Advent Activities Rundown

I cannot believe it is only three days until I begin our annual advent activity tradition. I posted last year about the things we included in 2009, the first year we switched from candy to fun, you can find that post here. Last year I had planned to post our activities six days at a time as they happened but the month was just far too busy for blogging and I only posted the first six. Instead of blogging them in January I saved it for a more timely post...now! I've had several requests for our list of activities. I'm still working on this year's list. Many of these will remain the same since in just two years they've become things the kids really look forward to.

But without further ado here's what happened in 2010:

December 1st
Decorate Your Own Christmas Tree in Your Bedroom

December 2nd
Ice Cream Sundae Bar After Dinner

The slip of paper had to specify after dinner or the kids would've been asking for these as soon as breakfast was over.

December 3rd
Write and Mail Letters to Santa

After they created their letters to Santa we drove to the mall to drop them in the large red mailbox Macy's has set up specifically to collect letters for Santa. The kids enjoy the large Santa mailbox and I like the fact Macy's donates a dollar for every letter to the Make a Wish Foundation.

Read More . . .

Read More...

Helping Kids Cut Their Own Food

"Mom, will you cut my waffle/chicken/pizza/cinnamon roll...?" I hear this question often...and times three kids. I did not want to be cutting other people's food at the expense of my own hot meal for years and years. I had to end this. So at a young age I set out to teach my kids how to cut their own food.

Read More . . .

Read More...

Jellyfish in a Bottle

I saw this idea on Pinterest from a blog in Thailand. I knew I wanted to make it with my kids.

You'll need an empty plastic bottle, preferably a smooth one. Mine is a Smartwater bottle. A clear plastic bag. In the Thai blog, she used a clear shopping bag but I don't have a single store near me that uses clear shopping bags. They're all white or yellow. However, the thinner produce bags are clear so I used one of those and hoped it would work.

Read More . . .

Read More...

The Secret to Brushing Tangled Children's Hair

Once upon a time I hated American Girl Dolls. This time was very, very recent. And truth is I still dislike their massive commercial nature. We have an American Doll Store in my town and it is insane to walk in there. I'd hoped to keep Princess Fierce away from them forever but she was lured in a few months ago. Fortunately she has her momma's thrifty streak and even at five could not fathom the need for a $100 dollar doll when a very similar one was available at Tuesday Morning for less than $20. And the Tuesday Morning doll, from the Target line, looks like her.

She scored that bargain doll for her birthday. Here she is with it the very weekend after her birthday taking Remember on a hike to see waterfalls. But do you see the back of Remember's ponytail? That's a plastic hair rat nest and the doll is only days old. Uh-oh. Princess Fierce was not happy with how fast her hair was tangling.

A quick turn to the Interwebs and I found a solution. A wig brush and a mist of water. Whatever you do don't dare touch their tresses with the plastic toy brushes sold with the dolls. We headed off to our local Sally's Beauty Supply to score an inexpensive wig brush. Only $3.99. A quick mist with water and strokes of the right brush and Remember's hair was smooth and ready for a braid.

But this post is not about how to brush a doll's hair. Nope, this is about a bigger problem.

My own daughter's hair. This is what I'm dealing with when Princess Fierce wakes up. And guess what? She HATES me brushing her hair. She also hates brushing it herself. She also is not a fan of headbands or barrettes and will tolerate a pony tail on rare occasions. Rare! So this means daily we battle over just trying to brush her hair. Regarding style, it just hangs free and wild...like her spirit. I will even confess some days I don't have the fight in me so we just skip brushing and this is her hair for the entire day. Bad mommy!

Read More . . .

Read More...

Lego Police Birthday

Today I have to share a most excellent birthday party I had nothing to do with. I just begged my friend to let me take pictures and blog about all her creativity.

Meet Cooper. He's the birthday boy and very lucky son of a dear friend of mine.

A friend that predates training bras and mall bangs. I'm the 1984 birthday girl in the center and Cooper's mom, let's call her Ophelia, is the one on my left in the awesome My Little Twin Stars tee. If her shirt choice isn't proof that Ophelia's super cool maybe this will convince you.

