Thursday, February 28, 2013

Lollipop Cupcake Flower Garden- with Sprinkles




Lollipop Cupcake gardens are so simple to make...


...and they make little girls really happy!

I've never met a boy who didn't like them either:)!

 They are fun way to welcome in spring or summer, and to celebrate Easter or birthdays.
After watching "Wreck it Ralph" I wished I'd made these for the snack afterward!
 
They're my spin of a Martha Stewart idea I saw.



Find out how after the jump... 
click the "read more" button below...


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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Bedside Table Makeover


I was tired of looking at the collection of electronics, books, and other random items that made a nice heap on the side of my bed. While rummaging through my shed I came across this cheap filing cabinet that was in my husbands old office. While probably fit to be tossed, I figured it couldn't be any worse to look at than the old pile of magazines by my bed. So, I gave it a bath and a new outfit!

This is what I came up with:


For this project, I painted the cabinet with Valspar paint color Frappe in a Satin Finish. I found these really cool reflective scrapbook papers and Mod Podge them to the inserts of the drawers. There you have it, a quick, inexpensive facelift!

Have good one!
Lauralee




linking to:
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Monday, February 25, 2013

St Patrick's Day Activities


I really got into St. Patrick's Day about 5 years ago.  We BELIEVE in all the silly people that come to visit our house during the holidays.  Cupid, The Leprechaun, The Great Pumpkin as well as the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus.  It reminds me to play with my girls and to be a kid again. 
Looking back through the years in pictures I realize more and more how quickly those
fun preschool age years go by and I am glad I took advantage of these fun days.   
The Leprechaun is a very tricky man at our house and
visits us throughout the day, changing our food green
and leaving fun things to do and play. 
Here are some of the things we have done over the years.   
1. Rainbow and Shamrock Mobile


Click here, print and cut.  Tape on to yarn and hang.  SIMPLE!!! SIMPLE!!!

2.  Leprechaun Pots

This is a fun tradition we started several years ago.  The night before St. Patrick's Day we painted pots to leave out for the Leprechaun to fill.  We leave the pots at the top of our outside stairs and the Leprechaun fills the pot with gold and green things.  He then hides the pot inside the house. 
The girls have to follow his footprints around the house to find their pot!!



 3.  Green Noodle Necklace

Cook pasta with green food coloring.  Let dry. 
Make necklaces by putting noodles on a piece of yarn. 
4. Shamrock Party


Cut out a bunch of shamrocks and write fun and simple things to do.
Let your toddler pick out of the pot what to do.
1. Go for a walk and find 10 things that are green.
2. Make cookies
3. Make Noodle Necklaces
4. Have a bubble gum blowing contest and buy green gum
5. Color a shamrock
6. Paint a picture of a rainbow 
5. Leprechaun Hats

We cut a green piece of paper to fit their heads like a crown.  Then we cut another piece of green paper to look like a flower pot.  Cut a strip of black paper long enough to cover the flower pot piece. Glue onto green paper, then cut extra black pieces off to fit the shape of the flower pot.   Cut a yellow square and cut a square out of it.  Glue the yellow square that will look like a buckle onto the black paper. Staple the green flower pot onto the green crown and you have a hat.  It is a lot less complicated then the instructions and it doesn't have to be perfect. 
Let you toddler do the glueing and the cutting they will be in heaven!!
6. Green Cookies 
We made peanut butter cookie dough together.  I told the girls to put the dough in a ziploc bag and that we would bake them right before lunch.  When it was time, I told the girls to mix their bag by squishing the cookie dough in the bag.  The girls got so excited that the Leprechaun had come and made their cookies
 GREEN!

