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How to add running water to your KidKraft kitchen

Do you remember the toy sink with circulating water that was one of the “must-have” toys for Christmas 2017?  I wanted to buy one for my son, but they were sold out EVERYWHERE.  Not to mention, we already had a toy kitchen and my husband hates toy clutter.  So, I just thought I should try to add water to the set we already had.  I purchased Enzo’s kitchen second hand for $25, so I wasn’t too worried about ruining it.  As luck would have it, I figured out a pretty simple way to have water circulating through it.  

A fair warning, you will have to drill holes in your kitchen, you will most likely develop water damage, your child is likely to dump water on the floor, and this probably voids any warranty you may have.  

If you are still with me, grab your allen key set and let’s pretend we’re plumbers!

**This is a project that is best done sans child, just since there are drills and hot glue involved.  If you can’t wait until nap time, use common sense precautions...keep your hot glue gun out of reach without the cord dangling low enough for tiny hands to grab!  Keep your drill out of reach as well!!!  

1. Using an allen key, unscrew the faucet mount from the top of the kitchen.  Slide out the sink.

2.  Next, drill a hole in between the screw holes from the faucet mount on the top of the counter behind the sink bowl.  The hole needs to be at least as wide as the hose you will use to run the water.  It should be as directly under the faucet as you can get.  

3.  Remove the faucet from the silver mount.  You will not use the screw to put this back together, so I would recommend throwing it out or putting it in your pickle jar full of extra screws.  I widened the opening of the faucet on both ends, again trying to match the width of the hosing.  Go SLOWLY and gently!  

4.  Take a length of hose a bit longer than you think you need (just in case!) and run it through the faucet starting at the base.  If it is a tight fit, you can grease it with some cooking spray.  Push the hose until it reaches the mouth.  Next, run the hose through the opening in the mount.  Affix the faucet into the mount with a bit of hot glue.  

5.  Feed the hose through the hole you made on the countertop between the mount screw holes.  You can now reattach the mount.  

6.  You should have a long enough hose to reach the bottom of the cabinet below the sink, with maybe a bit of excess.  Trim your hose if needed and then attach the hose to the pump.  (I used something like this pump.)  The power cord of the pump can be fed out of the back opening of the cabinet.  Find an empty container for your water reservoir.  I used an empty fruit salad container because it was the biggest I had available that would fit in the cabinet.  The pump can be placed into the water container.  Fill with water.  (Don’t run the pump without water, it will break!)  

7.  Take your sink bowl and drill a series of holes in the base.  This just needs to allow the water through so the water can circulate.  Take a funnel and hot glue it to the underside of the sink.  Optional: attach a hose to the funnel.  I added this after running it for a while because I found it stopped the noise of a constant trickle.  

8.  Drop the sink back into the counter, making sure the funnel or hose is going into the reservoir.  Plug it in and test!  OMG you are totally a plumber!!!

 Don’t forget to dump the water after each use!  Dry the surfaces of the kitchen as soon as your tiny chef is finished playing to minimize damage.  Enjoy the ten minutes of facebooking or actually dishes that this allows you! 

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Recipe roundup: vegetable fortification!

So, I have mixed feelings about “hiding vegetables” in meals for kids. I’m not above trickery, but I sometimes wonder if it sends the wrong message. We do a lot of presenting vegetables to our son at face value/in their natural cooked form (a side of sautéed kale or broccoli, etc) and he can choose to eat them or not (usually not). With that all said, I think making food that is “fortified!” with extra vegetables or finding a fun way to eat something that may otherwise be boring is never a bad thing. Even mom and dad could use help getting five a day, amiright?? Preface over! Without further ado, here are our current picks for our favorite ways to make our veggies most likely to be consumed by a two year old!

1. Grain crackers

These crackers, pictured above, are a great leftover user. I have been making these for a while and don’t use a recipe anymore, but the link above is a good starting point! I like to make these if we have a bunch of rice and/or quinoa leftover and whatever veggie. The crackers pictured are wild rice and Swiss chard. I just combine the veggie and grain with garlic and onion powders, maybe some liquid aminos to taste, purée with an immersion blender, and spread in an even layer on the fruit leather tray of my dehydrator overnight. Usually loved by all!!

2. These cheesy broccoli bites

Broccoli and cheese in a nugget form, what’s not to love?? We like to dip in store bought ranch.

3. Cauliflower crust pizza

Believe the hype! Also be sure to bake the crust until it is crispy the first time!! Also, don’t be ashamed to use frozen Rice’s cauiliflower! I’m not!

