New House Guest

Yesterday while searching at the thrift store I spotted five little men I just HAD to bring home. . . .

I cannot WAIT to paint these! They are is great shape just need repainted with DETAIL! Yipee, I am sooooo excited to put these in the gardens. They only cost $1.99 a piece too. Good deal compared to finished gnomes selling for around $20.

Tile Coasters

How lucky am I that I found a box full of white tiles in our garage? A couple years ago, a gal pal of mine, made the most darling tile coasters as wedding favors. Unfortunately, she only used Modge Podge as a sealant and the paper began to peel and tear only after only a few uses. Even though they weren't properly sealed, I loved them and have been dying to make my own. 

To make the coasters, I first applied a layer of modge podge to the tile. After cutting the paper of my choosing to size, I placed it centered. Don't forget to smooth out all the wrinkles starting from the middle and push outwards. Once that layer dried, I added another coat of modge podge and let them sit for an hour. After the break I sealed them with two coats (waiting 15 min in between) of Krylon's Triple Thick Crystal Clear Glaze. 24hrs later, I glued a square piece of felt to the bottom.

Here's how they turned out! The vintage ones are most defiantly my favorite. I think I will redo my kiddos Easter picture coaster set. I  printed the pictures out on printer paper. The colors are just too grey for my liking. But with some editing and real photo paper they will be turn out just right. 

Freezer Meals

One of my goals of my spring break is to find and try recipes that can be made ahead of time. Baseball season just started and dinner, more often than not, is take out those nights. I do not want to go that route AGAIN this year.

I found a super great food blog overall, really. But what I like the best is her LONG list of YUMMY make ahead meals.

Joelen, of What's Cookin Chicago has AH-MAZING recipes.

Her post Freezer Friendly Make Ahead Meals has like 40 recipes! I have personally tried her baked shrimp scampi, best ever beef dip sandwiches, cheddar and cracker chicken, chili rubbed pork spar ribs and swiss mac n' cheese. They were delicious! We have only tried the pork chop recipe after being froze though. And I have to recommend that if you have little ones, you may want to cut down the amount of chili powder or red pepper.

Joelen has a million more tasty posts. I can't wait to tackle more of her recipes. I think it's well worth all of you taking a look, if you already haven't seen her blog :)

Hippity Hoppity Easter!

Wow. This week flew by fast. I had so much fun with the kiddos. Our last day of spring break was JAMMED packed full of Easter fun.

In the morning, a local craft store was hosting a Free Kids Craft Day. They had 10 craft tables, some were Easter crafts others were not. One table was a candy necklace project, which I totally plan to steal for Brooklyn's birthday party. We were there for almost two hours, it cost only $10 for both kiddos to do all the projects, and they had a lot of fun. This locally owned craft store has events all the time, I learned. Another kids crafts day is coming up in June. 

After the craft day, there was a special viewing of Hop at our local Dollar Theater. Well, not too local. About 45 minutes away. LOL. But I am used to having to drive far for something great!

After Hop, we went to a FREE Easter egg hunt. We've gone to this hunt for the last 6 years. And its still my favorite to attend. They have hot dogs, corn dogs, chips, and juice and pretty awesome prizes all for FREE. Also contributing the radness of it all, is the hunt isn't overcrowded. Our hometowns Easter egg hunt is and I hate it!! Oh and did I mention it is completely FREE!

The kids were so tired by the end of the night. I mean cranky, cry when your sister drops your plastic egg, stomp your feet and yell, TIRED! But I really, really wanted to try out glow in the dark Easter eggs. Guess I will save that for next year :)

Hope everyone has a GREAT Easter!

Playing with food

My kids love to cook! Especially Miss Bee. Tanner loves to eat :) Which is a big change from the awfully picky toddler he was. So today we experimented in the kitchen. . . ALL DAY!!!

Unfortunately, I was having too much fun and forgot to take pictures.

I woke the kiddos up with a pancake buffet. All the pancakes were fun shapes like mouse/bear, the first letter of their name, hearts, etc. The buffet was set up with a variety of cut up fruit, peanut butter, nutella, chocolate chips, whip cream, syrup, strawberry topping, jam and chocolate sauce. Of course, I supervised how many sweets were put on those pancakes :) My sweet boy had soo much fun making his own concoctions, he ended up eating four pancakes!!!

