Our favorite Canadian apple experts have launched their new Apple Pear juice, a well-balanced flavor that blends the sweetness of pears, with the freshness of apples. The perfect addition to the delicious apple juice range that is already available.

With so many apple varieties, each with its own flavor profile, everyone is sure to find their perfect match.

No added sugar, just the delicious taste of orchard fruit. Whichever flavor you choose, it will make the perfect addition to this easy-family-friendly recipe.

(Available at your local grocery store)

ROUGEMONT APPLE JUICE-SOAKED OVERNIGHT OATS 

Skip the added sugars and heavy dairy

by soaking oats entirely in Rougemont Apple Juice,

for a naturally sweet and tangy flavor!

Gluten-free, Dairy-Free, Vegan, Nut-free 

Ingredients (Serves 4)

2 cups rolled oats (gluten free if applicable)

2 cups Rougemont apple juice

2 medium apples & 2 medium pears

1 tsp ground cinnamon

4 tbsp chia seeds (to absorb excess liquid)

Pinch of salt (optional)

 

 

Instructions:

In a large bowl, mix together thoroughly: 2 cups of rolled oats, 1 tsp of cinnamon,

4 tbsp of chia seeds, pinch of salt and 2 cups of Rougemont apple juice.

 

Divide mixture into four containers that seal tightly.

 

 

Chop or grate 2 apples and 2 pears, toss with a drizzle of lemon juice to avoid browning and scoop onto oat mixture.

 

Seal tightly and place it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

 

Stir the fruit into the cold oats before serving and add toppings of choice. 

 

Oats will stay fresh in refrigerator for up to 3 days. 

Topping Ideas:

Pecans, ground flax seeds, pepitas, walnuts, sun butter or almond butter

offer a satisfying rich earthy flavor.

Granola, cacao nibs, toasted coconut flakes or dried fruit

turn the oats into a delicious snack or dessert. 

Greek yogurt, nutmeg, maple syrup or honey

will add creaminess and a boost to the natural sweetness. 

Sharp white cheddar, crumbled goat cheese or blue cheese

elevate this dish with a tangy contrast to the sweet apple and pear. (Warm oats before serving)

Overnight-oats are perfect to grab in the morning rush or as an after-school snack.

They can be tailored to any taste and fit most dietary needs.

The full line of Rougemont juice offers a flavor profile for everyone, whether you enjoy a tangy or mellow apple taste.

The perfect way to add natural sweetness and tang, without added sweeteners.

Be sure to look for the full range in your local grocery store. 

Let me know if you give this recipe a try and what toppings you chose!

– Sue 

The post Apple-soaked Overnight Oats with Rougemont first appeared on Reaching Happy.

Spring can feel like a waiting game…waiting for the warmer weather, waiting for the snow to melt, and waiting for our gardens to show signs of life.  We tend to want to rush this season, and not let it unfold as it should.  After months of rest, the earth needs time to awaken, to thaw and stretch. But, there are gifts for those who notice, there’s beauty in the greys and browns of spring. The sun is sitting higher in the sky and setting a little later each day, beautiful birdsong filling the air, sap dripping from tapped maple trees and the first wildflowers raising their sleepy heads to greet the world…little changes happening all around us.

We love taking the time to explore our backyard as the seasons change, everything seems new again without the blanket of snow. The girls  visit our little stream, the ice has melted away and it gushes with life again. We also wash and tuck away the bird feeders, knowing it’s better for the birds to feast on the abundance of bugs and seed pods readily available now. They do appreciate birdhouses and bird baths though, so we make sure to have those out early in the season for them to enjoy.

The girls will take note in their nature journals of which wildflowers appear first each year. Coltsfoot is always the winner in our area, it seems. Their bright sunshiny-yellow adds so much life to the yard, and it’s always a treat to watch them close up for the night, resuming their namesake’s shape while they sleep. 

Spring offers our family a sweet treat every year in the form of maple sugar.  We tap the few maple trees we have on our property and keep busy checking the buckets daily.  When the temps are warm during the day and still cold at night, we are blessed with lots of sap to boil down and watch thicken into delicious maple syrup and candy.  

When the urge to garden hits, we keep busy by starting seeds inside where it’s warm enough for things to germinate.  The windowsills are lined with tiny pots for many weeks and it’s always a treat to see the tiny seeds come to life. Our favorites to start inside are: tomatoes, basil, cucumber, ground cherries and squash. 

