When we moved into our new home (and when I say new I mean new to us...it was built in 1895) the previous owners were empty nesters...their kids had grown up, gone to college, and moved out. They offered to leave us some of their old toys if we wanted them. We happily obliged and thanked them for the kind gesture...not realizing how truly awesome it was! We don't go into our attic...it's not heated nor air-conditioned, and it's quite drafty at times. But this past week I was playing hide and seek with my twins and I thought that hiding in the attic might be a fun idea....in my time in the attic I was snooping around and realized the amazing treasure I had forgotten about, the toys they left. Now, truly and honestly, I didn't know exactly what toys they left and what a surprise it was when I realized it was three HUGE boxes filled to the brim with Legos. All sorts of shapes, colors, styles, kits and directions. I priced them out and it seriously would have been over a thousand dollars … [Read more...]
Calculator Hopscotch
Ready for a little math fun? All you need is sidewalk chalk and a rock. Draw a calculator like the one in this photo below large enough for feet to fit inside the buttons. Toss the rock onto the calculator. What ever number it lands on is your goal number. For example, if it lands on number 5 then have your child hop onto the equation that would make five....1+4=5, 7-2=5, and so on. If you want to play with other kids have them be in a competition to see who can work through all ten numbers first. … [Read more...]
Make a Pinhole Suncatcher
Want to make some really neat sun-catchers? Here is what you will need to gather before you start: sharpened pencil or marker a thumb tack thread scissors card stock paper thick cardboard, also known as corrugated cardboard Draw out the shape you want on a piece of card stock paper. Use the scissors to cut that shape out. Using your pencil lightly draw out the shapes you want your dots to be in on the back of your paper. Place your shape on the cardboard and use your thumb tack to push along the lines of the design. Attach a string to the back side and hang from the window. … [Read more...]
Summer Typing Skills
If you are like me you wonder how to develop your kids typing skills. I know, I'm weird but these are a list of amazing sites to help your school age kid (and even some for you) hone in on those skills and shock their teachers with their skills come September! http://typingadventure.com Here you will attempt to save your scuba diver from shark infested waters. Type the words that appear on the sharks bodies before they reach the diver and you will advance to the next round. You have four levels to choose from, this makes it fun even for adults. http://www.nitrotype.com This site is great because you can challenge your kid by creating competitions with people all over the world! You get to race other "drivers" to the finish line by typing a sentence. This is fun because it creates a little added pressure because you're watching your car race across the screen as others are doing the same thing. http://www.tvokids.com/games What is fantastic about this site is that it is geared … [Read more...]
Knits for Dolls book review #spon
Do you like to knit? Does your daughter have dolls? Both of these questions can be answered with a big fat YES for me! We were contacted by the publicist for the author of a fantastic new book for knitting. The book Knits for Dolls- 25 Fun, Fabulous Outfits for 18-Inch Dolls by Nicky Epstein is a colorful and adorable book filled with some of the best knitting projects I have personally seen. The photos in the book are bright, cheery, and colorful. The directions for the projects are easy to follow, easy to complete, and provide you with a great deal of information. As soon as I received this book in the mail I ran off to the local craft supply store and purchased some yarn to get going. I honestly, couldn't wait to fire up the ol' knitting needles! One thing I adored about this book was that they shared the exact brand and color of each yarn that they used to complete the project. So many times I adore the color of a project I find in a book and don't know exactly what they used. … [Read more...]
Stars and Stripes Cookies
I've shared with you before my favorite sugar cookie recipe and my go-to for frosting...but today I am sharing another version. These are perfect for cut out cookies and for amazing designs with frostings. Sugar cookie recipe 3 cups flour 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla 1/2 tsp salt Mix ingredients well and roll out into a thin piece. Use a large star shaped cookie cutter to make the large stars and use a small for the blue stars. Royal icing recipe 2 egg whites 1/4 tsp cream of tartar 3 cups powdered sugar Whip the egg whites until they hold their shape. (This usually takes about 5 minutes on high.) Then add in your cream of tartar and powdered sugar. Mix and blend well. Divide into three...dye one red and one blue and leave one white. … [Read more...]
