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Good Afternoon Everyone!

It's been a great week of talk about food and kids and fun! All very Live Richly things...don't you think?

For this week's installment of Guest Who, we are excited to introduce you to an author whose work is all about connecting with our kids in simple ways like food and art, what could be more ‘rich” than that?

Meet Rae Grant...

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...author of a series of books on crafting, cooking and creating simple ways to slow down and connect with our kids.

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“After I started a family, I found myself making recipes from my grandmother's kitchen and simple children's crafts for my daughter that were from my own childhood. It was a way to reconnect with my past and also ensure my daughter got to know a little more about her family history. As my daughter got a little older, I began to document the crafts and recipes and decided to put them into a collection that others could use as well.”

This collection led to her first two books, published simultaneously: Cooking Fun and Crafting Fun.

Rae says Cooking Fun is “her baby ” and that having her daughter at her side in the kitchen was not just a good way to get in some quality time together, but a way to teach her daughter skills that would last her a lifetime.

“I believe strongly that good eating habits in children derive from learning to taste and prepare simple foods at home. Kids are very proud to learn that making a homemade salad dressing is even better than a bottled dressing or that one's own cookies are much tastier than store bought.”

“The other benefit is the process of passing on family traditions through recipes and storytelling about food. Stories about holidays, and “I remember when I was young”, or “these are just like my mom's cookies”... are subtle but lifetime memories we can pass on to our kids.”

Here is one of Rae's favorite simple recipes

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The other book Crafting Fun is full of simple, easy to pull together crafts. But Rae says the time spent crafting is about much more than what you are actually making.

“Getting kids away from watching TV or playing with gadgets is a very good thing to do! The best way to convince kids that there is life beyond technology is to simply provide materials, books, and a creative workspace that they can use at home.

Having grown up this way, we always had our creative projects to entertain ourselves and really did rely on our imagination. That value and message is really simple and easy for kids to grasp. They are in the height of their imaginative years so it shouldn't take too much to spark the fire of innovation and fun. That to me is what childhood is for!”

Homemade Fun is her latest book and Rae hopes this one will be a resource for parents looking for creative and simple ways to connect with their kids and have some fun!

“I have always imagined that these books could be used for a home-based, impromptu summer camp. Different families could set up a few hours a day of crafting outside on a backyard picnic table.”

“Kids could make homemade bubbles and have bubble races; there are paper telephones to experiment with, or hand sewing projects that could easily take up a few hours of an afternoon.

Each family is different, but with are so many choices in these books that there is bound to be something for everyone.”

For great ways to have fun with bubbles, click the bubbles below!

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Thank you Rae for giving us such great ideas and sharing your thoughts with Live Richly!

So now we want to know, what kinds of crafts do you enjoy making with your kids? Any special tricks for getting your kids away from the TV and outside playing? Share your tips and technqiues with us in the Comments section below!

Have a great weekend and get crafting!