash and dry container before making the next color.
            

Nutter Butter Kiss Acorn Treats {A Fall Kid Craft-Snack}

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Hi Y’all! My name is Emily and my blog is called A Tossed Salad Life. I’m so happy to be here at Ducks ‘N A Row. Thanks Sinea for having me! 

Some people wonder how my blog got its name. I have two boys, a big one and a little one, and my husband is my big kiddo’s stepfather, Some people might call us “blended” family. When I was engaged to my fabulous husband, a friend and mentor told me that living in a step-family was less like a blended smoothie, and more like a tossed salad. Each person has his/her own special flavor that stands alone, but together all of the pieces make something delicious. 
My blog includes deals with children, cookies, crafts and crock-pot creations, I’d love it for you to stop by or connect with me via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest. Today I’m going to be sharing a quick and easy treat for you to make with your kiddos during this wonderful fall season: Nutter Butter-Kiss Acorn Treats! 
photo AcornKissTitle_zps96055d62.jpg 
I was at the local bakery this weekend, picking up an Everything Bagel for my husband, and a Sesame Bagel for me, and I saw these sweet little acorn treats for sale. They were $12.99 a pound, and were a tiny cookie, a hershey’s kiss and a little chocolate chip. When I saw them, I thought they would be the perfect snack project to make with my big kid. 
They are an easy to make dessert, and look darling. Now, you can certainly make your own cookies for this project, but if you want something that you can do with a classroom of kids for their fall party, or at a fall festival, this is an easy to make project that kiddos are sure to love. Unfortunately, none of the products, with the exception of the frosting will work for children with peanut or nut allergies. If you have children with nut allergies, you’ll need to modify this project. As I don’t have a lot of experience with allergies, I certainly don’t want to speak to what what the best alternatives are.
photo AcornKissIngredients_zps8584fe8d.jpg 
To make the Nutter Butter Kiss Acorns, you’ll need a package of Nutter Butter Bites, Hershey’s Kisses, Chocolate Chips, a tub of icing and a butter knife. There are many different possibilities for this project, you can use the special fall Pumpkin Spice Hershey’s Kisses, or peanut butter chips. If you were doing this for a class party, you might want to get several different variety of frosting, kisses and chips to suit the different tastes of children. I got milk chocolate chips and the classic Kisses. My big kiddo and I are not crazy about dark chocolate, so I tend to use milk chocolate chips the most.
photo AcornKissStep1_zps8ab48e77.jpg 
The first step is to cover the base of the Hershey’s kiss with frosting. 

We used cream cheese frosting and spread a thin layer on the bottom of the kiss. We then stuck the kiss to the Nutter Butter Bite. The two appear to be exactly the same size, so the fit is perfect.

photo AcornKissStep2_zps31eadec8.jpg 
The next step is to put a thin layer of frosting on the base of the chocolate chip. This will be the one step that is a bit trickier for your preschool aged children, as it takes a bit of fine motor control. However, you can easily lick up any mistakes you make! Nibble on a few extra chocolate chips while you are at it.
photo AcornKissStep3_zps74a6200e.jpg 
Once the chips are on, you are done! 
What we found is that the limiting factor in this project is the Nutter Butter Bites. The package of them is the smallest. You’ll have a ton of extra frosting left over, so you may want to have a back up plan for the extra frosting. Perhaps you can make a cake and decorate the top of the cake topped with edible acorns?! (Or better yet, pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting!)
Thanks so much, Emily, for the delicious recipe! Wow!
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