Expat Mommy In Angola

Another great idea for messy and sensory play is paint. However if like my son, your kid is still exploring anything that he comes across with his fingers, Edible paint is an amazing and easy DIY alternative. There are many recipes out there , however check out the one that i have tried more than once now from the imagination tree website (lots of other cool stuff to try with your kids) All you will need is some corn flour (cornstarch) some water and food coloring, here s the link for where i got the recipe http://www.theimaginationtree.com/2011/03/homemade-edible-finger-paint-recipe.html * 3cups of corn flour,1cup of cold water * 4.5 cups of boiling water * Liquid food colouring Mix the cornflour with the cold water and stir together. Pour in the boiling water and stir between each cup. Keep stirring and it will magically melt into this very nice pourable consistency. Seperate them into different jars and then you can add the food coloring and just mix them up.( store...

After a recent trip to the beach in Angola, in a beautiful area 1.5 hours from Luanda, my son loved the sand , playing with it and hiding his toys inside. And since it is difficult to get clean sand around here i found this recipe online for Moon Sand, a DIY sand that your kids can play with for hours outdoors or even indoors. My kid had a blast playing with it , i just re-adjusted the measurements of this recipe to make a small quantity. I am sure you have the ingredients right under your nose, FLOUR AND BABY OIL :) I gave him plastic containers, measuring cups and spoons, and boy was he creative! I kept the container open and that made it last for over  a week without any insects getting into it, However a friend of mine suggested putting some cinnamon into it, as she heard anything with cinnamon repells insects(will try it next time though and let you know) Here's the link to the original recipe  http://niftymom.com/2012/08/homemade-moon-sand-quick-easy/ ...

I've been here for over 4 years now,staying in the same country with my husband who owns his own business is a non-negotiable issue for me. Although time passed exremely fast , days in Angola however dont move as fast! Being a stay at home mom , after working for over 8 years pre-marriage, proved to be one hell of a challenge, specially in a country where the conditions of living even for expatriates are not very easy. For my two year old as well his life here is a challenge as well. Angola has very minimal activities for young  children. You can find nurseries and pre-schools however the costs of putting your kid in one of them is outrageous (same fees as i paid for my Graduate degree in the most expensive university in Lebanon!!) Enough with the nagging, this blog will be a place where I share my findings and trials of toddler activities, recipes (one of my passions) and all things that will help stay at home moms in Angola and elsewhere in the world! so welcome to my...