Read More . . .

Read More...

April Fools' Breakfast

This year for April Fools' Day I decided to do a candy breakfast. It was inspired off this idea from Family Fun magazine. Following their directions I created the miniature candy breakfast you see here. But I thought I could make a few modifications to the bacon.

Read More . . .

Read More...

April Fools' Faked Potatoes

Need a quick prank for your kids tomorrow? I whipped this one up last year after the kids went to bed thanks to Family Fun magazine. You may have all the materials already if you're crafty. All you need are nude color knee highs or old pantyhose, batting, needle and thread. If you're anti-nylons like myself you can grab a cheap pair of knee highs at the dollar store.

Here are the fast how to steps:

1. Trim the knee highs/hose to an 8" length.
2. Stuff the center of the hose to your preferred potato size.
3. Twist ends and fold underneath, stitch in place.
4. Sew eyes by coming up from the bottom of the "potato" out the top then back in beside the same spot to the bottom, pull to dimple then knot.

I placed these on a baking sheet in the oven and called the kids for baked potatoes for lunch. They giggled like mad when I pulled them out of the oven. We then cut open the tops and I added a small square of craft foam butter. Thing Two still has his potato in his room a year later.

Now I need a prank for tomorrow...

Read More...

Marbelized Easter Eggs

Last year was the first year I attempted dying eggs with my kidlets. I remember dying eggs when I was a kid but for some unspecific reason I'd not done it with my own. I think it was a combination of the mess potential and the what do you do with them now issue. But last year I cleared the table, boiled a dozen eggs and prepared to relax my uptight ways and let creativity happen. 

Read More . . .

Read More...

Rainbow Pots of Gold

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Earlier this month for Dr. Seuss's birthday I made the kids green eggs in a basket for lunch but did them in the shape of a clover to hit two holidays at once. Instead of repeating green clover eggs this morning I decided to play Leprechaun. I bought small terracotta pots for 69¢ at Hobby Lobby for the kids to paint their versions of a rainbow. We talked about the colors of a rainbow and I told them my inspiration painted the colors of a rainbow in order around the pot. However, I encouraged them to create with the colors of a rainbow as they wanted. And then I promised that on St. Patrick's Day I would fill their rainbow pots with GOLD!

All the colors of the rainbow ready. Best dollar I ever spent in the Target dollar section was for ice trays to hold different paint colors

Read More . . .

Read More...

Nature Heart Scavenger Hunt

Inspired by the tree above that sits in our own front yard, I grabbed the kids and our point and shoot camera and we explored our neighborhood last February to see if we could find even more heart shapes in the great outdoors. We were pleasantly surprised with how many we could find when we opened up our minds to new perspectives. I realize Valentine's Day has already come and gone this year but I still think the entire month of love can be used for this outdoor adventure. Especially if the month deals you an early Spring-like day.

Read More . . .

Read More...

Pay It Forward and Spreading Smiles

If you're on facebook you might've seen a few statuses recently like this one:

Pay It Forward 2011: I promise to send something handmade to the first 5 people who leave a comment. In return, you must re-post this and send handmade gifts to the first 5 people to reply. All gifts will be sent in 2011.

Several of my friends had this and I commented on one. And just last week she gave me...

...this great wrap skirt she made from an old sheet she purchased at a thrift store.

I adore the skirt and love that it was made from repurposing a discarded item. So now I have to offer up the same promise on my facebook status. But I can't be unfocused in what I'll be making. I have a lot of to do creations already stacking up on my plate, my status will specifically say I'll send the first five either a felt finger puppet or felt cookie like the ones I made this summer (shown left). I want to get back to making more felt goodies, I have the stacks of felt waiting and these don't take but long, so this will work.

I'm also going to do one thing different in my post. I know many people don't deem themselves crafty or are just too busy to take on the promise. I don't want to leave them out, so for those not inclined to make something I have another way they can pledge to Pay It Forward....with free compliments.

Read More . . .

Read More...