After a long winter with limited daylight, it’s hard to be anything but grateful for this incredible season. Even if some days are grey and wet, we try to get out and explore. The girls are always eager to put on their rubber boots, don their raincoats (Fairchild, always) and grab their umbrellas, if needed.  Puddle jumping, rainbow chasing and earthworm rescuing will never go out of style. These two  remind me to be in the moment, enjoy the journey of this season and to slow down and savor it as it unfolds. What are your favorite signs of spring?

Our youngest is wearing Fairchild‘s Parachute Rain Coat in Arbutus and our oldest is wearing the Chore Coat in Rust.

The perfect all weather layer to encourage outdoor play and adventure through all the seasons.

“champions of the circular economy, transforming waste into a resource by creating high-performance

adult and kids outerwear from recycled plastic bottles. Fairechild is leading by example, designing recycled

clothing that supports a deeper connection to nature, rather than causing harm.”

Our raincoats were a gift in exchange for our honest review and feedback.  All opinions are our own.

The post Spring with Fairchild Outerwear first appeared on Reaching Happy.

SUPPLIES LIST:

Macrame Cord 5mm

Fabric Scissors

Fabric Stiffener or Hair Spray

Slicker Pet Brush

Ruler

Dowel or Driftwood

Using your scissors, the macrame cord and a ruler, cut:

One 32″ length for the center spine of the leaf

Twelve 14″ lengths for the top of the leaf

Ten 12″ lengths for the middle portion

Eight 10″ lengths for the bottom

Begin creating your macrame leaf by folding the 32″ length of cord in half, this will serve as the spine of your leaf.

Take one of the 14″ strands, fold it in half and tuck it under the spine.

Fold another 14″ strand in half and lay across the top of the spine as shown below.

Notice how the next set of 14″ strands will alternate with the opposite side starting underneath the spine.

Next, bring the strand ends through the loops beneath or below them.

Pull the ends tight creating knots on the spine.  Pull the two bottom leaf spine strands tight to push the knots up snug against one another.

This can be repeated as needed throughout the project. By alternating the loop positions as you go, the spine has a beautiful design.

Continue this pattern using your longest lengths all the way down to the shortest lengths.

While holding the spine firmly, use your pet brush to unravel and fray the cording.

After this step, take a moment to adjust and tighten any spots that need correcting.

Lay the project down and trim roughly to a leaf shape.  Don’t be too exact, just remove some of the bulk and weight.

Take your project outside or into a well ventilated space and apply the fabric stiffener (or hair spray) to both sides.

Allow to dry thoroughly.

Use your scissors to trim the edges to desired shape.  Feel free to add another coat of fabric stiffener after you have achieved your final shape.

We made large leaves, but smaller feather shapes would be beautiful as well.  The possibilities are endless!

We attached our macrame leaves to a piece of driftwood with bits of macrame cord to create a mobile.  Aren’t the result beautiful?

Be sure to check out our other easy craft ideas such as our DIY Pistachio Shell Succulents or Wheat Grass Decorations.

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SUPPLIES: 

GLUE GUN 

PISTACHIO SHELLS

BAMBOO SKEWERS

BOTTLE or vase for display

The supply list is simple and the instructions are just as easy!

This craft is suitable for anyone who is comfortable with a glue gun, from 5 and up. 

Of course, be cautious of the pointy tip on the skewer end.

Simply start by gluing one half of a pistachio shell onto the very tip of the bamboo skewer.

Hold and allow the glue to dry before moving on to your next shell. 

Now, work your way back and forth down the sides of the skewer until you have filled the first two inches. 

Use your creative eye and explore which size and design looks best to you. 

We thought four of five layers of shells looked nice.

Since the shells are naturally different sizes, the results are always unique!

A simple grouping of three looked so nice in the small bottle we used!

Let me know if you give this a try!

How do you use leftover pistachio shells?

Be sure to give our Pistachio Shell Succulents Craft a try as well.

-Sue 

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an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to

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Most “Seed Bomb” tutorials will ask you to use your beloved blender to shred the paper, but in doing so, you run the risk of overheating your blender’s engine.  Our method requires a little more patience but it’s well worth the extra effort! 

SUPPLIES

Newspaper or Paper

Large Jar or Bowl

Serrated Knife

Boiling Water

Wildflower Seed Mix (choose local)

Small Cookie Cutters or Silicone Molds (optional)

Tear 10 to 20 pages of newspaper or paper into small 1/2 inch pieces. 

Place them in a large, heatproof jar or bowl. 

Boil water and add it to the vessel covering the paper by several inches.

