Fab Fresh Fun Practical Life: Milk Pops!

Most likely, many of you who will read this have children who love frozen treats.
Both boys love, love, love eating frozen snacks, from ice cream to Italian ice...and they also love to make homemade frozen treats.

Well, today we decided that it would be fun to combine doing a practical life activity and making some Fab Fresh Fun treats: Milk Pops!

These are super easy and fun for children to make for themselves.
What you will need to make these pops:

A plastic container to hold the pops

Some flavored milk (We used Horizon Organic Milk Boxes in three varieties:
lowfat chocolate, lowfat strawberry, and lowfat vanilla.)

 Fresh cut strawberries

 Mini chocolate chips

The boys got to decide what they wanted to add to their milk pops.

Big Bro chose Organic Vanilla and mini chocolate chips for both of his pops...

Little Bro chose Organic Chocolate with mini chocolate chips for his first milk pop and then, 
he selected Organic Strawberry with fresh diced strawberry pieces for his second milk pop.

What is so ideal with using Horizon Organic Milk boxes is that they are Ultra-Pasteurized so that they do not require refrigeration...this is great if you would want to make these with a classroom of children or at a party, because you could feasibly have one box per child all ready to go before starting and then, you would just pop the milk pops into the freezer to harden after everyone has made one or two pops for themselves.
Here are some photos of the boys' milk pops and then, the boys placing them into the freezer.
They really had a blast making them and cannot wait until they are hard enough to eat and enjoy!

 So easy and so fun! Plus, they are free of artificial everything!
Just good, wholesome yummy, simple, and organic!!!
Will tweet about how they turn out tomorrow...am sure they will be quite tasty though!
Disclaimer: 
I was not asked to provide this recipe for milk pops by Horizon Organic Milk. We just happen to love their milk and found it to work well for this project!

Using Pandora to Expand Your Child's Interest in Music (+TMBG Awareness Day)

If you have an iPhone or any other sort of Smart Phone that has the option to download Pandora, you really should, as not only is it awesome for adults but fabulous fresh and fun for the whole family!

In case you don't know about Pandora:

Pandora radio is the personalized internet radio service that helps you find new music based on your old and current favorites (from their website). 
 
Initially, when I got my iPhone 4, I added Pandora so that I could put stations together primarily based on my musical interests, but then, it dawned on me how awesome it would be to expose Big Bro and Little Bro to different types of music, so that is just what we have done...we have added a variety of music genres for them to listen and to appreciate.
This morning, Little Bro woke up, got himself dressed, and came in and told me what he wanted to do for his school work this morning...he wanted to make his own Pandora station! He had placed my iPhone 4 into the docking station, had selected Pandora, and was all set...he then added that I would have to help him with which group to put in, so we decided on They Might Be Giants Children's Songs.
Incidentally, today just happens to be TMBG Awareness Day*...
Little Bro typed in their name (with a tiny bit of help from me) and then, the fun began...he has some math manipulatives out on the floor and is sorting them in between the songs. When each new song starts, Little Bro hops up and twirls over and selects either thimbs up or thumbs down. Nearly every song has made his thumbs up rating, but it is very interesting to hear him speak when he selects thumbs down...usually, it is that the tempo is too slow...
This has been such a wonderful learning activity for him!
Putting a station together gives him the opportunity to choose which songs he prefers...no rights or wrongs...just his preferences for today.
Little Bro has had a blast! For some of the songs, he has stopped doing his math work long enough to break out into some dancing to the music, but then, he has gotten right back to what he had been doing!
If you have active children who enjoy music, encourage you to give this a try...
Some children might find it a distraction to multi-task and select songs as they proceed with their other work, but for some, it is just an awesome combination!

Big Bro just woke up, saw and heard the music, and has joined in the fun of helping to select thumbs up or down. He now wants to make his own station tomorrow.

Thanks Pandora!
Thanks They Might Be Giants!

We can't say enough good things about you!

*Here's a little tidbit about TMBG Awareness Day:
Today, They Might Be Giants is releasing four new tunes on iTunes. So, how cool is that???

Disclosure: I was not asked by Pandora or TMBG to do this review...the thoughts expressed are my own...am sharing because using Pandora within the scope of homeschooling and family life has worked out great for us...And we have been TMBG fans for several years now...hope that you will find the same to be true for your family!