Mama’s at a Glance- July
Whether you’re a stay at home mom, working mom, or single mom, we all want to engage our children with books, crafts, games, cooking and service every month. But researching and planning can take time. Time often taken up with dishes, laundry, and carpooling. Don’t let these fun activities and events pass you by. Take a half hour to sit down with your calendar and plan what will work with your schedule. Try doing this a week before the month so you can gather books and other supplies you might need. You don’t have to do it all, but pick things that you think your family will enjoy.
Have fun!!
For your convenience we have provided a link to a printable calendar for July http://www.freeprintablecalendar.net/july/2009/printcalendar.aspx
Print it out and fill it out with these activities
July 5th-11th
Fieldtrip: Bees Game
When I think of summer, baseball is one of the first things that comes to mind. A summer can’t go by with heading to the ballpark. Grab a bag of peanuts, licorice, and cash for a hot dog and be on your way. This is a great week to go because of all the promotions going on.
Monday, June 6th: $3 pp Harmons’ Family Night. Game starts at 7:05
Tuesday, July 7th: Cheez-It Kids Eat Free. Game starts at 7:05
Wednesday, July 8th: Wienerschnitzel Dollar Dogs / 70’s Concession Prices Night, sponsored by Cyprus Credit Union – They will be rolling back the prices on select concession items. Fans can wear their favorite 70’s attire and dance to disco music throughout the night. Game starts at 7:05
Thursday, July 9th: Thirsty Thursday – Jimmy Buffett Night – The stands will be filled with Jimmy Buffett music and special concession offers. Cheeseburgers in Paradise Concessions Stand. Game starts at 7:05
Friday, July 10th: Bees Baseball Cards and Post Game Autograph Session. Game starts at 7:05
Sign up for the library program
Your local library has great summer programs to keep your kids reading this summer. Many have great themes with charts to track your child’s progress and rewards at the end for their accomplishments. Don’t forget reading in the summer is just as important as during the school year.
Craft: Blob Shirts
You have to have a shirt that will remind you of your summer. Gather your family or friends and make these spectacular shirts.
Supplies:
t-shirt
black fabric paint (joann’s fabric store)
several pieces of cardstockHow To:
• fold one piece of the cardstock in half lengthwise first then, place it inside your t-shirt to keep the ink from running to the back side of the shirt. make sure the line down the center of the paper runs down the center of the shirt, it helps to secure the paper with masking tape
• lay the t-shirt flat on a hard surface
• cover half of the t-shirt with another piece of cardstock to focus their paint to one side of the shirt
• let your little one put blobs of paint on the uncovered side of the shirt (it makes better blobs if they keep the paint toward the center of the shirt, but of course mine wouldn’t listen to that part)
• after the paint has been applied, fold the shirt directly in half and pat it down (or place a large book on the folded shirt for a few minutes)
• let your shirt dry
July 12th- 18th
Craft: Tick, Tack Toe
Grab your homemade tick, tack, toe after dinner and find a shady spot for a fun game. You could even make a couple so every one can play.
You’ll need:
A square piece of slate or a rock you can write on.
10 small rocks.
Using chalk draw a grid on your square slate. On 5 of the rocks draw O’s, on the other 5 draw X’s.
Read Americana Books
How to Bake an American Pie by Karma Wilson,
Stars and Stripes:
The Story of the American Flag by Sarah L. Thomson
America: A patriotic Primer by Lynne Cheney
Family Fun Night: Water Fight
This is a fun family tradition to start, everybody put on swimsuits or old clothes and head outside. Each person receives a laundry basket full of water balloons for the fight. You can use water balloons or a regular package of small balloons. Then get out your plastic swimming pool and fill it up, placing a few large cups or small buckets in the water. If you have them, break out the “super soakers”. Mom’s always get the garden hose to protect themselves. Divide up into teams and don’t forget to video tape.
July 19th- 25th
Fieldtrip: Visit a lake
Our great state of Utah offers so much to do. Pick a lake from www.utah.com and spend a day or afternoon on the shore. Skipping or throwing rocks is always a crowd pleasers, have contests to see you can skip the most or who makes the biggest splash. If you are up for it, rent a canoe from REI for $35. Or just hang out on the shore with a Frisbee or soccer ball. Bring some towels just in case. Snacks can’t hurt either.
Game of the Month: Backyard Bowling Alley
Add a few drops of food coloring to ten clear plastic bottles of water. Stand them up on flat ground and score a strike using a soccer ball or and other ball you have lying around.
Party of the Month: Good Ole’ Cowboy BBQ
There’s nothing like a BBQ in the summer. Grab your boots and hat, put on some country music and you’ll be ready to go. You’re sure to win with these recipes.
Pulled BBQ Pork Sandwiches:
The ingredients for this recipe are simple:
1 pork shoulder (make sure the piece of pork will fir into your slow cooker)
¼ cup of water
Salt and pepper
BBQ sauce
The secret ingredient: patience, as time really is the key to success for this southern delicacy!
