Right about now your home may slowly be turning into a zoo. So embrace it by charging an entrance fee, allowing visitors to see your little monkeys hanging from the curtain rods- or tame the wild beasts in your household by create your own menagerie. 

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Baby, it's cold outside = the understatement of the century! Where does that leave you when the kids are begging to play outside when the temperature hits 15 below? 

Take the doldrums outta winter and go camping. Although my daughter loved it, I Do Not enjoy sleeping in subzero temps- AT ALL- so, we settled on indoor camping this time.

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There are a ton of ways to make s'more cupcakes. Just look online- the finished product looks gorgeous and is probably beyond delicious. Since the weather was frigid and blustery, I just used what was in the pantry to create the cupcakes pictured above. This is a really easy recipe that I used for our 'indoor campout' and, while it is not gourmet, the results are still tasty.  

Ingredients:
Box of Devil's Food or Chocolate Cake Mix
Graham Crackers
Marshmallows
Frosting [pre-made or homemade]

Prepare mix and bake according to box. Spread frosting onto cupcakes. Toast a marshmallow by holding it near the heating element of the stove- use a fork or skewer to avoid burns.

Top each cupcake with a graham cracker and a marshmallow. Serve to little campers. 

An idyllic little hamlet surrounded by a bustling cosmopolitan area, the new 'Village Playscape' at Henry Ford Museum & Greenfield Village is truly a place that parents will love to take their kids. 

The playground is bustling with activities and innovation. This unique playscape features structures that both children AND their parents will want to visit again and again. After the grand opening, we went a few times a week- which still left the kids begging to go more! 

The reason it manages to hold their interest is variety and ingenuity. Kids can explore a ton of different features- there are things to climb, spin, slide down and  crawl through. All of this can be done while tapping into their imaginations. 

All ages can get in on the action at this playscape. The variety of options makes it a great place that everyone will enjoy- even for families who are rolling with a crew of different age groups. Kids can engage with others and use teamwork to make some of the pieces even more exciting. Children run around with abandon as they dart from one feature to the next.

Man the controls of the realistic excavation equipment- where kids can oversee a vast construction zone filled with sand. Let them build cities and sandcastles 'til their hearts content, toddlers can have fun throwing it, while the babies- let's be real- will probably eat it.

Children will challenge their minds and bodies as they discover different ways to approach the variety of structures.  There is a climbing wall and a rope net. All ages were repped. Older kids were crawling up it at top speeds, and even my toddler loved it. Managing to climb a few times, it was awesome to watch her try, get frustrated, then come back to it again later. After some false starts- she made it to the top on her own, and felt proud she accomplished it by herself. It was a great learning experience for us both. 

Ladders and spinning mechanisms abound, and there are swings, slides and a rocking platform. I witnessed a  teeter totter that causes both kids and adults to laugh unabashedly. It was almost too much fun. A revolving balance beam of sorts tests both coordination and teamwork, as the circular device spins and shifts at different rates. Kids propel it into gear and can even control its direction.

For times when the weather is sweltering, actually-anytime is the right time for little ones looking to get wet: there are water features! A time-machine looking structure sprays water when you push a button. Or try the old-fashioned water pump that allows streams to flow down a copper incline.

Dare I say even teenagers will find something interesting to check out. But they will keep it on the DL, because, you know- they can't let it leak that they actually had a good time!

Michigan Recreational Construction was the company behind the fabrication of this playscape. They did a spectacular job on this project. We watched them work on the area for months, transforming the empty space into an oasis of fun. They were always willing to answer questions the kids had and keep us posted on the evolving grand opening date. 

Save some time before you return home to ride the carousel, which is conveniently located in a pavilion directly next to the playscape. 

Nobody 'round these parts likes bananas- myself included, but everyone loves banana bread. This is the best recipe and is a healthy treat for the dreaded elementary school 'snack day.'  

Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas [or whatever amount is sitting around in the kitchen]
1/4 cup applesauce- any flavor, mango-peach is awesome
1/3 cup melted butter
3/4 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 egg
Pinch of salt
Dash of cinnamon + allspice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix bananas and butter into mixing bowl with sugar, egg, applesauce and vanilla. Kids can help with this. Use handheld beaters or a spoon to blend ingredients. Add baking soda, salt + spices. Add flour a little at a time, constantly stirring. Pour into a 4x8" loaf pan or muffin tins. Bake the loaf for 50 minutes to an hour and muffins for 20-25 minutes. Serve with a pat of unsalted butter or cream cheese. 

*RockStar Tip* Throw some figurines or decorations onto muffins before hauling them to the classroom- the kids will instantly think they taste better. The glow-in-the-dark wildlife silhouettes we chose came in a super inexpensive package. [there were also dinosaurs] Later, we used the extras to create a zoo adventure in the sandbox. 

A small clue about the next collection launching soon:
Dolly Parton is revered around here. Last year we took a trip to Tennessee for a quick visit to the mecca known as Dollywood!

Update 1.16.14! Dolly Parton just announced an upcoming tour- The Blue Smoke World Tour. She'll be performing in Kentucky, Oklahoma + Tennessee, of course.

A tiny hint about the next product... yarn.