We were very full from the pancake smorgasbord, so we all cuddled on the couch and watched Disney's Ratatouille. 

For snack, we made peanut butter celery sticks with a twist. I saw this snack a while ago on Better Homes and Gardens. I knew the kids would have fun making and eating these! I used the left over fruit from breakfast too!

After snack we made the two desserts I planned to bring to Easter dinner. Both recipes I found via Pinterest.

Reese's No Bake Dessert

This dessert is so delishous, but it is very rich! I decided to leave out the powered sugar.

Strawberry No Bake Cheese Cake

Mmmhm, this cheese cake is delish and super easy! We topped it with the extra strawberry topping also left over from that morning!

My little chef's had a few too many tastes of these sweet treats.

We needed a healthy lunch, STAT! We had homemade lunchables, grapes, and a Blueberry smoothie.

Blue Berry Smoothie

1/2 cup of blueberries

1/2 tablespoon honey
1/2 a banana
1/2 cup of ice

Blend the ice, banana, honey, and blueberries on a high speed. I topped each glass with a few whole blueberries and a strawberry.

For mid afternoon snack, we had good old fashioned air popped popcorn. My kiddos LOVE watching our popcorn maker LOL

For dinner we made KABOBS!!! They kids totally enjoyed putting all the cut up veggies and pineapple on the kabobs. I put on all the raw meat, which they were a little sad about. But watching dad cook the kabobs over a flame was exciting :)

The kids were pooped out on cooking and still may have had a little too much sweets from baking earlier so we skipped out on dessert after dinner.

We had so much fun. I will defiantly be inviting my kiddos into the kitchen more often!

Meeting the Lorax + Printable

Today, the hubs and I took the kiddos to Dr. Suess' The Lorax. It was a cute movie. I still however, prefer the book, but Danny DeVito was excellent as the Lorax.

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The kids LOVED it. Our families all time favorite kids movie is Despicable Me, and the same team did a great job on The Lorax. (by the way, a number 2 Despicable Me is in the works, due out sometime in 2013 eek! love Steve Carell) The Lorax's  has a good message to SAVE THE TREES and a greener planet. I think they did a much better job at getting the healthier environment point across to the kids than Wall-e and Happy Feet.

Prior to the movie, I made up some Lorax mustaches. I thought it would be cute to wear at the movie. My kiddos so kindly pointed out immediately that the color was wrong. 

Bumble Bee and T-Bird did love their mustaches though. They played with them through out the night.

 In case you need one I made stencil below :)

Lorax Mustache Template

After getting home we made cupcakes! They turned out pretty cute if I don't say so myself. Tanner wasn't really interested in making them, but Brooklyn is always reading to bake. I can see her becoming a baker :) The cupcakes were chocolate with vanilla frosting. We used paper straws and cotton candy for the tree's. Tanner joined in, when it was time to eat.

We started some gardening after we filled our bellies with sweets. I felt it was a fitting way to end the fun day. Brooklyn and Tanner really enjoy gardening. . . okay, well they really enjoy digging in the garden for worms, but its better than nothing. 

Science is Cool!

How great was Bill Nye the Science Guy? I seriously want to archive all his episodes so my kiddos can watch them when of age. (If you don't know who Bill Nye is check him out here)

Bill Nye

Channeling my inner Bill Nye, the kids and I engaged in some good ol' science. Well mostly science, plus a little fun too! All experiments were based around the BALLOON. I wish I had thought of taking pictures of my little scientists at work. We had so much fun today.

THE FIZZ INHALATOR

Supplies Needed:

a empty plastic bottle

1/2 cup of vinegar 

balloon

Baking soda

What to do:

Carefully pour the vinegar into the bottle. Bow the balloon up once, then let go while still grasping it. This loosens the balloon up for maximum size. Fill the balloon about half way with baking soda. (The easiest way to fill the balloon is with a funnel) Carefully, wrap the neck of the balloon around the top of the bottle WITHOUT spilling any baking soda in. Lift the balloon up, so all the baking soda enters the bottle mixing with the vinegar.

