This is a great activity to do with your kids to teach them about capillary action. 

Start with white flowers of your choice (we used Gerber Daisy's). Place them in water with food coloring and watch it take action! We also split one stem and put it in four colors to get a multi color flower. Pro-tip: the more food coloring the quicker you will get color into your flowers (we learned this as the 3-year old was the one who colored the blue water and it was the first to show color).

Capillary action is when the forces of cohesion, adhesion, and surface tension move liquid up through a solid, like a hollow tube or spongy material. Other ways to illustrate it are with string or paper towels.

It is a rainy Sunday afternoon and we are stuck inside with the kids. It is the perfect time to bust out the science experiments and teach the kids a thing or two about density and non Newtonian fluids. I love both of these activity as they can be done with things we have around the house and clean up is sooo easy.

First Experiment - Rainbow Density Jar
Supplies: Jar (preferably with a lid), Food Coloring, Honey, Corn Syrup, Dish Soap, Water, Vegetable Oil, Mixing Dishes and Spoons
Instructions: Color your liquids then then layer them in the jar as follows - honey, corn syrup, dish soap, water, vegetable oil. Allow to separate and put on display as long as you want. 

Second Experiment - Is it Liquid or is it Solid?
Supplies: Work surface you don't mind getting wet/dirty (we use wax or parchment liners), Corn starch, Water
Instructions: Knead together 1 cup cornstarch with 1/2 cup water. It will become a solid that acts like a liquid. Dribble it around, roll it up; try adding water from a dropper to see how it changes. Dig holes in it and let them fill back in. Punch it to see how it acts.

I am so tired of scrolling through recipe sites to find the perfect cook time and instructions for my Instant Pot. I have not had my Instant Pot for long, so it is an experiment every time. Here are some recipes that I know work and use frequently (honestly posting so I can find them later):
Hard Boiled Eggs - place eggs on trivet with 1 cup water in bottom, manual setting 5 minutes, release when cook is done and place in cool water
Rice - 1:1 ratio water/rice, manual setting 3-5 minutes (1-2 cups), natural pressure release 15 minutes.
Pea Soup (with Ham) - Sauté 1-2 onions in olive oil, add 1 cup dried split peas, 3-4 cups broth or water, manual setting 18 minutes, natural pressure release 15 minutes, stir in chopped ham.

"A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies... the man who never reads lives only one." - George RR Martin
"If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"I can't imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once." - C.S. Lewis
​"Never put off til tomorrow the book you can read today." - Holbrook Jackson
"Reading is a discount ticket to everywhere." - Mary Schmich
"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me."
​- C.S. Lewis

From the podcast:
"Reading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary." - Jim Rohn
"I kept always two books in my pocket, one to read, one to write in."
- Robert Lewis Stevenson
"If you don't like to read, you haven't found the right book." -JK Rowling
"The man who does not read good books is not better that the man who can't."
- Mark Twain
"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go."

​Now... Turn off the TV and go read a book!

Smithsonian Article on Thanksgiving Myth and Interview with David Silverman https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/thanksgiving-myth-and-what-we-should-be-teaching-kids-180973655/

Book summary and highlights of “The New One Minute Manager” by Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson. So many great things to learn about being a better manager. Set goals. Give praise. Redirect and clarify.

We live in uncertain times right now with COVID-19 stay at home orders and so many businesses closing their doors in order to help stop the spread. One thing is for sure, food and supplement companies will keep providing safe products you can order online. I work in food manufacturing and we had a record March; the company I work for is currently hiring! My company Athlon Nutrition also has plenty of protein available for order. My favorite source for supplements, Xymogen, recently opened online ordering to our clients as well.

Here are my links:
Eat Clean Protein at AthlonNutrition.com
Clinical grade supplements for most everything you might need Wholescripts.com
Referral Code: SPRINKLES Practitioner: WEIDNER (this will get you 10% off)

I want this post to give you hope! Food and supplement manufacturing is going strong and we know how to keep the supplies safe. Stay home and order online :)

Listen for my stories on how it is all about perspective and that everything happens for a reason.

Audible Book Review of "A Grown Up Guide to Dinosaurs" by Ben Garrod. It was well worth the listen. Here is my short summary and highlights of the audio program.

Warning - It will make you want to watch all the Jurassic Park movies again!