Happy Independence Day!

Patriotic Red, White, and Blue Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 box white cake mix
• Ingredients called for on box mix (water, vegetable oil and egg whites)
• Red food coloring
• Blue food coloring
• 1 container white frosting 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F. 
2. Generously grease a tube/bundt cake pan. 
3. Make batter as directed on box, using water, oil and egg whites. 
4. Pour 1 cup of the batter into a small bowl; stir in red food coloring until well mixed. 
5. Pour another cup of the batter into a seperate bowl; stir in blue food coloring until well mied
6. Pour red cake batter into bottom of pan. 
7. Carefully pour remaining white batter over the red batter in the pan. 
8. Carefully pour the blue batter over the white batter. 
9. Bake as directed on the box. 
10. Cool cake (usually 5-10 minutes)
11. Meanwhile, place a cooling rack over a cookie sheet. Turn tube/bunt cake pan upside down onto cooling rack . Cool cake completely (about 30 minutes).
12. After the cake is completely cooled, divide frosting evenly into 3 microwaveable bowls. 
13. Microwave 1 bowl of frosting uncovered on high a few seconds until smooth enough to drizzle over cake (I did about 10 seconds)
14. With a spoon, drizzle all of the white frosting back and forth around cake in a striping pattern. 
15. Repeat microwaving second bowl of frosting until smooth. Stir in a few drops of the blue food coloring until well blended. 
16. Drizzle over cake, moving the spoon back and forth. 
17. repeat with remaining bowl of frosting and red food coloring. 
18. let cake stand at room temperature until frosting is set. 
19. Store covered (I put on a plate and covered it with an upside down large bowl)

Happy Father's Day

These cute cards were a hit among the daycare families that I couldn't resist making one for my husband and my father as well.

Materials Needed:

• Patterned scrapbook paper 
• Scissors
• Glue Stick 
• Matching buttons 
• Pen (to write a personal message inside)

Butterflies

I was in need of a quick craft for my daycare kiddos and was having a hard time coming up with something so I pulled out my craft bin. This is what we came up with...

Materials Needed:

• Construction paper of various colors. We used blue, purple, red, pink, and green. 
• Scissors
• A template (and pencils. I cut one out and had the older children trace and cut their own pieces out. I cut additional pieces for the younger kids)
• Glue sticks
• Googly eyes 
• Pipe cleaners (and tape, used to secure the pipe cleaner inside)
• Stapler (after the kiddos glued the rolled construction paper, I secured the rolled paper with two staples)