The Toy Box Years: Cloud Dough

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've seen this all over Pinterest and decided that today was the day that we would make this! And it's really simple and quick!

Ready?

1 Cup baby oil

8 cups flour

Mix together and that's it!

I mixed it up in a big plastic bowl that I have. Nudgie got all excited because she thought I was making brownies and then got all disappointed when we weren't making brownies. (Guess I'm making brownies later!)

I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with this mixture at first, but once you start working it through, it starts to blend -- and it smells oh so good!

I then dumped it into a plastic box that I had used once upon a time for my scrapbook paper. I tossed in some scoops, cupcake liners, and some bowls and then set up a blanket on our family room floor so that any mess that we were sure to make would be easily cleaned up.

We had a blast making little bricks and stacking them. Rubbing the cloud dough between our hands. (It just feels so wonderfully silky! I could definitely see playing with this as a meditation instead of zen sand garden!)

Then a little later we started drawing letters in it. Nudgie did a great job of identifying the letters I wrote and then wanted to try her hand - literally! Imagine my joy and surprise when she "wrote" the letters R, C, T, and L all by herself. Even more amazing was that we haven't even learned about the letters R and L yet!

In the end, we really liked playing with this and will probably pull it out again. I'm curious to see if, after awhile, it dries up. A friend suggested storing it in a ziploc bag in the fridge. So, we'll give that one a shot too!

Rating: Two Nudgie Thumbs Up!