Peppermint Playdough

Hello friends!  How was you Christmas?  I hope it was wonderful!  I know ours was – wet, but wonderful. 
We spent it in Oregon visiting my husbands family.  It was so fun for our kids to be apart of their Christmas traditions.  Green eggs and ham for Christmas breakfast anyone?!  And who doesn’t love spending Christmas with Nana and Papa?! 
As always I am sad to see Christmas go.  So depressed in fact that Christmas has been half taken down at our house for a few days now. 
How was your first week of 2013?  (Well almost first week!)  Ours has been quite exciting!
So far in 2013 we . . .

Went sledding!

Made GIANT snowflakes.  We had sent some to Connecticut a few weeks ago, but just had to make some for ourselves too!

Jaylie and I made cake pops with the Bakerella cake pop making toy that we got in the mail because I won a give away over at Munchkin Munchies!  Thanks Sue!  We loved it, and had so much fun!  I am in love with the little pink and blue bowls that it came with, and may have used one to make eggs for dinner tonight, just because it is so cute!

I also finished reading The Help, again, which I absolutely adore.  Fished a sock out of the toilet, which no one will admit to putting there (which leads us to believe it is the only person who can’t talks . . . ). 

And started planning this cutie’s FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY! 

I also tried my hardest to update our family blog, I am usually pretty good and was only a few weeks behind!  While I was looking through our pictures, I found these and was reminded of these cute little presents I sent to preschool with our oldest. 

And yes, I said reminded, because I had totally forgotten about them.
I think my brain did it on purpose so that next time I think it is a good idea to make play dough for 17 kiddos and wait till the morning OF, and then run out of cream of tarter and have to frantically run to the only grocery store in our little podunk Idaho town, only to find it not open for another hour . . . and then have red hands for a week after because of all the red food dye. . . Whew I want to cry just thinking about it. 
But they were cute, and smelled delightful, and the kiddos were so excited (the parents maybe not so much . . . ).  So it was all worth it right?
I used this recipe from The Idea Room, but added red gel paste food coloring to it. 
I found that the little deli containers that they give you salads and stuff in where the cheapest route for packaging.  I got mine at Albertson’s for 10 cents a piece. 
Stuck it in a cellophane bag, added some tulle, and tags, and viola!

Here are some blank tags for you!

Here’s to a crafty (tear free) 2013!

Fluttershy Halloween Costume {My Little Pony}

Hi friends!  It’s been awhile.  Lots has happened in life.  We’ve moved a bajillion times.  (Ok, like twice.)  I had a baby.  Who is now nine months old.  But here I am today, oh, and we’re getting ready to move again.  (Hopefully we’ll be done moving for awhile, especially since we are FINALLY buying our own home!) 
I wanted to share my daughter’s semi-homemade Halloween costume (I feel sort of like Sandra Lee now). 
She is totally obsessed with My Little Ponies, and just HAD to be Fluttershy for Halloween!



Hoodie, found at the wonderful world of Walmart.  Added felt mane, wings, and ears.  Had a small logo on the front, which I unpick, which was a disaster, so we just covered it up with some felt butterflies. 
Skirt and legging we had on hand.  I just added a pink felt tail with a safety pin to the skirt.
I have been informed that Fluttershy still needs some hooves!  Other than that minor complaint, she totally loves it!

I {Heart} The Hokey Pokey Kitchen

So I have been sort of on a kid kick lately.  My last few posts have been centered on creating things for kids.  Hope you’ll bear with me for another one.  Lets be honest, it’s not just for my kid, I love it it too. 

Point of my blabbering:  I found this awesome new blog about creating fun themed food all around children’s books. 

I got this sweet comment from Aleena, from The Hokey Pokey Kitchen, yesterday:

“Thanks for posting all your wonderful ideas!! We made Dr Seuss Cat in the Hat fun treats yeterday @ www.thehokeypokeykitchen.com
Come visit us.. thanks for sharing your ideas.. i am also making cupcakes tomorrow... we are making the sneetches s mores cupcakes!! hope urs turn out well!!!!”

My next thought was “Sneetches S’mores Cupcakes, what in the world would those look like?!”  (I admit I even tried to Google it – nothing.)  Well today, she posted them, and they are beyond my wildest imagination.

Sneetches S’more Cupcakes

I cannot wait until she shares how to make the Sneetches.  I’m off now to make my totally lame copy cat been done a thousand time Thing 1 and Thing 2 cupcakes . . .

 

But first three more favorites from The Hokey Pokey Kitchen:

 

Where the Wild Things Are lunch

 

The Grouchy Ladybug “healthalicious snack”

 

Harold and the Purple Crayon crayons

Cat in the Hat Hats From TP Rolls

We made these in anticipation of Dr. Seuss’ Birthday tomorrow.  Again, we love the Cat in the Hat around our house. 

I have been collecting TP rolls FOREVER, like probably since Halloween.  (I just had this visual picture of our house being over whelmed by TP rolls.  Maybe I haven’t saved every single roll since then, but I have quite a stash.)  As each holiday comes, I just know that I am going to find something fun to make with them.  Well for Dr. Seuss’ birthday I have finally gotten around to using them! 

Cat in the Hat Pop Ups

 

{To Make You Will Need}

TP Roll
Red Paper (I thought felt would be cute too)
White Cardstock
Dowel
Scissors
Tape/Glue
Markers/Crayons
Cat in the Hat Pop Up Template (Can be downloaded {HERE})

 

 

 

{To Make}

Cut a piece of white paper that will wrap around your TP roll.  Cut and glue red paper, or color to make red stripes.  I cut my stripes about 3/4 inch wide. 