Add the Pork to the Crockpot
First, warm your slow cooker for approximately 15 minutes before placing the piece of pork inside. Salt and Pepper the meat and pour ¼ c. of water in the slow cooker.
Turn the temperature to high for one hour. After time has past, turn the heat down to low for approximately seven to nine hours.
Keep the Crockpot covered
Throughout the cooking process, try to resist taking to many peeks under the lid of the slow cooker, unless to check the liquid level, and to add a quarter cup at a time if needed. Each glimpse allows for significant heat to escape and ultimately adds about 20 minutes to the cooking time.
Shred the Pork
Once the piece of meat has had a few minutes to cool, use a fork and knife to shop, or if you’re not afraid to get your hands dirty, shred the pork by hand for a truly homemade look.
Continue cooking the Pulled Pork
Once the chopping and shredding is complete, return it to the slow cooker.
Add the BBQ sauce to the Crockpot
Mix in the desired amount of BBA sauce and cook on low for another hour.
Serve the BBQ Pulled Pork
Serve on warm split buns with coleslaw on the side.
Marinated New Potato Salad
2 lbs. small red potatoes, cut into eights
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup sliced green onions
1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 ½ tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
6 tb white wine vinegar
1 tb dijon mustard
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced or 1 tsp bottled minced garlic
Place potatoes in a large saucepan; cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 13 minutes or just until tender; drain. Rinse under cold water; drain well. Place in a large bowl; cover and chill 30 minutes. Add celery and next 3 ingredients; toss well. Combine vinegar and next 6 ingredients in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Pour over potato salad; toss gently. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Toss gently before.
Cornbread
Make it easy on yourself and buy the packaged stuff
July 26th- 31st
Craft: Bubbles
Any kid or adult will have a blast with super bubble juice.
Fill a wading pool in the shade with a few gallons of bubble solution and they will come. Toss in a couple of wands and a hula hoop. This bubble mix stands up to lots of bubble puttering and is sturdy enough to provide temporary lodging. (When you’re done, store leftover solution in airtight containers for future use.)
You’ll need:
4 gallons water (preferably distilled)
48 ounces dishwashing liquid (preferably joy)
6 tablespoons glycerin
160 ounces high-quality bublle solution (gazillion bubbles work great)
In a container (you’ll need something bigger than a 5 gallon bucket) mix all the ingredients and let sit overnight to allow ingredients to fully meld.
Fieldtrips: Red Butte, Kennecott, and Llama Farm
Monday, July 27th: Red Butte Family Nights- Eastern Arts, Dance & Music of Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, & Turkey. Shows start at 6:00 and 7:00.
Monday Family Nights will be filled with colors, sounds, music and dance from around the world. Local Utah cultural groups from diverse backgrounds will provide a wonderful night to enjoy the music and dance from their heritage while children enjoy crafts and activities associated with the many cultures. Join us as we explore the world of diversity in our own community! Bring a picnic and a blanket and spend the evening in the Garden with your family. Performances will be held in the Orangerie or Amphitheater.
Regular Garden Admission/Members Free
Monday Family Night Rate $24(Includes 2 adults and up to 4 children)
Wednesday, July 29th: Kennecott Copper Mine Tour. Visitor Center is open from 8am-8pm.
There’s nothing quite like seeing the copper mine for the first time. Their Visitors Center hosts approximately 160,000 guests per year from all over the world who come to experience their three-quarters of a mile deep canyon, the largest man-made excavation on earth. Their mine has produced more copper than any other mine in history and still contains enough copper to last through the next century. At 150,000 tons of copper ore per day, that’s a lot of copper! Go learn more about this impressive feat of engineering when you visit the mine for yourself. Admission is $5 per car.
Friday, July 31st: Tour the Llama Farm. The farm is open from 10am till 7 pm.
Tours will include llama orientation, use of the llama obstacle course, rides for kids under 60 lbs, grooming, feeding the animals, and taking them for a walk. The tours last an hour, and cost $2.00 per person, minimum $ 20.00. We can give discounts to groups of 20 or more. Scheduling should be done at least 48 hours in advance for these guided tours. Call (801) 798-3559 and ask for Vai.
Alternatively, groups can come onto the property with bags of carrots and/or apples (best broken up or cut into slices) and feed the llamas without an appointment or any fees (or guide).
A buffet lunch and salad bar is open daily on the premises from 10 am until 7 pm.
Mama’s Helpful Tip:
Do you ever look at all your recycibles and wonder if there is something you can use them for? Well you probably can you may not know right now though. Keep a big plastic container or box in your laundry room or garage and keep items that can be used for crafts or projects. Then when the time comes you’ll be ready to start your project instead of waiting.
Utah Mama’s provides personal, professional and parenting resources designed to foster a greater sense of identity, empowerment and connection for women and mothers everywhere. The Handbook covers what, where and how to be the best Mama in town by collecting all the top Mama secrets. From community services and school information, to places to do and things to see-it’s a book packed with information that is compiled into 25+ in-depth chapters.
To order your Utah Mama’s Handbook, and for other great mothering information and advice, visit www.UtahMama.com.
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