Dinosaur Dig Sensory Bin

About a month ago, I tried a new sensory bin activity for the kids. A dinosaur dig! I hid some toy dinosaurs & mini foam eggs in some homemade “moon sand” & let the boys go to town! They had so much fun, it’s safe to say this activity was a huge hit.

This sensory bin was very simple (didn't take a ton of set up for me) & kept the boys entertained for a good while. It is messy, but if you’re like me & don’t mind the mess, I would definitely recommend giving it a shot!

Moon sand recipe: Are you ready for the easiest recipe ever? Mix 8 cups of flour with 1 cup of oil. I used melted coconut oil but I’ve heard baby oil works well, too! *I baked the flour before I mixed it with the oil just incase the boys tried to put the moon sand in their mouths. (350 degrees for 5 minutes.)

For a little added fun, I picked up a couple of wooden scoops for digging, magnifying glasses to inspect artifacts a little closer & these paint brushes to dust off the dinosaurs & eggs!

Would you give this activity a try?

xoxo

Backyard Talk: Part 2

I am happy to report that our backyard is finished! This project was a labor of love this summer. We finished in mid-August & have really loved being able to enjoy it for a few weeks before summer ends. I just read my Backyard Talk post from April & I COULD NOT believe how little the boys look! The saying is so true, time is a thief.

The last time I talked about our yard, it was just a giant dirt pit. Look how far we’ve come! Sean planted the grass himself & it turned out amazing. We went back a forth for awhile whether or not we should seed it ourselves or purchase sod. I’m so glad that we did it ourselves because it turned out perfectly!

Do you remember what my backyard wishlist looked like? We have checked everything off that list, with the exception of a play structure for the kiddos! Here is a refresher:

1. A play area for the kids this will come at a later date! (Let's face it, the entire yard is their play space!)
2. Raised garden beds
3. A fire pit
4. Outdoor dining

YAY I got my raised garden beds! These cedar beds were built for us by a local building center & they turned out exactly how I envisioned. We wrapped them in some solar lights & made my fairy-twinkle-light-dreams come true! One bed has flowers planted in it, the other has different shrubs. They are already getting so big! Eventually I would like to start a vegetable garden, but I thought these shrubs & flowers would be a nice start.

The fire pit area is probably one of my favorite parts, it really is so perfect! My dad & Sean built the tiers & Sean built the fire pit. We got the Adirondack chairs & tables from a man that makes them locally & we’ve been very happy with them.

I love, love, LOVE that we have an outdoor dining area now! This table has been perfect & seats ten. I really wanted a long table so we could entertain our family & friends!

Our dining table & chairs are from Article. The table is no longer available but the chairs we have are the Svelti Pure White Dining Chairs.

Having this outdoor space has been such a blessing to our family. The kids absolutely adore being outside, they love playing in the rocks! I’m so happy that they have nice grass to play in now, too. I want to say a huge thank you to my dad who helped map it out for us, helped Sean level the dirt and spread the gravel. Thank you for reading about our backyard! We sure do love it.

xoxo