How does it work:

The baking soda and the vinegar create a chemical reaction.The two chemicals work together to create a carbon dioxide, which is a gas. Gasses need a lot of room to spread out. The carbon dioxide fills the bottle and continues spread by inflating the balloon.

STATIC ELECTRICITY CAN ROLL

Supplies needed:

empty soda can

balloon

a head full of hair :)

What to do:

Put the can on a smooth surface, like a table. Rub the balloon up and down, back and forth, fast on your head o'hair. Hold the balloon close to the can without touching it. the balloon begins to come toward the balloon.

STATIC ELECTRICITY WATER BEND

Supplies needed:

indoor facet

balloon

a head full of hair :)

What to do:

Turn on the faucet just until you have a very thin stream of water flowing. Rub the balloon up and down, back and forth, fastly on your head o'hair. Now bring the balloon close to the flowing water. Do not touch the water. The stream of water will bend towards the balloon.

STATIC ELECTRICITY TISSUE JUMP

Supplies needed:

tissue tore up as small as possible (super small)

balloon

head full of hair

What to do:

Rub the balloon up and down, back and forth, fastly on your head o'hair. Hold the balloon close to the tiny pieces of tissue. If the pieces are small enough they will jump off the table to the balloon.

How does it work for ALL static experiments:

When you rub the balloon through your hair, invisible electrons (with a negative charge) build up on the surface of the balloon. This is called static electricity, which means "non-moving electricity" The electrons have the power to pull very light objects (with a positive charge) toward them - like the soda can, water, and TINY tissue pieces.

TEXTURE BALLOONS

Mainly for my three year old, I filled four balloons with liquids. Warm noodle soup, cold water, liquid soap and ketchup (had a bottle of knock off brand, something HAVE to be name brand). Each kid hypothesized what the substance inside was. If was fun they all guess the water right but none of the others. My neighbor got close to the soap by guessing gel. We discussed size, weight, texture, look in the light, sound, the way it jiggled. . . . and what a hypothesis is.

Lastly, for a little fun, all the kids that ended up joining in on the science (6!) grabbed a side of a blanket that I placed water filled balloons on. All the giggles and squeals were contagious as they popped the balloons up in the air. 

Next science day theme....WEATHER! And lab coats, I must buy them all lab coats!

Library Scavenger hunt! Free Printable

This week is T-Bird  and Bumble Bee's spring break. 

For the first time in T-Bird's life, Mommy won't be home for him (I am very sad). So while I am at school for four hours each day, T and B are going to the. . . . (dun, dun, dun) BABYSITTERS! Not that she is a bad babysitter, she is wonderful. It's just my kiddos are use to staying home with me in their own home.......with their toys.......and their neighbors....... their own snack bin.

I want to make it up to them. While I am DYING to share all the wonderful things I've been working on, I have to wait, because this week is KID week!

Today we had a Library Scavenger Hunt! While on our way home from the babysitters, we stopped by the post office.
That is where the kiddos received this postcard from Waldo.

(Mommy was a little sneaky! That morning I put the postcard in the mail box and headed over to the library and asked the nice librarian if she could please put a clue in Dr. Suess' One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish right before 1:00. 

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Once at the library, the kiddos found our first book on the table in 'kid's area'. While reading this fav. Dr. Seuss book, I pulled the note out of my bag that was the next clue and read it once we finished One fish Two Fish. 

It read: "A told B and B told C, I'll meet you at the top of the coconut tree." I got the cutest response ever! In a loud, very non-library voice, Bumble Bee shouted Chica Chica BOOM BOOM! 

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After reading each book, a new clue was given, The next clue was more about a series rather than a specific book. It read: These books are about a Chiwawa dude, not a Siamese cat!

Side note....We LOVE Skippy Jon Jones books, especially on CD!!! If  you haven't ever listened to it on CD your child is truly missing out. The author Judy Schachner does an incredible job reading in character.

 It took them a minute or two, but after I said the clue in my best Spanish accent, they got it. 