Allow the paper to soak for a few hours, stirring occasionally. 

To encourage the paper to turn into pulp, stir and slice with a serrated knife. 

If the paper is still not falling apart, add another soak in hot water for a few more hours. 

Once the paper has lost shape and resembles pulp, strain through a sieve over the sink. 

We used our hands to squeeze out as much moisture as possible. 

Next, we added the pulp to a bowl and mixed in a full package of wildflower seeds.  

Alternatively, you can add just a few seeds into each one as you shape them. 

We used small cookie cutters that we had on hand and they worked wonderfully.

We simply filled the cutters with pulp and squeezed out as much moisture as we could, as we did so. 

You can also use silicone molds or simply roll the pulp into a ball or mound. 

We popped the shapes out onto a cookie sheet covered in parchment and placed them in a sunny spot to dry. 

They were dry by the end of the next day and ready to go!

(If you are using molds, allow them to dry for a few days)

We’ve handed them out to friends and neighbors and they have always been well received. 

They can be planted in a favorite pot, in the garden bed or simply thrown into wild areas of your yard. 

Let us know if you give them a try!

Sue 

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an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to

earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”

The post Easy Wildflower Seed Bomb Tutorial first appeared on Reaching Happy.

Materials 

Needle Felting Kit 

Which includes: 

Needle

Pad or Cushion

Wool

Finger guards

AND

Small Cookie Cutters 

Using cookie cutters as a guide helped us in so many ways. 

Little fingers were kept safe and it was easy to create a beautiful shape with little effort. 

This minimized frustration in our youngest needle felting artist.

After choosing your cookie cutter and wool colors, place your items on your pad or cushion. 

(Use the finger guards as instructed, especially for younger ones)

Take a small amount of wool and place it in the cookie cutter.  Fill every nook and cranny with a thin layer. 

Hold your needle relatively straight up and down and then begin gently jabbing the wool with your needle repeatedly.

Short, quick jabs are what you are looking for!

If you place the needle at an angle while felting, it will weaken and eventually break. 

Your needle should just touch the pad below, it should barely pierce it. 

Slowly add more and more wool and continue felting until the desired thickness is achieved.

Flip your project over and repeat on the other side. 

Remove your project from the cookie cutter and clean up the stray edges along the sides with the same gentle jabbing motion.  

To create a center for your flower, simply freehand a little ball shape and felt it together.

When you have achieved the desired shape, simply place it on the flower and repeat the same needle movements to join the two pieces together. 

Voila!  Simple needle felted flowers for loose parts play, math manipulatives or to create hair clips or magnets with.

The possibilities are endless!

To see a video tutorial, have a look at the Reels we created HERE on Instagram.

Have you tried needle felting before?

Let me know!

Sue

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earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”

The post Easy Needle Felting with Children first appeared on Reaching Happy.

 I want to share with you a tool that just may help your little bird watchers along in their journey: A FREE bird journaling page. 

I’ll add the link at the bottom of this page.

I have included ample space for documentation through sketching and note taking. 

Also, a few prompts are in place to encourage taking note of the location and time of day. 

If your children need a gentle guide on how to draw common birds, we adore the pictured book.

It gives useful tips on drawing their bodies, different bill shapes and how to achieve a feathery look.

I made sure to design a page that fits well when used with a clipboard and/or with a three ringed binder.

This enables you to leave some pages within reach at home: near a window facing a bird feeder, or on the go: tucking them into a clip board for a forest hike. 

If you don’t currently have a feeder in your yard, have a look at our easy DIY birdfeeder.

Experiment using different seeds and see what varieties of birds you can attract. 

Be sure to invest in a local bird guide book so you can quickly reference what you spot.  I just know your children will love watching their journals grow through the seasons and sightings! 

To access your free printable, simply subscribe to our page HERE

and you will receive a link in your welcome email.

Happy Bird Watching!

-Sue 

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an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to

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Supplies:

Pine Cones

Natural Peanut Butter

Bird Seed 

Twine 

Birds that stay through the cooler months appreciate having natural peanut butter to help in their fat production.  Be sure to choose organic peanut butter tho, without any additives or sweeteners.

We began by cutting a short length of twine and attaching it to the top of our cones.

Then came the girls’ very favorite part, slathering on the peanut butter. 

At first they approached it quite artistically, trying to carefully apply the butter without dribbling a single drop.  When I explained that it had to be thick in order to act as “glue” for the seeds…they approached it with a newfound vigor. 