4. Sweet potato wraps

I’ve never mastered rolling these out as thin as the recipe calls for. We like to make these more like pancakes instead of tortillas. Enzo likes a bit of Nutella on his. I also love them as a breastfeeding momma because we can never have enough galatagogues! But a very solid, very simple recipe.

5. Butternut squash Mac and cheese

This is a recipe from Bethenny Frankel and I’ve loved it for years. The squash purée makes it so creamy!

That’s all I have to recommend for now. What are your family’s favorites?

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This is Enzo’s busy board/table!  This idea came together because I really wanted to make him a busy board, but our space is limited.  This does double duty as a busy table!  Enzo has loved this since he was about 9 months old and it is still a favorite.  We regularly add or move things around, which is easy thanks to the pegboard.  To put it together, all we did was get a lack side table from Ikea and add square of pegboard to opposite sides.  (The pegboard was just from the local hardware store and we cut it to size at home with a circular saw and attached it to the table with screws.)  Then, we chose a bunch of hardware that seemed appealing...a small wheel, a door stopper, different locks, handles, a tube for balls and a cup to catch them, etc!  We used regular nuts and bolts to attach everything with washers where necessary.  Both sides were initially hardware, but as he got older and his love for cars grew, we made a ramp system on one side.  The ramps are made from heavy duty cardboard tubes (that held fabric) cut in half with a hack saw.  The ramp stoppers are lids from Play-Doh containers hot glued on.  These mirror decals are a great addition to the top of the table (I also used them in a few other places when Enzo was very small, like next to the changing table so he could check himself out!)  I think this is one of those very worthy projects that will continue to evolve as Enzo grows, even though it doesn’t owe us anything!

*I feel like it is important to remind everyone to be mindful about choking hazards.  Enzo has always been very “handy,” which in this case means that he could, on occasion climb under the table and loosen a nut!  I would recommend adding a drop of super glue to any small pieces if you are using them in your “Yes Spaces” or if you are worried about any talented tiny fingers!

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This is my pizzcifier!  (Pizza + pacifier, get it?!!!!) This has been in the works for a loooong time and I’m still trying to figure it all out.  I made the first one for my son, because I thought there should be something a little more fun out there than your standard froggies and bunnies.   I sent photos of the prototype to a factory in China and they worked their magic.  I’m hoping to have them ready for sale soon!!

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How to make a space helmet from a paper lantern!

While this helmet won’t do much for your next trip to space, it will be the perfect addition to your space themed Photo Booth or halloween costume!  

What I used: 

- 12″ white paper lantern

- white glue

- newspaper - just one should do!

- scrap cardboard

- hot glue gun/glue sticks

- silver spray paint or metallic foil tape 

- white paint

- hoses, caps, small containers

What I did:

1. Assemble one paper lantern (open it and insert the metal frame so it keeps its shape).  Papier-mâché over the entire surface.  Repeat for three layers or until it feels sturdy enough, letting it dry between each layer (very important).  

2. Once it is completely dry and very sturdy, you can remove the metal frame piece.  You can now cut the neck opening and the ‘visor’.  Work slowly and use a tool suitable for wire clipping (for heaven’s sake, don’t use your good scissors!).  I stopped frequently and tried it on to see how things were going.

3. Next I made the neck or base of the helmet.  I was lucky to find a plastic storage bowl that was just slightly larger than the neck opening, and even had a nice lip for me to rest it on as I worked!  If you aren’t as lucky, I would recommend finding a bowl that is roughly the right size and place it upside-down on your work surface.  Wrap a strip of cardboard around the outside of your bowl (it is much easier to work with if you cut the strip so the flutes or the corrugation are perpendicular with the floor).  Secure the ring of cardboard with tape and then papier-mâché over.  Allow it to dry.

4. Using hot glue, attach the neck to the base of the helmet.  Once set, papier-mâché over the seam.  I also papier-mâchéd the edge of the visor opening.  That may be unnecessary, but I thought it gave it a little more of a rounded look. 

5. Next, I painted the inside and outside white.  

6.  Now all you need to do is decorate!  Using hot glue, I added caps to look like buttons, some old phone cord or hose, and plastic candy containers covered in foil tape for some ear pieces.  You could give it an elaborate paint job (I only painted the neck silver) or add any other thing you think an astronaut might need.  Whatever you do, I hope you have fun with it!

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Space Shuttle Piñata Tutorial!

We planned a space themed celebration for Enzo’s second birthday.  Here is how I made a space shuttle piñata!  

