The Toy Box Years: Rainbow Rice

The Creators of the Toy Box Years

The creators of the Toy Box Years are my two beautiful daughters and wonderful, handsome soldier husband.

"Nani" (our oldest) is a 11 year old 6th grader who loves Taylor Swift, ballet, books, fashion designing and sewing. Ask her what she wants to be when she grows up and it changes daily to anything from "an artist" to "a teacher" to "a singer/dancer". Nani is also currently fighting a battle against brain cancer -- recently diagnosed in June 2016.

"Nudgie" (our youngest) is a very smiley, very happy, very giggly, very spirited 8 year old 3rd Grader who's favorite toys are anything that gives mommy an anxiety attack - ladders, stepstools, the climbing wall at the playground. Like her sister, she has a love of reading and coloring, loves gymnastics and still provides mommy lots of snuggle time!

"My Marine" is my high school sweetheart. We've been married over 20 years and met when we were 17. (You do the math....) His favorite toys are Blackhawk helicopters, the lawnmower, our steam cleaner, and microbrew beer bottles. My husband is also my hero in that he proudly serves his country as a Blackhawk crew chief (hence his favorite toy!). And need I say that there is nothing hotter than my man in uniform!

All About Me......

Once upon a time I had a career and worked in the corporate world. Once upon a time, I dreamed about leaving that all behind to follow my true calling -- being a wife and mommy.

The first part of my calling was fulfilled in 1995 when I married my Marine (now soldier) and my love. Little did I know that being a military wife would change me in so many ways and that because of that, I would have an extended family all over the world from Japan, to California, to North Carolina.

The second part of my calling took a little doing, but I finally achieved that dream in 2004 with the birth of our first child, followed 4 years later by her baby sister.

So now, when someone asks me what I do for a living - I simply smile and say proudly that I'm following my calling - I'm a mommy and a wife -- and I couldn't be HAPPIER -- I'm living in the Toy Box Years!!

I'm a little behind with posting our 5 Days of Crafting. My mom is coming to visit on Wednesday so I've been frantically cleaning so that I'll pass the white glove test -- which I won't -- so why bother, right? Because it's my mom and within 5 minutes of being in the door she'll start in on me about why is the laundry not folded.

But anyway......

I'm taking a few minutes away from folding laundry to share our Day #3 craft - rainbow rice.

I've been wanting to do this for awhile, but I finally got my act together and spent a couple hours after the kids were in bed coloring rice.

Big bag of rice. About 1 cup of rice in a glass bowl

Add a few drops of food coloring and about a tablespoon of vinegar

Spread on wax paper on a baking sheet

Put in oven at around 250 for about 20 minutes. Just to let it dry and let the color seep in.

I'd been saving the shaker spice bottles and had just enough for the rainbow colors.
The extra rice, I put into Tupperware for easy storage and refilling

Friday, after school, I printed out some pictures for the girls to decorate with the rice. They were actually quiet for about an hour and -- wait for it -- didn't fight!

They had a pretty good time and my vacuum got a good workout sucking up the extra rice!

To see our Day #1 craft, click here. To see my Day #2 craft, click here.