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Next clue read: Put on your best bathing suits and let's meet the hippo's at BELLY BUTTON BEACH! Bumble Bee has a thing with her belly b, whenever she is tired, she plays with it. It's like her security blanket. We love the author Sandra Boynton too!

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"This doggy doesn't like bones." Okay, Okay! So this clue wasn't my best. The kids had a hard time, I had to help with this one.

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Once they finished reading "If You Give A Dog A Bone," they were a little pooped out so while I still had clues for "Shark vs. Train," "The true Story of the Three Little Pigs," and "Green Eggs and Ham," I shortened the reading list up and cut them out. The last clue read "Mommy loves you to the moon and back." They instaintly knew the book but did not know the title. They called it the Bunny Love book. Cute.

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Finally after reading their last book, I gave them this last letter from Waldo.

So we went home and had ice cream sundaes :)

But guess what?

I made extra's!! Please have a library savenger hunt, have a 'Where's Waldo' party or just send a postcard or letter to someone from Waldo.

Just add you kiddos name and Waldo's signature. Or even erase the message on the postcard and add your own :) I give you permission to go WILD :)

Freebie Where's Waldo Postcard

Freebie Where's Waldo Letter

The Drive In's

T-Bird has been awesome at school lately (20 days in a row on perfect behavior!!) He totally deserved a celebration. He asked to invite his cousins over for a movie and treats. I thought that was a perfect idea, but I just had to add a little PIZAZZ to the event. And that is when I came up with a Drive In Movie Party!

When the kiddos got to our house, we all sat down at the table and decorated License Plates. One of the boys did his in hieroglyphics LOL It was a great activity to calm down from the excitement of a party. 

(after the cars were all decorated)

After taping their finished license plate to the back of their car, we decorated large boxes (I have to admit, it was hard to find four large boxes for free) like cars, while watching an episode of Spongebob learning to drive.

After their cars were done, I gave each child a driver's license; a rectangle sugar cookie with a mock driver's license iced on it (I spaced taking a picture). Giving the kids permission to drive to the movies and park :)

As the kids got settled into their cars, we watched Cars, and I cooked nachos. Perfect Drive Ins food.

They all were still hungry after nachos, of course. So as I put in Cars 2, I passed out cute paper popcorn bags overflowing with popcorn and licorice just like the drive ins.

The kids had soo much fun and just loved their cars. All four little ones stayed in their boxes for almost every minute of the nearly five hours.

J won Best Car! Look at the killer flames down the side ;)

Thrift Store Revamp: Timeout Bench

Not sure who made up with the saying Terrible Two's, but apparently they hadn't reached the Three's yet, because I tell ya, they are soooo much worse!! I am thinking the phrase should be reconsidered and reclaimed as "Terrible Toddler's". Much more fitting, don't 'cha think?

As you can probably tell above, Ms. Bumble Bee's got a attitude and is a little trouble maker! So when I found this absolutely adorable timeout bench at the thrift store over the weekend, I had to grab it. Exactly what she needs, a spot all her own when in time out. 

 

I couldn't leave it how it was though. Someone had doodled all over it, and the left front corner looked chewed on. I bet by a Terrible Toddler.  

After sanding, three layers of spray paint, first white, next black, then creme, and more sanding, I am pleased with the final result.

Okay, so I went a little overboard on the aging effect.  But it's my favorite part of revamping. I love sanding layers off, exposing different colors underneath. I love love love the yellow, blue, and red just barely peeking out beneath the other paint layers on the letters. Now it has so much character!

Of course, I have to share a picture of the timeout bench in action.

Sassy like mom probably wasn't the right shirt for this photo opportunity, but I had to capture that lip.

Top Ten favortie Crafting Glues

1. E-6000. I love this glue! I use it for tons of different crafts. It is great for adhering unlike items like glass to wood, or metal to glass. It's thick, dries clear and will not break down over time. E-6000 is a very heavy duty glue, with a strong odor, so make sure you use it in a well ventilated area. Also make sure you have plenty of space and time for drying process. 

2. Beacon Zip Dry I use this glue for all my paper projects. It dries clear and quickly. Remember a little goes a long way.