 7. Rainbow Paper Plates
Simply tape or staple ribbon or crepe paper on a paper plate to make a rainbow and let your toddler run wild.  My daughter loved this and played with it most of the afternoon.
Here is  blog that has lots of fun other rainbow activities for toddlers!
8. St Patrick's Day Lunch
There are so many fun green foods you can make for your toddler.  We had green tuna fish shamrock sandwiches, green veggies and grapes with green ranch, green cookies with green milk
and green Kool-Aid.
9. Rainbow Fruit
I am sure you have seen this on pinterest and many other blogs.  But this was a lot of fun for my girls to create.  It was fun for me to sit back and watch them as they pop a few  in their mouth while
creating their masterpiece.
10. Green Picnic
This was probably my favorite thing the Leprechaun has done.  We decided to make a picnic lunch on St. Patrick's Day last year.  The girls packed orange jell-o, a clementine, shamrock sandwiches, oreos and doritos.  We decided we would go to the library first and then have our picnic.  When we got back to our lunches everything had turned green!
Silly Leprechaun!
11. Leprechaun Trap
Sometimes the Leprechaun likes to trap the girls in their bedroom.  
12. St Patrick's Day Breakfast
We have had oatmeal with green milk and green eggs and ham, we have had green pancakes and waffles.  One year while I was pregnant the Leprechaun brought us Lucky Charms and turned our milk green which was a hit!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Jan

Linking this post to:
A Glimpse Inside
Be Different, Act Normal
 

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Thursday, February 21, 2013

100 F-U-N Indoor Activities for Preschoolers and Toddlers


(Older kids will definitely like most of these ideas too)

I have two toddlers and a two kiddos just a bit older. The mega flu viruses this winter, and the cold weather have driven us stir crazy!!!!!!!!! My kids were at a point that all they wanted to do was watch t.v.. (Me too secretly- shhhh, don't tell them)...

So, I came up with a list of things to do when we have to spend most of the time indoors. Even in the summer,  these activities will come in handy on the boiling hot days! (Thanks to all those who originally came up with the ideas <3).


Just click on the links below the pictures to go to the tutorials

In the Kitchen

1

** Before going on, remember that unless you are creating a blog post, your activities do no need to look as perfect and pretty as these.  Just let your kiddos have fun, that's what matters :)!

2
Straws or pretzels work great too!


3
Finger paint with pudding... just add some food coloring, and put on a paper plate.
Let those little fingers go crazy!



4
Trace hands on sugar cookie dough. After the cookies are baked,
decorate them with rings and bracelets.


5
Make cookie Faces :) by giddygiddy





6
Play with food! Let eyes on apples, grape caterpillars, and angry bird cheese get you thinking.




7
Edible cereal art by michele made me.




8
Mini Sugar Cookie Pizzas by Six Sisters Stuff
Kids can frost the cookies and put on the toppings... candy could be substituted for fruit :)


9
Make fossil cookies, by Martha Stewart
Use plastic insects for the imprints



10
Make homemade ice cream in a plastic bag.



11
Cut apples width-wise and find the stars inside. 
Sprinkle with cinnamon and eat.



12
Candy play dough by Babble
or use marshmallow fondant



13
Peanut Butter Playdough by Our Best Bites




14
Glow in the Dark Food by Our Best Bites




15
Cloud Jello Parfaits by Yummy Finds





Nature Activities

16


17
Paint sticks like aesthetic outburst.



18
Bring some nature in and let them explore at the table.
Photo via Parents.



19
Plant a window sill garden by Se7en



20
Paper Cup Terrariums by Parents




Doughs, Paints, and Gooey Stuff

21
Cornstarch dough from 5 Orange Potatoes
The great thing about this is that it can be baked or
air dry. Afterward, paint with watercolor!



22
Corn Syrup Paint from eighteen25



23
Homemade Scented Watercolors from Play Create Explore




24
HomemadeWindow Paint by Hands On: As We Grow




25
Super awesome homemade playdough by The Crafty Crow
** my older kids think making playdough is fascinating!



26
Soap Clouds by Our Best Bites



27
Tub Soaps by Our Best Bites


28
Snow Dough by The Imagination Tree





29
Rainbow Shaving Cream Bath Paint by Meet the Dubiens




30
Homemade Bath Puffy Paint by Chalk in my Pocket




31
Bouncing Bubbles (that don't pop when you touch them)
by Play at Home Mom LLC




32
Glitter Slime by The 36th AVENUE



33
Drop tinted vinegar into a pan filled with baking soda!
Fun fizziness! Source: Pinterest



34
Bath Paints by team dischinger



35
Moon Sand via Delia Creates



Make Toys

36
Meet me at Mike's shows an old magazine page...
make fun toys out of clothespins.



37
Five girls the army and me shows how to make this adorable
card board barnyard with the kids.  Hours of play await!






38
Make this Story Book Cottage and Doll Carrier from a Del Taco box!
Great tutorial by Frolicking Freckles.




39
Download this mini dollhouse for $1.99 at A Little Hut




40
Cardboard Guitars by Make it and Love it




41
Masking Tape Floor Race Track by Parents




42
Alphabet Paper Dolls by Journey to Unschooling



43
Free printable: travel size paper cities thanks to Made by Joel
Fun to color and play with!


Sensory
44
Bring in some snow (if it's there :), and make snow cakes.
By Katherine Marie Photography.



