• 1 cup Washing soda
• 1 cup Borax
• 1/2 cup Oxiclean
• 1 bar Ivory soap
• 10-15 drops Tea Tree, Purification or Thieves Essential Oil (EO)

“Bird Seed” Bread

1. In a small bowl, combine warm water (110-115 degrees) and yeast.  In a separate, large bowl add flours and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients together, then add the water-yeast mixture all at once. Stir with a large spoon until a well-combined, sticky dough forms. 
2. Cover the bowl, and let the dough rise in the refrigerator for at least two hours. While you wait, lightly spray a baking sheet or line with parchment paper. 
3. Once the dough has risen, sprinkle your work area with flour and scrape the dough onto it. Knead it a few times, and then sprinkle on seeds.  Keep kneading, rolling the dough over any loose seeds, until everything’s combined. 
4. Place the dough on the sprayed or parchment-lined baking sheet, sprinkling a light coat of flour on top to keep it moist, and let rest for 45 minutes.  While it’s resting, preheat oven to 450 degrees and place a metal pan on the lowest oven rack. Prepare 1 cup of hot water for the next step.
5. When ready to bake, make a few ½ inch slashes on top of the bread. Place the bread, still on the pan, in the oven and carefully pour hot water into the metal pan on the lowest rack. Close the door quickly!
6. Bake the bread for around 25 minutes, until it’s a nice golden brown. It should sound “hollow” if an adult knocks it carefully.
7. Remove bread from the oven and cool on a rack. Any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container, or plastic bag, at room temperature. Enjoy!

• Our sound machine, as well as this white noise lamb for Esther. It's portable, which means it can help block out sounds- like enthusiastic siblings- when we're traveling. 
• We don't use a lot of pain medicine, but I always make sure to pack some if we're traveling. There's nothing worse than needing it at 3 a.m when everything's closed. 
• I have friends with sensitive skin, whose children break out with different kinds of sunscreen. If that's your case, I would always pack it (in a ziploc within another ziploc if you're flying) to make sure you have it. I've been surprised what's hard to find from one place to another. 
• An extra pair of shoes, whether that's flip-flops or crocs, just in case the first pair get drenched, muddy, or you lose one in the lake (Another true story.) 

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BIRD SEED FAVOR RECIPE

1. Spray cookie cutters with nonstick spray and place on baking sheet. Lay newspaper on a flat surface, large enough for all ornaments. 
2. In a large bowl mix the flour, water, gelatin & corn syrup until combined.
3. Add all birdseed to the wet mixture at once. Stir until birdseed is coated well.
4. Spoon birdseed mixture into cookie cutters, using the back of the spoon (fingers work, too) to press mixture down and pack it smoothly.
5. Poke a hole through top of each with a drinking straw. To use one straw over & over- poke a hole, then pinch that bit of birdseed into a bowl to throw outside. Small sections of straw can also be used, which is helpful when making them with kids.
6. Carefully move cookie cutter to newspaper and gently press ornaments out. If they're not sliding out easily, you can let them set-up on the counter for a few hours first (although we don't usually need to).
7. Let ornaments "cure" overnight.
8. Pack in lidded airtight container until ready to gift. We will thread with yarn or ribbon for gifting and place in small plastic gift bags.