 

3. Mod Podge You can basically use it for everything.It works as a glue or sealant! When using as a sealant, paint on a thin layer. After drying you can always add another layer.

4. Aleene's Tacky Glue Works great and easy to use. Great glue to use for kids crafts. Longer drying time though. 

5.  Gorilla Glue Can use on a variety of projects. Works great on wood to wood crafts. Remember glue expands, so be modest.  

6.  Scor-Pal Scor-Tape Favorite double sided tape.

 

7. 3M Styrofoam Adhesive Spray Only glue I have used that does NOT ruin Styrofoam

8. Aleene's Fabric Fusion Permanent Adhesive Can use on any type of fabric, and it's machine washable. 

9.  Pioneer Embellishment Glue Stick. Best glue stick around, works perfect for gluing embellishments to paper.

 

10. HOT GLUE GUN When all else fail use the glue gun :)

picture source: amazon for all

Cupcake E-Book Freebie EXPIRED

 

click here

EXPIRED

Dining Room Art

There has been a large, blank spot on the wall,  in my dinning room area for a few months now. I needed to fill it in quick for my sanity. What do I want to hang there though?? 

A week ago or so, I decided this had to be dealt with.......NOW.

 I searched the web and other blogs but found nothing. I bought  a few decor magazines and still came up empty handed. I looked through my Pinterest and still not a thing was catching my eye. . I was completely stumped.

 Until I remembered prior to finding Pinterest, I would save pictures of decor ideas to multiple folders on my desktop. In the dining room folder, I found a couple pictures of  plates hanging on the wall. I  fell in love all over again. 

 I did NOT want to go out and purchase expensive matching decoration plates. I hit up my local thrift store and figured out to look only for shape and detail in a plate, and not judge it on its color.

I found seven completely different plates that I loved. I also stopped by the local hardware store and picked up two bottles of Rust-oleum's Painters Touch Ultra Coverage in gloss white.

These are the plates i found, in all their prepainted glory. (I later replaced the sharp angled one on the right side with a much cuter one with a doily look)

So as you can see, these plates would look hideous on the wall grouped together. But after two coats of white spray paint they look FABULOUS!

The trick to hanging the plates are DiskHangers. I forgot to take a picture of how the disk hangers work. This is a picture from their website.

It was so easy to hang the plates with these. Well worth the cost, which isn't bad.

Hope you all have a great weekend.

DIY Canvas Tutorial

Would you like a fun and easy way to create a photo canvas without breaking the bank? I have trying to come up with a way to show off picture with a artistic quality. 

Do you see all the texture and loveliness of the canvas? And it only cost me $2.60 (I did have all the supplies on hand besides the Gesso).

Supplies

8" x 10" Canvas

1 Sheet of Strathmore Tracing Paper (found in the art/drawing aisle)

Acrylic paint, I used black and dark brown with a touch of gold

Mod Podge

Gesso

Paintbrush

Ink Jet Printer

  First print a black and white photo onto the tracing paper.

This can be a little tricky. Be patient. I finally taped the tracing paper to a sheet of copy paper, since my printer wouldn't take the tracing paper alone. Be sure the ink is completely dry before handling the tracing paper. 

You can choose any color of acrylic paint. I wanted an old rustic look to the canvas though, so I choose black and brown. Pink may have been cute if I was going to put it in her room.

 I had flat canvas on hand, so I used it. But I think this project would awesome on a regular canvas with an 1/2 edge or thicker.

Apply the paint to all four sides of the canvas and to the edges on the front. Allow to dry.

Next apply Modge Podge to the front of the canvas, in the area where you will be placing the tracing paper, over lapping the painted area.

 Lay the tracing paper, print side up, onto the area where Mod Podge was applied. The paper will naturally ripple, creating a textured effect. Apply paint around the edges of the tracing paper to blend into the edges of the canvas. Again, let the canvas dry before moving on.

  Mix a small amount of Gesso and paint. This will create a tinted overlay onto the photo. Once dry apply the mixture over the entire canvas. This coat will seal the canvas.

Now you have a beautiful DIY canvas for much cheaper than any print shop could have made!