It wouldn’t be creating without at least a bit of a mess to clean up afterwards!

Up next, a quick and thorough roll in the bird seed of your choice.  We chose black oil sunflower seeds as they are a favorite with chickadees and those are our most frequent visitors. 

I wasn’t sure our thin natural peanut butter would hold the seeds well but it worked beautifully. 

Such a cute little feeder, don’t you think?

Since no two pinecones are alike, each creation was completely unique!

Now out we go to hang them on branches and pine boughs for the birds to discover!

Do you enjoy feeding your backyard birds?

-Sue 

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When the clouds in our sky are not producing snowflakes, we turn to these cuties to brighten our day!

SUPPLIES:

Brown Kraft Paper (we used what we found in a delivery box, the more wrinkled the better!)

Hole Punch

Chunky Yarn

Fork 

Scissors

White Crayon 

Start by doubling up your paper and cutting out your cloud shape. 

Any size will do, little clouds hung on doorknobs are adorable and giant clouds hung on the wall are gorgeous too!

Next, use your hole punch to make evenly (a half inch) spaced holes around your entire cloud shape.

Be sure to punch through both layers!

Use your yarn to hand stitch the cloud together, you could use a straight stitch or a blanket stitch.

Be sure not to go all the way around, as you will need an opening to stuff the cloud and create the beautiful puffy effect.

Use scraps of paper to stuff your cloud.  We crinkled up the leftovers from cutting out our cloud. 

Now you can complete your stitches all the way around!

Now to create your pom pom snowflakes!

Wrap the end of a fork at least 20 times with your yarn.  The more you wrap it, the fuller your pom pom will be!

Next tie a small piece of yarn around the center of your wrapped yarn as pictured above. 

Snip the yarn up both sides of your fork.  Your are in effect cutting the loops you have created. 

Your pom pom will need to be fluffed and even trimmed to take on a uniformed shape. 

Attach yarn, in your desired lengths, to the pom poms and attach to the bottom of your cloud. 

You can alternate the lengths or vary them depending on your preference on how the snowflakes will hang. 

Our youngest decided her cloud needed a face and I’m quite smitten with her creation! 

Our oldest chose to color hers in with a white crayon and the results are beautiful! 

What do you think?  I’m in love with the textures and hygge-ness of these cozy creations!

Sue 

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The post Easy Paper Snow Cloud Craft first appeared on Reaching Happy.

MATERIALS

Dried and pressed leaves (autumnal colors are beautiful but not necessary)

Beeswax (we chose local but if that’s not an option, try here) 

Twine

Clothespins

Small sauce pan or double boiler 

Tin Foil 

Brown Craft Paper 

Apron

Cover your work area with craft paper and consider wearing an apron. 

Using a knife, shave off a few cups of  wax , if using pellets this step is not necessary.

The amount of wax needed will depend on how many leaves you will be dipping. 

If you have leftover wax, it can be cooled and reused so always err on the side of having too much.

We used our tin foil to make a little bowl that fits over our small sauce pan.

This not only serves as a double boiler, but allows for easy clean up as well.

The “bowl” should be shallow enough to allow the pot below to be filled halfway with water without touching the foil. 

We made a small vent in our “bowl” by bending up one edge of the lip to allow steam to escape. 

Steam is very hot and all should be warned to stay clear of this vent.

Fill your pot halfway with water and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. 

Place the tin foil bowl of wax over the pot and stir wax occasionally as it melts.

Once wax is completely melted and is very fluid, remove from heat.

Place pot on a trivet and caution young children of the danger of the hot pot, steam and melted wax. 

Hold on to the stem of your dried and pressed leaves and dip them completely in the melted beeswax.  Tweezers can be used to hold the leaves if desired. 

Lift the leaf out of the wax and hold for a few seconds to allow any drips to fall.  

Hang leaves on twine with clothespins or lay on your craft paper to dry.  They dry very quickly so this is just as an extra measure. 

The smell of the autumn leaves and melted beeswax is very soothing!

We loved seeing our once dry and crispy leaves be transformed into beautiful pliable shiny leaves.

Our colors have stayed true for weeks now and we are so pleased with the way they preserved. 

We have hung some as a garland in our front window. 

We also made a small mobile with a few others using driftwood and twine. 

Other uses included:

As an addition to a loose parts tray, sensory bins, small world play,

leaf rubbing art, playdough stamping, card making,

bookmarks or suncatchers…the possibilities are endless! 

Have you tried preserving leaves with beeswax before? 

Sue 

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an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to

earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”

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