Cabin Fever

It's not exactly mild, but the windchill warning has been lifted on Ottawa. That's the good news as winter continues its icy march through January. The bad news is Ottawa Public Health issued a frostbite advisory today and we had to cancel our snowshoeing playdate. Croup and chilly weather can result in a cranky baby and mama. I decided to beat the winter blues and cabin fever this week by turning ordinary activities into memorable ones.

• Breakfast. I boiled a couple of eggs and when they were ready, I put them in a bowl of water with coloured ice. Cracking the eggs and chasing the ice was great for Henry's fine motor development and hand eye coordination. 

Check out the awesome knit overalls my Nannie made for Henry!

• Baby crafts. Henry had a blast squeezing and pressing designs into a sealed bag of coloured cornstarch. This mess free project kept him occupied for a solid twenty minutes.

Recipe:

1 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups cold water
Food colouring (I used blue and red)
2 Ziplock bags
Duct tape

Instructions:
1. Mix cornstarch, sugar and water in a pot, stirring continuously over medium heat.
2. Once the mixture begins to thicken, remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes.
3. Spoon mixture into two bowls, add food colouring, then divide into Ziplock bags.
4. Seal with duct take and let your baby mix and mash the colours.

• Bath time. We turned it into a celebration this week with bubbles, balloons and bath paint. Henry painted the tub and hunted for water balloons. Great sensory play!

Bath paint recipe:

2tbsp cornstarch
2tbsp soap/shampoo or body wash
2tbsp of water
3 drops of food colouring

Keep things exciting and try changing your routine this week!

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On to some matters of business...

Exciting news! The Editor at Ottawa Family Living Magazine has asked me to write for every issue this year. My next article will be published in the spring issue.
 
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Enjoy the rest of your week, friends!