Earth Day 2012

What a wonderful, green day it was!  It was absolutely beautiful outdoors today!  

We started two traditions this year for Earth Day that I'm going to do with the girls every year.  

1. Plant something.  2. Make "Earth" rice crispies.

We started the morning off with planting something.  Rainbow was very excited that Grandma was here to join us and help with our projects today!  I purchased the Disney Princess Castle Greenhouse made by Miracle-Gro Kids at Walmart for $9.97 plus tax.  

After we set it all up, we used a medium sized mixing bowl to put the soil from the kit in and mix the water.

Then we filled the cups (a.k.a. Gro-pods) with the soil.  Rainbow placed the seeds in the pods and we covered the seeds with a shallow layer of soil.  

We charted the progress (or lack therof) on her princess "Gro-Chart".  Rainbow stuck the princess stakes into the soil, put the pods into the "greenhouse", and placed the lid.

And this was the final result!!!!

For our second Earth Day tradition, we made our "Earth" rice crispies.  Rainbow loved this sticky, gooey activity!  These were a sweet treat after our hard work planting.  

What you'll need:

3 tbsp margarine or butter

1 10 oz bag of marshmallows

1/4 tsp vanilla

6 cups rice crispies

Blue and Green food coloring

First, add 3 tbsp of butter to large, non-stick pot and melt on low heat.  Then add a 10 oz bag of marshmallows and still occasionally until melted.

After it has melted, remove from heat and quickly add the 1/4 tsp of vanilla and stir.  Then add the 6 cups of rice crispies and mix together.  Separate the mixture into two medium mixing bowls.

Add blue food coloring to one bowl, and green food coloring to the other bowl.  You take a small amount from each bowl and smash it together, rolling it into a ball.  Viola! You have an "Earth"!

The end result was Rainbow approved!

Later today we went to Cabot to visit with Rainbow and Ladybug's Great-Grandpa Baber at the McDonald's play place.  Rainbow had the chance to burn off all of that extra energy from our "Earth" crispies.  Ladybug decided to cuddle with Grandma most of the time, so I captured some photos from that since my Ladybug isn't old enough to join in on all of the fun.  I'm not worried though, she will be old enough before I want her to be.  I'll leave ya'll with some pictures with our time there today.