How to Make Cheap Snow Gloves for Southern Kids

We're still in the throes of a freak snow event down here. Schools, and the city itself, are on day four of a shut down. I lived here during the blizzard of 1993 and don't remember the roads being out of commission this long at all. However, unlike in 1993, we had a lot of warning this was coming. But since snow is very uncommon in Atlanta I do not buy real winter gloves for my children. It's just a waste of money. My 10yo son only saw his first snowfall three years ago. The inexpensive $1 knit gloves at Target have served us well. Until this week. On Sunday, the day before the predicted white stuff would fall, I tried to find real snow gloves for my youngest children. I had no luck. These gloves are just not easy to find in Atlanta...especially past Christmas; we have swimsuits out in many stores, long johns, hats and scarves are already on clearance shelves. I was excited about the largest snowfall in years for my kids and wanted to have something to keep their hands dry so they could sled and play for hours. I was not to be deterred.

And then I found the answer...

Read More . . .

Read More...

Handprint Wreath

This simple handprint wreath was part of our Advent activities this past Christmas. We're lucky enough to have my parents living just two doors down. And recently my dad's mom has come to live with them, now my kids have their grandparents and their great grandmother living close by. Great Grandma Gene's preferred holiday decor is white and blue; my mom's Christmas style is all Santas all the time. To help her feel more at home my mom found a small white tree and outfitted it with blue and white lights for Great Grandma Gene's bedroom and I thought the kids could make her something to help make the room festive as well.

To make this wreath I traced and cutout three of each of my three kiddos' hands on white and cream paper; total of 18 handprints. I used a dinner plate to trace a circle on a scrap piece of cardboard and a smaller bowl to trace and cut out the middle circle for my wreath form.

Read More . . .

Read More...

The First Six Days of Advent Activities

December 1: Decorate your own Christmas trees

Princess Fierce and her pink tree

Thing Two with his black tree

Thing Three with his black tree as well

December 2: Ice cream sundae bar at home after dinner

The fixings

Read More . . .

Read More...

Advent Calendar Activities

When my second was born my in-laws gave us this beautiful Advent Calendar Cabinet. However, it took me until last year to figure out the right way to use it. The drawers are too small to hold gifts for all three children; candy was the only fit. However, I did not enjoy counting down the days with only candy. Then last year I came across the idea of an activity Advent Calendar. Simple genius!

I set to making my list and writing it on curls of red paper to tuck in each drawer. Occasionally I'd stick three Hershey's Kisses in as well. I mean, I don't mean no candy, just wanted something more than candy. The activities were a huge success with all three of my munchkins. They're very anxious to start the tradition again tomorrow morning. While I was preparing this year's list I took a trip down memory lane. Here's what happened last year:

Read More . . .

Read More...

Second Annual Open House Thanksgiving

For the second year we've done Thanksgiving a little untraditionally. Instead of sitting down to a meal with guests at a specific time. We've created a Thanksgiving Open House Party. We put out food from 9am until the last person leaves, this year that was around 11pm. I was so happily preoccupied with cooking, eating and chatting with friends and family I neglected taking hardly any pictures at all. But I'm blessed to report we had more than 35 people come share part of their day with us.

For the second year I roasted a large maple-brined, bacon-butter rubbed, bacon-wrapped turkey.

I was able to snap a picture of my man slicing her, with the grain. Ooops.

Read More . . .

Read More...

Repurposed Organization: Car Book Caddy

I had a problem in my Eurovan o' Fun. Books. We don't have electronic entertainment in our vehicle, choosing instead to give each kid a small bag of little playthings and a stack of books. The issue's been how to keep the books in easy reach and organized. I had a plastic magazine box from the dollar section of Target for the past year. In theory it worked. In reality it tipped over and the books slid across the floor. Plus since it had to stay on the floor my oldest would often complain about having to "bend over" and retrieve a book for his little sister. Drama! Then I was in the thrift store the other day and saw the perfect solution at the perfect price: 99¢!

A dishrack! It fits perfectly between the two boys on the bench.

