Holiday Kids Jams!

In case you wanted some more family friendly holiday jams!

The Polyphonic Spree - "It's Christmas" from Good Records Recordings on Vimeo.


Yo Gabba Gabba - To Give A Present from Kirsten Lepore on Vimeo.

Nursing Accessories?

"Do you know of any accessories for nursing in public?"

Last week during our visit from Preggers at our Community Corner, we couldn’t get enough of Maternal America’s Original Nursing Scarves. Even the girls without babies were inquiring about this super soft and stylish accessory. As a mom myself, I can tell you that convenience is its best feature. You can wear it all day long, and it's right there when you need to nurse to give you and your little one some privacy. Even better, you can look super chic and feel comfy while you are nursing anywhere, anytime!

Chalk Polar Bear

Brrrrrrr! It's so chilly outside in Chicago. I suggest making a large cup of hot cocoa to drink while you paint your watercolor polar bear! This is an easy winter art project that looks great on the fridge!

Supplies:

• 1 piece of watercolor paper
• Blue watercolor paint
• Paintbrush
• 1 piece of white chalk

Directions:

1. Paint watercolor paper blue. Let dry. 
2. Draw on top of paper with chalk the design of your choice. Have fun!

Week EIGHT: Recap!

It was a holiday fiesta in Taste Buddies today. We made veggie chimichangas, nachos, and seasoned popcorn. We even took home candy canes for an extra surprise! Thank you to everyone for a great session.  I can't wait to see you next year!


VEGGIE CHIMICHANGAS:
I love this recipe because you can use any veggies you have in the fridge. You can substitute whole wheat tortillas for an extra healthy meal!

NACHOS:
We talked about about the difference between kidney beans and black beans today with our Taste Buddies. We also learned about cumin and how to season nachos with it. What a tasty snack!

SEASONED POPCORN:I love this recipe for children. They have so much fun shaking the popcorn bags to mix the seasonings. It's also fun to make lots of different flavors and have your child pick their favorite! Seasons' greetings!

Week EIGHT: Veggie Chimichangas, Nachos and Seasoned Popcorn

VEGGIE CHIMICHANGAS
Ingredients:

• 1 chopped squash
• 1 chopped zucchini
• 1 chopped tomato
• 1 diced onion
• 4 whole wheat tortillas
• 1 cup of salsa
• 1 cup of shredded Colby jack cheese
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil

Directions:

1. Brush outside of tortillas with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. 
2. Sautée onions, zucchini, and squash in remaining olive olive oil until soft.
3. Place sautéed veggies and tomato inside tortillas. 
4. Sprinkle with cheese.  
5. Pour on salsa. 
6. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

NACHOS
Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole tomatoes, strained
• 1 cup corn kernels (or canned corn)
• 1 cup kidney beans, strained
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin, ground
• 1 teaspoon paprika, ground
• 1 teaspoon onion flakes
• 1-2 bacon strips, diced
• 1-2 cups cheddar, monterey jack, or Mexican blend cheese
• 1 bag corn chips

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F, spray an oven tray with cooking spray and line with corn chips.
2. Cook the diced bacon until warmed through and set to one side.
3. In a large bowl, add strained tomatoes and crush with your hands to make a lumpy sauce. 
4. Add corn, beans, cumin, paprika onion flakes, salt, pepper and bacon pieces.
5. Give the mixture a good stir. You may need to drain a little of the liquid off, depending on your tomatoes.
6. With a slotted spoon, place mixture on top of the corn chips, then follow with cheese.Pop into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese melts.

SEASONED POPCORN

Ingredients:

• 4 cups hot, popped, plain popcorn
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 pinch dried oregano
• 1 pinch dried basil
• 1 pinch dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a large Ziploc bag, drizzle popcorn with olive oil.
2. Add cheese and spices.  Seal bag.
3. Shake until well-mixed.  Enjoy!

Bubbles Staff Picks for Holiday Stories

It's the Holiday Season!  The halls are decked and we're surrounded by sugar plums here at the Academy.  No matter what holiday you celebrate in your house, there are great books out there for your little bookworm, and lots of ways to make reading a tradition in your family.


In the Emmerich household, we all snuggled into bed with our brand new "embarrassing Christmas pajamas" to read The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg every year.  We started that tradition when I was just a wee one like your bookworm, and we still read it to this day.

I asked the rest of the staff at Bubbles about some of their favorite holiday reading recommendations.  Here's what they said:

• Art guru Miss Meghean always associates Puss in Boots and Angelina's Christmas by Katharine Holabird with the holidays.
• Our Office Manager, Miss Kate, recommends Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins by Eric A. Kimmel.  She couldn't believe she remembered it, but has many fond memories!
• The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats is a favorite of our Bees teacher, Miss Victoria, and her siblings.
• "I remember I really liked the pictures in the The Snowman [by Raymond Briggs]," says our Art and Music Teacher, Miss Sam.
• Our Membership Coordinator, Miss Megan, loves The Biggest Christmas Tree Ever by Steve Kroll.
• Bubbles Academy's owner, Gregoire Klees-Johnson, loves the classic tale of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.  There's a great picture book version of the claymation classic!

Feel free to comment and let us know your holiday book favorites. Happy Holidays, and happy reading!

"How Do You Spell Channukkahh" by The LeeVees