Materials I used (I made links for my picks):

-large piece of single faced corrugated cardboard (I repurposed packing material) and a large piece of regular cardboard

-hot glue/hot glue gun

-white glue (like Elmers)

-white paint and black paint

-regular office supply stapler

-plastic container, like from a tub of yogurt or WonTon soup

-newspaper...one big Sunday paper should be enough!

-streamers to make fringe in white and black

-tissue paper in red, orange, and yellow

-five paper cups (i used larger “to-go” style coffee cups)

-silver foil tape

-a slice of black construction paper

-yarn/hanging wire/string

-CANDY!!

What I did:

1. My piñata was pretty large, so I will be listing the measurements I used, but feel free to customize to your needs!  I cut a piece of single faced corrugated that was 32″ long (meaning the flutes were 32″ long) and 30″ wide.  I folded one long side in 1″ and overlapped it so the fold met the opposite edge, making a loop.  I stapled this in place.  I wanted the shape to have one plate side and the rest rounded, so next I made another crease about 9″ from the first. To hold this shape, I then cut two “ribs” from scrap cardboard.  I rouged the shape of the ribs by holding a piece of cardboard behind the shuttle and smoothing it into a shape that felt right.  My ribs did not come out exact, but that ok because you can fill any gaps with hot glue!  

2. Get yer glue gun hot and shimmy the ribs into the tube.  They should be attached about 4″ in from either end but also being mindful that the space between the ribs is all the room you will have for candy.  This step requires a lot of hot glue and a lot of holding them in place until they are set, but be patient because this is where most of your structural integrity will come from!

3.  Next, I began to make the rounded shape of the shuttle nose by making several cuts in the direction of the flutes of the cardboard about 4″ or so down. I spaced the cuts about 2″ apart and left the straight portion alone.  I pressed them forward, overlapping, and stapled into place when something started looking right.

4.  Next, I extended the nose with a WonTon container.  In retrospect, it was a bit too long proportionally, so if you have been roughly following my measurements, maybe use a smaller container or trim a bit!  I used a ball of newspaper on the front of the container to further round out the nose.  I also added a little support piece of cardboard under the container.  

5. Next I added the top wing of the shuttle.  Mine measured 9″ tall from the body of the shuttle.  You can also cut out the back wings (or whatever you call them, I’m no astronaut!).  I traced the shape of the shuttle onto a very large piece of repurposed cardboard but added a wing on either side before cutting it out.  

6. Now it’s time to paper mache.  One or two layers should be more than enough, unless you are expecting a very vicious party goers!  I did not bother doing the flat portion.  Once it was completely dry, I quickly painted the whole thing white.  This does not need to be perfect, just enough so the newspaper print won't be a distraction and will blend with the fringe.  Speaking of fringe, it’s the perfect thing to make while you are waiting for things to dry.  To make it go very quickly, I like to neatly wrap several layers of streamer around a large strip of cardboard.  This way you can cut through several layers at once at about 1/2″ intervals.  Just be sure not to snip all the way through!  Leave 1/2″ or so header for gluing!    

7.  Uh-oh!  It’s fringe-o’clock!  Starting from the bottom, glue the fringed streamer onto the shuttle.  I overlapped each row about 1/2″.  The flat part of the shuttle does not need fringe since it will be sandwiched with the addition of the wing.  I also added some foil tape to the edge of the top wing.  

8.  The base/side wings can be painted black and then have black fringe applied once dry.

9. The last component you need to assemble are the rockets (jets?).  I covered the cups in foil tape.  For the fire, I stacked strips of red, orange, and yellow tissue paper.  I arranged the layers so one edge was even and glued together.  I then attached a strip of fire around the inside edge of each cup (with the fire pointing out). 

  10. Now put it all together!!  I cut a window in between the ribs on the flat side of the shuttle to fill with candy/treats/whatever!  You will also need to poke holes and thread string or wire through.  I used a sewing needle and made sure to catch a bit of the ribs for extra stability.  Once filled and stringed, you can hot glue the back on.  Since it is such a big surface to glue, I like to glue down the center and let it set and then go back and get the edges.  The rockets get glued into the open end of the shuttle.  I cut a ‘windshield’ out of construction paper and glued that on the front.  I also printed out my son’s name in NASA inspired font to put near the back.   Don’t forget to use it at your party!  (We totally ran out of time, so it’s been hanging on our porch ever since-ACK!!!) (P.S. keep a look out for the tutorial for my paper lantern turned space helmet!)