Did you spend a ton of money on this year's Halloween costume or put way too much time and effort into making a costume only to have your child wear it once? Why not get more use out of this year's costume? St. Paul's historical Landmark Center will host the 13th annual Great Pumpkin Halloween Festival on Sunday, October 26 from 1-3 p.m. The Great Pumpkin Halloween Festival is a FREE event and features all the Halloween fun without the fright, including storytelling, music, crafts, treats, and a costume parade. The Great Pumpkin Halloween Festival is part of the Sundays at Landmark series and proudly sponsored in part by Ecolab and Travelers. For more information visit www.landmarkcenter.org/programs/sundays.htm … [Read more...]
We Scare Hunger Kick-off Event #WeScareHunger
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This post is NOT sponsored. I was given media accreditation to attend the event however no compensation was provided. This is a cause I personally believe in and hope to start at the school that my girls attend. We Scare Hunger was started in 1988 under the name Halloween for Hunger by Free The Children board member Dr. Jonathan White. What began as one small group of friends collecting cans on Halloween has grown into an international movement. In 2012, more than 10,000 students and individuals across the U.S. participated in We Scare Hunger, collecting more than 30,000 pounds of food to support food banks across the country. I wrote about it here. Last year, students from 180 schools across Minnesota alone collected over 160,000 lbs. of food through the We Scare Hunger campaign; ranking as the top state for food collections in 2013. Thousands of groups across Canada, the United States and the UK collected 1,677,254 pounds of food—all thanks to one innovative idea. This … [Read more...]
Mommy Makeover
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I admit it, I don't do much as far as my hair and make up go. I rarely wear full-blown make up any more and I'm a wash, dry, brush once, and go type of girl when it comes to my hair. When Camille Albane Paris salon reached out to me and asked me if I wanted a complimentary mommy makeover to help spread the word about their new Maple Grove, MN store, I jumped on the opportunity! Why not? Camille Albane Paris is a bold, dynamic, feminine salon brand known for its elite industry expertise, superior service, innovative products and top talent. It has nearly 300 salons in 11 countries. Last month it opened its second U.S. location in Maple Grove, Minnesota (it's first US location is in Boston, MA). I'm so excited to be one of the bloggers chosen to get a mommy makeover at the second ever U.S. location! This is my "before" selfie. Yup. Me on a typical day except I'm wearing a bit of makeup. I didn't want to look horrible when I walked into a high-end salon. High end (but not … [Read more...]
10 Fall Treats, Activities, and Crafts for Kids
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Toys In The Dryer turned 3 at the beginning of the month. This got me thinking that there a ton of posts that have been forgotten as new posts have taken their place over the years. It's time to bring back some of my favorite fall treats, activities, and crafts for kids that we have posted over the last 3 years. Fall Leaf Fairies - Make cute fairy pictures from fallen leaves and twigs. These hung in our kitchen for weeks! Candy Corn Pudding Treats - There's nothing special about the flavor per se, it's more so the idea that it looks like candy corn. Acorn Races - Since Lindsi introduced this fun, easy activity to my family three years ago, we've been doing it every fall! Each year gets a little more crazy! Leaf Drawing - I did this all the time as a kid. Now my kids do it! Crock Pot Applesauce - Perfect for all those apples you've picked at the apple orchard! Leaf Animals - Similar to the leaf fairies, my girls had a ton of fun making … [Read more...]
Boxtrolls Movie #Giveaway!
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If you've been reading Toys In The Dryer since last year, you know that I was all excited about the movie Paranorman. This year, the makers of Paranorman have come out with a new movie called The Boxtrolls. If the animation is anything like Paranorman, it's going to be AWESOME! The Boxtrolls is another stop-motion animation from LAIKA and Focus Features. Yes, more than 20,000 props were hand made and hand manipulated to make this film. It took animators an average of 1 week to make 3.7 seconds of film which is about 90 frames (or photos). Crazy huh? Wondering what The Boxtrolls is about? Here's the official synopsis: A family event movie from the creators of “Coraline” and “ParaNorman” that introduces audiences to a new breed of family – The Boxtrolls, a community of quirky, mischievous creatures who have lovingly raised a human boy named Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead Wright) in the amazing cavernous home they’ve built beneath the streets of Cheesebridge. When the town’s … [Read more...]
A Lesson on Sound Waves With Hanger and String
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I remember trying this hanger and string sound lesson when I was younger. I came across it again while searching the internet one day and knew that my girls would love it! To try this sound wave experiment yourself, you'll need a wire coat hanger, yarn, and objects to hit the coat hanger against (a wall, a table, something else metal...). That's it! 1) Tie the yard onto the hook of the hanger leaving (about) equal amounts on both ends of the yarn. 2) Start by hitting the hanger against an object and listen to the sound. 3) Next, wrap the ends of the yarn a few times around your pointer finger. 4) Lightly put your fingers in your ears (do not plug your ears completely) 5) Hit the hanger in the same spot again, this time with your fingers in your ears. How is the sound different? My girls spent quite a while hitting the hanger against different objects to see how the sound varied. It sounded different against metal than it did against wood and even … [Read more...]