 

Cut out hat brim and hat top from template.  (Can be downloaded {HERE}.)  Only cut on the dotted lines.  Don’t forget to poke a hole for your dowel in the top of the hat.  (Trust me, it’s soo much easier to do it before you get it all attached.)  Tape/glue brim and top of the hat to the TP roll.  Those little tabs you cut should help it fit just right around the TP roll.   

 

Tape/glue red and white striped paper around the TP roll.  You should now have your little hat.  (I am hoping to make a few more, just hats for our place settings at dinner our Seuss themed dinner!)

 

Color and cut out Cat in the Hat pictures from the template.  (Can be downloaded {HERE}.)  Attach back of pictures to a dowel.  Poke dowel through hole in the top of the hat.  Have lots of pop up fun!

 

 

 

Looking for more great Seuss ideas?  Here are a few I have in my Dr. Seuss bookmark folder:

Is that not the most clever blog name.  Lots and lots of Seuss activities, crafts, foods, parties, even home décor. 

 

Love this FREE printable from 74 Lime Lane!

 

Last year Oopsey Daisy had a Seuss Extravaganza. 

 

Jenn, from Finally in First shares a ton of great activities she came up with for her first graders. 

 

Seussville is the ultimate internet stop for all things Seuss.

Thing 1 and Thing 2 Hand Prints

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss (on the 2nd)!  Last year when Dr. Seuss’ Birthday came around I was teaching and totally missed celebrating it at home with my Little Miss, so this year I was super excited to do some fun things.  I absolutely love Dr. Seuss!  One of our favorites is The Cat in the Hat, my daughter loves watching the Cat in the Hat show on PBS, we are always singing, “Here we go, go, go!”

Thing 1 and Thing 2 made out of hand prints.

{You’ll Need}

Peach paint

Light blue paint

White paint

Foam paint brush

Red paper

Sharpie

Because it was a little nerve racking trying to take pictures of my two year-old during the process of making these, I am using my hands, which look all kinds of freaky to me, but it was better than worrying about having paint everywhere!

{Step 1}

Paint your fingers and the outside of your palm light blue.

{Step 2}

Press down on paper.  Trying to center it side to side, better than I did!

 

{Step 3}

Paint peach on the inside of you palm, slightly overlapping the blue from before.  Add a little more blue to your fingers if it has dried.  If you look at a picture from the book, they have white faces . . . I thought it might look a little freaky, so I took an artistic liberty and used peach.
 

{Step 4}

Press down firmly, trying to line up the tips of your fingers from before, but shifting position of fingers from previous print to fill thing blanks a little bit.

{Step 5}

Dab a little paint on your finger for a neck.  After the paint has dried add details with a Sharpie.  Don’t forget the little white circle on the shirt.  We were able to fit both Thing 1 and 2 on my daughter's paper.

 Tomorrow I really want to make some Thing 1 and 2 cupcakes to celebrate!

{Found at Kitchen Dough}

{Found at Goodlife Eats}

{Found at Sugar Swings}

I love that the heads are made out of Dum Dums dipped in white chocolate with blue frosting hair. 

Or a super simple route, these marshmallow pops:

{Found at Goodlife Eats}

Do you have any fun plans to celebrate?

Paint Stick Swords

 

I am a double dipper.  Not in the gross George kind of way (you know George from Seinfeld?).  But I think, why reinvent the wheel?  I made these wonderfully awesome easy cheap swords and shields for kiddo family and friends for Christmas.  And I whipped them out again for Valentine’s Day, but of course gave them to different people. 

I also believe in taking things nice and slow.  So today I am showing how to make the Paint Stick Swords, and tomorrow I’ll show you how to make the Pizza Tray Shields.   

 

Supplies for making your own Paint Stick Sword (in case the picture was not self explanatory enough):

• JUMBO Paint Sticks.  I get my from Lowe’s.  They give me a few for free, but when I’ve asked for more than five they charge like 25 cents a pop.
• Something to sand with.  I love me some power tools. 
• Spray Paint.  I used primer first.  Splurged on some serious metallic paint. 
• Electrical tape.  Not in the picture, but still very important. 
• 2 Jumbo Popsicle Sticks per sword.  Also not pictured, but very important if you want to make a sword, not just  a shiny paint stick. 
• Those Papa Murphy’s pizza baking trays are for next time, so ignore those for now. 

Got everything?  Ok we are ready to roll.

 

{Step One}

Sand paint sticks.  Round the corners off.  Get rid of all those pointy corners. 

 

{Step Two}

Spray paint a primer base coat.  Let dry.  Paint with your metallic paint.  Let dry.

 

{Step Three}

Attach pommel, I think this is the correct technical term, nope Googled it, it’s called a guard.  Use two Jumbo Popsicle Sticks for each sword.  Use a little bit of hot glue.  Glue one stick on the top and one on the bottom. 

 

{Step Four}

Get your Electrical Tape.  Wrap  it all around the guard/hilt/pommel (I {heart} Google).  Give it a good couple layers.  Cover it all over. 

 

{Step Five}

Have an awesome sword fight. 

Stayed tuned for the instructions on how to make the shield.  You simply cannot have a good sword fight without a sword.  “The most important piece of equipment is your shield! If you must make a choice between a sword and a shield, take the shield!”  (Name that movie!)

Heart Potato Stamps

Saw this tutorial over at Cap Creations and knew that it was something that my two year-old and I could do together while it is freezing cold outside so we don’t go completely crazy staying inside ALL THE TIME.  They were so easy, you probably have everything on hand. 

Ready to start stamping . . .

Add paint.

And . . .

Lots of stamping fun.