Homemade Ginger Ale

So I'm on an alcohol-free kick at the moment. Not because I think I drink too much, but just because it's commonplace for my husband and I to crack a cold one right before dinner - and lately, this has been a daily indulgence! Given our goal to get in shape this summer, we're trying to lay off the beer and wine. Which means I need to find a tasty alternative to my evening drink. Now that it's light out later, we enjoy our backyard much more, and it's so wonderful to sit in the sun with a cool beverage.

So last night I attempted to make my own homemade ginger ale. It was a success, and my 4.5 year old also enjoyed it! If you're looking for a great summer drink, give it a try.

"Ginger Ale"

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice 1 tsp grated ginger (more or less, depending on "spicy-ness") Sparkling water sweetener to taste (I used a splash of agave nectar)

Mix all ingredients together, add ice and enjoy. I might try leaving it for 10 minutes, and then straining out the "floaties" as my daughter calls them :)

Cheers!

DIY Toys: Fun for Hours!

I got this idea (well kinda definitely copied the idea) from my sister in-law when babysitting her boys a few weeks ago. It’s so simple and so easy to do....and it will entertain your little one(s) for hours!

Why wouldn’t it be fun? It clangs, you can shoot the discs across the room on the floor, put the disks in...pull them out, drop them in, shake it about. So.Much.Fun.

Fin agrees.

And I had fun watching him explore and do all the actions listed above, over and over again.

My sister in-law used a Pringles can for hers, and has a TON of the metal disks. She swears her boys, now 3 and 6, have had hours of fun playing with this game. And she has had it around for a few years now...so it’s great for such a wide age range.

Fin is 10 months old, and he had a blast with it all morning (and then later in the afternoon, in case anyone was noticing the wardrobe change). It’s a little early for Fin right now, but I’ve started labeling the disks with numbers and shapes to increase the learning factor.

So, what do you need to put this simple game together?

- 1 container with a Plastic lid (I used a 32oz. Plastic container from Kardish...they’re nice thick and sturdy)

- Tops (and bottoms if you can detach them) from frozen juice concentrates – I have 4 to start but plan on collecting them as I go through juice...it’s a slow process in my house

- Exacto knife

- Cutting board and/or cardboard

- Permanent Marker or stickers (optional)

Putting it all together:

1)Lay the lid for the plastic container on your cutting board or mat and use the exacto knife to cut out a rectangle measuring 3” x 1/2” (just big enough for your juice lids, aka ‘disks’).

2)Separate your metal tops and bottoms from the cardboard juice containers. Use permanent maker (or stickers!) to draw on numbers, shapes, mathematical signs, words, etc.

3)Put the lid on the plastic container.

4)Let your little one play the day away!

Eryn is a mom to a cheerful and energetic little 10 month old boy. She is a Registered Holisitic Nutritionist & accepting new clients . When she's not chasing around a baby or talking nutrition, she enjoys quilting, crafting, cooking & everything in between and blogs about those and other adventures at Bringing Back Handmade.