The slots to separate dishes work like magic to keep the books neat. Big boys are no longer put out to find a book and hand it to their sister.

I ran the buckle across the back and thanks to rubber feet this basket isn't moving an inch. Added bonus is the boys can't argue over the space between them and who's encroaching on it.

It's been in the car three weeks now and all kids are still happy and there have been no books scattered across the floor.

Read More...

Halloween Costume Recap: Catwoman

Best laid plans and having children goes together as well as oil and water. Halloween is a great example. You may recall Princess Fierce wanted to be Darth Fairy for Halloween. Yet she needed the costume made in advance to also be worn while watching the Dragon*Con parade. She loved her Darth Fairy costume and was convinced it was still going to be worn again at Halloween...

until...

well, until...

the boots.

These boots changed everything. Princess Fierce was given a nice $20 bill in her birthday booty. When we head off to Target to spend said money she sees no suitable toys. Instead her newly minted five-year-old self walks down to the shoe aisle. Wha? Did she just turn five or twenty-five? She tries on several things until she spies these black boots on a high shelf. From the minute they went on she was in love. She looks up at me hopefully to ask if she has enough money to buy them. Indeed she did. 

And indeed she did buy them. Then she said something else. Her heart bursting with future joy, her eyes lit up with excitement she says, "and now I want to be CATWOMAN for Halloween!"

But, but, but what about the Darth Fairy I made? *sigh* I had to admit the boots would rock as part of a Catwoman costume. And I couldn't forget her favorite person to find at Dragon*Con to be photographed with was...

Catwoman. However, I asked her if instead of being the Dragon*Con Catwoman I could persuade her to check out a much more child appropriate Catwoman.

Read More . . .

Read More...

How to Remove Nail Polish from Clothing

Princess Fierce wanted to paint my toes the other day with her dark blue glitter nail polish. Her first attempt at giving a pedicure resulted in my having blue nails and toes...and nail polish on her pretty new-to-her dress. Oy.

The polish couldn't have been red? Nope blue polish that dried practically black.

Close up on the polish.

I didn't even attempt nail polish remover fearing it would take the color from the dress. I was planning to cover up the spots with some type of new embellishments on the dress. But before I did that I thought I'd just google my problem to see if there were an answer. And I found an improbable one.

But one that lots of people swore worked.

So I gave it a try.

And check it out. No spots!

Look closer. Can you see the polish?

Look as close as you can. I can't even tell where it was. Amazing.

And what exactly created this miracle?

Bug Spray!

Yep, this bug spray right here did the trick. I didn't believe it until it worked. I first tried with pump bug spray and nothing happened. I didn't give up after so many interweb comments said it would work. I bought aerosol bug spray and tried again. A spray. A rub with a white wash cloth. BOOM! Immediate lightening of the TWO WEEK dried nail polish. All in all it took me about five minutes of spraying and rubbing. A toss in the wash to remove the buggy smell and all was new again. Unbelievable. I absolutely had to share. Next time you have nail polish land on your favorite fabrics give it a try.

Read More...

Witch's Cupboard Halloween Game

For the third year I've done this spooky table of gross things for the kids to touch at our neighborhood Halloween party. I try to include new icky things each year. It's always a hit with the kids. They do love gross things. 

The entire table display is done kid height. I throw an old black sheet over the table then top with a torn piece of cheese cloth. For the cauldrons I cut cheese cloth in half, fold diagonally, lay across the cauldrons with a gap at the front. Next I fold up the corners loosely and stretch a rubberband around to hold them in place It's supposed to imitate fog coming out and leaves place for the kids to reach inside and also peek at what they touched.

The sign reads: Welcome to the Witch's Cupboard. Reach beneath the fog within the cauldrons and touch if you dare. I created the sign by doing a google image search for old paper. I chose the font from the free Halloween fonts at dafont. I do a cheap laminating job by using strips of packing tape. And I created the stand on the back from leftover cardboard. It's hard to see what's next to it in this picture but those are "Dried Bat Wings." I bought the dog treat pig ears and painted them black. Totally creepy.

Read More . . .

Read More...