45
{Good} Smelly Sand by Whimsical Ways.
Made with salt and Koolaid.



46
DIY Rice Table by A Life Sustained



47
Rainbow Rice by Share and Remember



48
Cornmeal Sandcastle Dough by Creative with Kids



Arts and Crafts

49
Clay Magnets by WhiMsy love.




50
Colander Sculpture :) by Tinker Lab.




51
String Flowers by My Kids Make




52
Paper Road Map by Se7en



53
Chalk Salt Art by My kids Made



54
Aluminum Foil Sculptures by Filth Wizardry
**My son made baseballs and baseball bats out of foil...
it's fun for boys too!


55
Awesome coloring sheets via Made by Joel



56
Potato Stamping by One Inch World



57
Broccoli Stamping via Parents



58
Finger Print Art- such as these beautiful peony cards by willowday



59
Learn how to draw stick figures with your child.
I bet they'll laugh!
This is one of my kids' favorite things to do... and I'm NOT an artist!



60
Color pasta and make necklaces by Make and Takes



61
62
Pasta trains or tiaras via Parents


63
Colored Tape Art by Cakies


64
Animal Resist Painting  by Blog Me Mom



65
Make a butterfly sanctuary like Dana and her kids at Made




66
Mer Mag punched lots of dots out of pretty paper
and her children glued them on a background.
It made an awesome piece of art!
Kids love to glue... and think of the great art possibilities!!!



67
Trace hands and make them into people- for cards.
Great idea from Willowday



Tubes, Lids, and Containers

68
Decorate Oatmeal containers like this one
at Plum Pudding



69
Where the Wild Things Are characters out of toilet paper tubes
by Masutake


70
Make your family with toilet paper tube family like the teawagontales



71
Let your child make himself into a toilet paper tube character
like this one at Attic 24


72
Paper towel canoe by domestic candy



73
A toilet tube car by happybirdycake



74
Tube pencil holders by Krokotak




75
Cereal Box Houses by Bella Dia



76
Bottle Cap Turtles by Inna's Creations




Spaces & Hideouts

77
Go camping in the living room (photo via Parents).



78
Card Board Houses by Ambrosia Creative



79
The cutest ever Felt Playhouse from
Homemade by Jill



80
Pallet Stage by Sugar Baby Boutique




Puppets


81
How to make shadow puppets by While Wearing Heels



82
Bunny and Chick Shadow puppets by willowday.
{How fun to give as an Easter card!!}



83
Sock Puppets- there are so many versions!
I love these by Lilla a




84
Marker Cap Puppets by Child Central Station...
a great way to recycle all those caps lying around!




85
Pipe Cleaner finger puppets by Craft Jr.



86
More cute pipe cleaner finger puppets by Craft Jr.



87
Spoon Puppets.. so adorable... found HERE





88
Envelope Puppets by The Chocolate Muffin Tree




89
Made by Joel Paperclip Puppets



90
Let the kids design Fingerlings shown by Tiny Happy



91
Three Little Pigs playset by Inner Child Fun


92
Spoon Puppets and Theater by the Creative Jewish Mom


93
Cracker box puppet theater by book house craft projects


...and a few more quick/ low maintenance ideas
In a large bowl or tub of water on a towel:

94
have a matchbox car wash or a doll wach

95
give everyone a straw and let them blow bubbles


and the last few ideas:

96
Make funnels and water toys out of milk cartons, 2 liter bottles, and dish soap bottles



97
bubbles!


98
Turn on some loud, fun music and DANCE


99
Read books, sing, and recite nursery rhymes


100
Bring all the stuffed animals together and have a tea party or snack picnic!



Whew!!! There you go. Now have some indoor F-U-N!!!!
~Nancy

Linking to:
Or So She Says



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