Sunday, May 03, 2009

Making Cornstarch And Baking Soda Clay

The kids and I love to experiment. We have our share of frugal flops. (Homemade crackers, anyone?)

I try not to let the waste and the mess bother me.

Who fusses while helping the kids make Mother's Day gifts?

The irony isn't lost on me, as I sit picking the hardened cornstarch from the floor, the kids having long since abandoned the project.

Repeat after me: we are not making messes, we're making memories!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Soooo. how do we maek THIS? Clay recipe? Please? :)

Sue said...

You ARE making memories and when you get to where I am and look back you wish you had one of those days where you scraped playdough, clay or whatever from the floors, walls, furniture or wherever.

Your children are blessed!

Meredith said...

It was a frugal flop! Trust me, don't waste your cornstarch and baking soda.

Leila said...

My kids used to "help" me bake bread nearly every day. They got a little bit of dough, lined up at the counter on stools and chairs, and made a "cake" with raisins for eyes and mouths.

For some reason this gave them great glee -- even though it wasn't a cake, the raisins burned, and I was usually cross-eyed by the time we were "done" -- yes, I cleaned up!! And four or five "cakes" was probably the equivalent of half a loaf, pretty much wasted.

But even if it gets you half an hour of absorbed interest, it's worth it!

And it's not like I took them to Disney World :)

Roxie700 said...

Believe me when I tell you that the things you are doing with your children now, flop or no flop, will mean more to them when they are older than you can ever imagine. You spend quality time with your children, that is more precious than gold. Your children will always remember these things and pass them on to their children.What a wonderful legacy to pass along. Blessings. Roxie

Mary Ellen said...

Frugal flop or answer to my dilemma?!?

Due to changes in our way of eating, I'm now only buying organic corn based items to avoid genetically modified ingredients. That means my free with coupon corn starch stockpile has to go. But, I just have a hard time throwing "good" food away. To use it for crafts would be perfect! I'm in need of craft ideas to fill our summer anyway!

Thanks for the inspiration!

Michelle @ Give a Girl a Fig said...

You are making memories...and you are also encouraging your children to be DO-ers...and allowing them to experiment...and even to suffer a "flop" now and then...which is OK. You just try again! Your children will grow up more creative...and more bold...because you knew that it was only a little mess with a BIG impact. Good job, M.

Amy Ellen said...

Sorry to hear that it did not come out exactly as you hoped, but like you said it was an experience. You have a lovely generous attitude toward those things. I enjoy the way you post!
Hugs
Amy

Heather said...

That's right...memories not messes...so hard to remember.
Thanks for the reminder.